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Thompson checks out of Long Beach Poly
Thompson left Poly last week to enroll at Serra where she will be coached by her mother and first-year coach Lori Smith-Thompson according to Poly coach Don Norford. Norford learned of Thompson’s departure from Poly administrators but had anticipated her transfer when Smith-Thompson, a 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier in the 100-meter hurdles, was named coach at Serra. “There’s always a bond between mother and daughter,” Norford said. “It’s sad but family always comes first. There’s no bitterness or anger about it..’’ As a freshman, Thompson placed fifth in the 400 meters in the 2006 State meet. At last year’s Southern Section championships, Thompson, who ran 53.62 in the 400 that ranked No 11 on the yearly national performer list, ran on the Jackrabbits’ Division I champion 4 x 100-meter relay finished second in the 400 to teammate Jasmine Joseph. Thompson also qualified for the Southern Section finals in the 300 hurdles, an event where she had the state’s best mark at the time of 41.74. Thompson, however, failed to finish after injured her right hamstring in her lead leg. The condition sidelined Thompson for the rest of the season, including an opportunity to represent the U.S. in the IAAF World Youth Games in the Czech Republic. Poly had been projected to challenge its national record 4 x 400-meter relay record of 3:35.49 set in 2005 with Thompson, state 400 champion Joseph and freshman Akawkaw Ndipagbor, who had run 53.73 as an eighth grader. No high school in U.S, history has ever had three athletes at one time who have run the 400 under 54 seconds in the open event. “We would have run the best time ever in U.S. history,” Norford said. “We’ve lost great athletes before. It’s not new to us but Turquoise will always be a Jackrabbit. Everybody is doing their best to make up for it.’’
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