George Jones

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

George Jones: The Queen Creek Canyon State Academy junior was a triple winner last weekend at the Safford Tri-County meet. Jones won the 100 meters (11.10 seconds), the 200 (22.63) and the 400 (51.50), helping Canyon State finish second to host Safford.

STEPPING DOWN

It took 50 years, but Mesa Mountain View track coach Robbie Robinson said it’s finally time to quit.

Or rather his wife said it.

Robinson, 71, said his wife has been pushing him to step down and he finally agreed.

“I still enjoy it,’’ he said. “But this is the right time.”

Part of the reason, Robinson said, was impending staff cutbacks.

“If I didn’t go, a younger teacher would lose a job,” he said.

His Mountain View tenure is the second chapter of his career. Robinson was a coach and athletic director in Minnesota for 30 years before coming to Mountain View.

Robinson has been highly successful at Mountain View. His teams have won four state titles, including back-to-back in 2004 and 2005.

His teams have finished second four times and he would like to go out with another runner-up finish. Well, actually he’d like to go out with a state championship, but he doesn’t think that’s realistic.

Phoenix Desert Vista, which ran away with the 5A-I state championship and won the Nike national web championship last season, is too strong.

After losing to the Thunder in a dual meet early this month, Robinson came to the conclusion that this year’s Desert Vista team is even better than last year’s team.

“They have more depth,’’ he said. “There will be a several-team fight for second place. We hope to be one of them.”

Everyone will get a better idea of how the Toros stack up after this weekend’s Chandler Rotary meet. The Toros have a number of talented athletes, including pole vaulter Brendin Bear.

Bear went 15 feet, 8 inches against Desert Vista, believed to be the best mark in the state this year.

The Toros also have Ron Taylor, defending champ in the long jump; D.J, Johnson in the 800 and 1600; and Clint Hepburn and Aaron Allen in the hurdles.

Robinson said his program has never measured success by how well it does at the state meet but whether individual athletes improved.

“If someone sets a PR (personal record) and they don’t score a point for us, they still have been successful,’’ he said.

LOOKING AHEAD

Besides the massive Chandler Rotary meet this weekend, Fountain Hills is hosting the Veteran Invitational Saturday.