Musings and mutterings as we count down to the track meet so big, it's known by one name: Petty:

-- When word spread like wildfire about Lotty Smith high-jumping 6 feet, 2 inches in just the second Okinawa Activities Council track and field meet of the season, most simply said, "Wow." With good reason. The kid's a sophomore and came within three inches of the Pacific record set three years ago by Marquis Newton. And he might be at Kadena until he graduates.

-- Heartbreaking way for Guam High to end its basketball season, coming up two points short in a 52-50 loss to St. Paul Christian on Saturday at the University of Guam Field House. But a great season for the Panther blue and gold; they went 11-2 and captured their first top seed into the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam playoffs, went 14-3 on Guam including the playoffs, and 17-8 overall. They placed a school-best seventh in the Far East Class AA Tournament last month at Yokota Air Base, Japan. And they placed a school-record four players on the IIAAG's all-island teams, juniors D'Andre Weaver and Derrell Brunner on the first team and junior Erick Lang and senior James White on the second team.

-- "I hope we can start a culture here," coach Joe Taitano said after Saturday's championship loss. Only two of Guam High's teams, wrestling three times and girls soccer in 2003, have won IIAAG league titles. Guam High has one Far East title to its credit, a Boys Class A crown in the school's first year, 1998, when as a startup school they were given special dispensation to play at the Class A level.

-- This from Bruce Carrick, the Pacific's unofficial track and field recording secretary, re: Zama American senior Andrew Quallio's 3,000-meter time Saturday at Yokota: His time of 9 minute, 9.5 seconds currently ranks fifth nationally! (and in just the second week of the season; he's likely to post better times). They no longer run the two-mile in the Kanto Plain; if they'd run the 3,000 back in 1984 when American School In Japan's Sean Gallagher set the league two-mile record of 9:38.9, that would approximate a 3,000-meter run of 9:03. The point being, there's simply no telling how fast Andrew can go.

-- Looks like Kubasaki baseball found itself on Friday with that 10-0 run-rule win over Kadena, and Saturday when the Dragons rode home runs by Kaleb Robinson and Cody Everett in a 9-8 edging of Naha Young Spirit.

-- What a difference having the Pressleys, freshman Bria and sophomore Jasmine, back in the lineup makes for Osan American girls soccer. They've combined for 13 goals and six assists and the Cougars, at 5-1-1, are off to their best start since winning their first Class A title in 2002. Now, they're waiting for senior midfielder Celine Baldevia to get healthy.

-- While Cougars coach Sung Plourde will have his lineup almost intact, the same may not be said for Daegu American's girls, who are still nursing a number of injuries. The two teams meet this weekend.

-- Another year, another season-opening no-hit pitching job by a Heckerl. This time, sophomore Colton Heckerl stamped himself an ace by tossing a no-no at Daegu American, the same place where his older brother Tristan did the same thing last April.

-- But it wasn't just Colton's fine pitching that powered the Falcons. Try these numbers: Jake Kail tossing a one-hitter vs. Osan American with 10 strikeouts. Senior Ivan Montanez and junior Derek Mitchell each batted 4-for-6. Greg Morris was 3-for-4. That's called support.

-- Not just once, not twice, but three times this season has Seoul American's girls soccer team played its opposition to a scoreless tie. While the defense has been solid, it's the offense that's having trouble getting going, coach Robert Victoria said.

-- Anybody who watched Sunday's 4-2 win by Kadena's girls soccer team over the Vicksare Japanese club team should take with them the following: Tell your goalkeeper to stay in the net. Or close to it. If you don't, fleet freshman Kristi Kariban and speedy senior Cassie McDonald (two goals each) will burn you. They did so three times to Vicksare's keeper, who sometimes ventured as far as the center circle.

-- So, too, had people better mark Kubasaki freshman Elizabeth Fabila, who toasted FC Unai for six goals in two matches, a 3-2 win on Saturday and a 3-1 win on Sunday.

-- Boy, that match Friday pitting Kadena at Kubasaki is going to be a good one, Kubasaki's physical play against Kadena's fleet feet. Hopefully, Maya Lowe and Cait Frandsen will be back in Kubasaki's lineup so both squads can be at full strength.

-- Interesting, how many Dragons and Panthers played for the U-14 Diplomats, Okinawa's equivalent of the Olympic Development Program. Fabila. Kariban. Kadena's Stephanie Mobley. Lowe, Sydnie Bligh and Chelsea Bligh of Kubasaki.

-- Boys goal watch: Seoul Foreign, currently second in the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference behind Yongsan International-Seoul, boasts the region's leading goal-scorer in Andrew Park (11). Close behind are YIS-Seoul's David Kim (10), Kadena's Aaron Ahner (9) and Stanley Schrock (8) and Sean Barker of Matthew C. Perry (8).

-- Girls goal watch: A super-tight race between four people putting up astronomical numbers. Perry's Karla Stroud sets the pace with 20 goals, with teammate Danielle Dobson and Seoul Foreign's Karen Lee right behind at 19 and Zama American's Aubrey Ashliman with 18.

-- Long-range forecast: Looking good this coming weekend in the Kanto Plain; rain in the forecast on Saturday for Okinawa.

War Petty. 12 days.