State Notebook

AUSTIN - With three state records and three gold medals around her neck, Victoria Jordan sighed, took a deep breath, and said with a smile, "I'm tired."

The Fort Worth Dunbar senior put on the performance of the day Friday at the Texas state high school track meet, winning the girls' 100 meters in 11.16 seconds - just missing the national record of 11.14 in the process - and carrying Dunbar to two more state records in the relays.

"I was surprised," Jordan said of her stunning performance in the 100 that set an all-classes Texas record and nearly equaled Marion Jones' national record set in 1992 in California. "I was happy."

Her coach, Jimyria Hicks, was nearly overcome.

"I could put my arms around her. I could cry, I'm overwhelmed," Hicks said.

According to the National Federation of State High School Association's 2008 record book, Jordan's time was the second-fastest run in high school. It smashed the Texas state record of 11:21 set last year by Killeen's Tiffany Townsend.

Before the 100, Jordan anchored Dunbar's 4A record time of 45.17 in the 400-relay. In her last race, she ran the first leg of Dunbar's 4A record-setting effort in the 800-relay, setting the pace for a time of 1 minute, 36.17 seconds.

STICKY, SWEATY ... HOT

Sweltering. Scorching.

With temperatures soaring into the upper 90s, the Texas high school meet track began Friday under oppressive conditions.

Athletes and spectators baked in the sun at the Mike A. Myers track complex and the portable toilets, not protected by shade, turned into hellish hot boxes reminiscent of Paul Newman's misery in the movie ‘Cool Hand Luke.'

It was a far different environment when UIL championship week started Monday and golf and tennis had to deal with rain.

"Well, this is Texas," UIL Athletic Director Charles Breithaupt said. "We all know how Texas weather can change."

RUNNING & RUNNING ...

Poth's Xavier Rodriguez, who finished fourth in the Class 2A boys 3,200, still has to run the 1,600 today and he'll keep on running the day after that, and the day after that and the day after that.

Rodriguez trains under a regimen known as the Paavo Program, an extremely disciplined approach that has him running every day.

In fact, Friday was his 497th consecutive day training. Some weeks, he runs up to 80 miles.

"It's all about hard work and dedication, things you can live your life with," Rodriguez said.

HOOK 'EM HORNS

A pair of future Texas Longhorns grabbed a couple of state championships.

Angleton's D.J. Monroe won the boys' 4A 100 meters, coasting to the win in 10.41 seconds and flashed a "hook'em" hand signal after he crossed the finish line. Angleton is a top football recruit as a defensive back and signed with Texas in February.

"This is someplace I have to win," Monroe said, adding he may consider running track at Texas.

Pflugerville Connally senior Amanda Vandyke defended her 4A title in the girls' shotput, winning with a toss of 44 feet, 1 inch.