When it comes to area track and field, one of the more exciting events of the season will take place on Saturday, April 15 at Mission Bay High track. That is when Movin’ Shoes and Mission Bay High School present the inaugural Jim Cerveny Invitational. Cerveny, a graduate of Mission Bay High School, won the 1957 California State 880-yard setting, a then national high school record in the event at 1:52.7. This marks the 60th year since he won the title. For those not up to speed on Cerveny, after graduating from Mission Bay, he went to Occidental College on an athletic scholarship. Among his college highlights:
n 1960 AAU 800m champion. n 1960 Olympic trials semifinals.
Cerveny returned to San Diego as an educator and had stints as head track coach at Morse, Lincoln, and San Diego high schools. Cerveny ended up leading the Morse Tigers to a CIF Title in 1977 for boys and 1979 for girls, respectively. He eventually moved up to the college rankings with years at Cuyamaca College, Mesa College, and was the last men’s coach at SDSU when it had a men’s track and field program. The father of the Tiger relays (the first all-girls high school track meet in California, which started in 1972 and lasted until 2016), Cerveny is presently on the Mission Bay High Track coaching staff, while also serving as a cross country assistant for San Diego City College. The Jim Cerveny invite will feature 25 high schools including Mission Bay, Patrick Henry, San Diego, Clairemont, La Jolla, Point Loma, and many more. Southern Section school South Pasadena will also be joining the meet as the sole out-of-town team. Marquee event Participants and fans on April 15 can look forward to a marquee event, The Charles Jock Invite 800, featuring 15 of the top half-milers. Jock, another Mission Bay alumnus, like Cerveny, was a California State champion in 2008, winning the title in 1:50.82. He went on to UC Irvine on scholarship and in 2011 qualified to represent team USA in the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. The following year, he captured the 2012 NCAA 800m championship. Jock and his family are expected to attend the meet to award the winner of the Charles Jock 800 with a plaque.
The meet will feature many of the top prep talent in the area, as in the triple jump, Mission Bay’s Xavier Brandon, currently sixth best (43 feet 5.5) in the San Diego section, will defend home turf. He will face Point Loma’s Altan Mitchell (46 feet 5.25), the top triple jumper.
Admission for this event is $5 and gates open at 8:30 a.m. for the public. Food and drink will be available for purchase.
