Calabasas' Adams has what it takes to repeat as league hurdle champion

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers RISING STAR-Calabasas senior Sean Adams' 15.04 in the 110 hurdles is the fastest boys' time in Ventura County this season. In just two years Calabasas senior Sean Adams has established himself as one of the finest hurdlers in all of Ventura County.

Coming off a junior season in which he was the Marmonte League's 110 hurdle champion and advanced to the CIF-Southern Section meet, Adams currently owns the fastest time in the county in the 110 hurdles, according to the Ventura County Track Coaches Association.

Adams' fastest time in the event this season is 15.04, although he says he ran a 14.75 at a league meet several weeks back, a claim backed up by his training coach, Steve Smith.

Despite his success in the 110 hurdles, Adams says his favorite event is the 300 hurdles, where he currently owns the third-fastest time (40.65) in the county.

"I like the 300s better," Adams said. "I think it's because I'm a stronger 400 runner than I am a straight-out 100 or 200 sprinter. The 300 hurdles is closer to the 400 than anything, and that's more of my race."

In addition to hurdles, Adams also runs the first leg on Calabasas' 4 x 400 relay team and competes in the 400.

CHS first-year track and field head coach Donna Watts said Adams is one of the hardest workers on the entire squad, and that's a primary reasons why she appointed him a team captain.

"The thing that really impresses me most about Sean is that he's confident and he's aggressive," Watts said. "But at the same time, he's still humble and he's still willing to work.

"He's not one of these athletes that thinks that because he's good he doesn't have to practice. He comes out and works harder than anybody, even though he's good," Watts said.

Smith, the Coyotes girls' sprinting coach, has worked with Adams since the 17 year old moved to Calabasas from Maryland during his sophomore year. Smith said Adams' dedication to training in the offseason has helped him shave nearly five seconds off this time in the 400.

"Any sport you play, when you mess up the coach makes you run," Smith said. "Well, track and field is punishment from beginning to end. It's running from the time you get here to the time you leave.

"So you have to have a love and desire for it, and that's what Sean possess," Smith said. "He loves the sport. He loves it and he'll spend hours after school clearing hurdles and running, just me and him."

Concentrating on each hurdle and being able to repeat the proper form on each and every jump is the most difficult part of running hurdles, Adams said.

"You have to really focus on each hurdle," Smith said. "I think that's another reason why I prefer the 300, because you have more time in between each hurdle to think about it and fix what you need to."

Smith said Adams now takes 13 steps between each hurdle in the 300. Last year at this time, Adams was averaging about 17 steps per hurdle.

"It's a lot of speed training, a lot of repetition, a lot of focusing on getting off the blocks faster and getting to the hurdles," Smith said. "He's just trying to perfect the proper style of hurdling."

Running track in college is something that's been on Adams' mind for the past few months.

At the recent Mt. SAC Relays, Adams had the opportunity to talk with a track coach from USC. If Adams became a Trojan, his parents, both of whom are Southern Cal alumni, would be thrilled, he said. Right now, however, Adams appears to be setting his sites on returning to the East Coast.

"I kind of want to get away from home a little bit, try something new out," he said.

Adams' goal for the remainder of this season is to perform well enough at the Marmonte League and CIF-SS meets that he qualifies for the CIF Masters.

"I think I'm on the right track," Adams said. "I can definitely do it."