Time Is Right for Buena’s Hebert to Lower Her Time : Track: Ventura County meet features high-quality field in low hurdles.

CAMARILLO â€”  Her perpetually optimistic coach says her times are right where they should be at this point in the season, but Buena High junior Stacy Hebert is not satisfied.

After running 44.76 seconds to win the 300-meter low hurdles in the Pasadena Games on March 25, Hebert figured to have dipped under 44 seconds by now. But as she enters the Ventura County track and field championships at Camarillo High this afternoon, that 44.76 clocking remains her season best.

“It has been frustrating,� Hebert said. “I’ve felt like I could be doing better. I really thought I would have broken 44 by now.�

Although Hebert still experiences pain in her left hip from a muscle tear suffered earlier this season, the sixth-place finisher in last year’s State championships refuses to use it as an excuse.

“Once I’m out there in the race, I don’t feel it at all,� she said. “I’ve just been having some problems with my steps. I haven’t felt real smooth out there.�

Today would be a good time to regain that feeling. Hebert will be in a high-quality field that includes Rio Mesa senior Andrea Wasden and Nordhoff sophomore Bridie Hatch.

Although Wasden’s specialty is the 100 highs, she ran a personal best of 44.5 to defeat Hebert in last year’s Channel League finals.

Hatch is the defending Southern Section Division III champion and has a personal best of 44.89.

The Hebert-Hatch-Wasden showdown should be one of several hotly contested events in the meet, which starts at 3 p.m.

The boys’ 100, 1,600 and high jump, and the girls’ 100 are some of the others.

Ramsey Jay of Ventura and Ronney Jenkins of Hueneme will renew their rivalry in the 100 after running personal bests of 10.83 and 10.86 to finish 1-2 in the Spartan Relays at Rio Mesa on Saturday.

Jenkins, the region leader in the long jump (24 feet 1 inch), might have an advantage on Jay because the Ventura senior will try to defend his 400 title at 5:29, only 32 minutes before the 100.

Jay also will run in the 400 relay and the 200.

The 1,600 will feature Thousand Oaks’ Jeff Fischer (personal best of 4 minutes 16.69 seconds), Nordhoff’s Javier Ramirez (4:20.91) and Camarillo’s Eleazar Hernandez (4:21.63), who placed 1-2-3 last year.

Hernandez is the defending county champion in the 3,200 but will run in the 1,600 and the 800.

Camarillo junior Josh Hill, who has a personal best of 6-8 in the high jump, is expected to battle Oak Park senior Brody Winn (6-7) for the title in that event.

Wasden, the defending county champion in the 100 hurdles and the 100, will meet 1993 champion Sharika Higgins of Channel Islands in the 100. Higgins ran a personal best of 12.16 in winning the Spartan Relays, but like Jay, she will run in the 200, 400 and 400 relay.

Amy Skieresz of Agoura, who has the second-fastest time in the nation in the 3,200 (10:31.60), will not run because she will be attending the Penn Relays in Philadelphia.