By RICHARD J. MARCUS
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Five seconds is an eternity in a track and field sprint event.

But five seconds, remarkably, is precisely the time that Maria Carrillo sprinter Herbie Polk has shaved off his mark in the 400-meter dash since last season. This improvement — from a time of approximately 52 seconds to 47 seconds — has catapulted Polk to the state’s second-highest seed in the event. This weekend, Polk will vie to become this season’s fastest high school sprinter at the California Track and Field State Championships at Buchanan High’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.