State Track and Field Championships : Edison’s Taylor Learns a Lesson While Qualifying in 1,600

Edison High School freshman Shelley Taylor learned a quick lesson about the quality of competition found at the State track and field championships Friday night at Cerritos College.

Her teacher? Rancho Buena Vista’s Kira Jorgensen.

Running in a preliminary heat of the girls’ 1,600 meters, Jorgensen, the two-time defending State champion at 1,600 meters and a two-time national champion in cross-country, cruised to an easy victory in 4 minutes 55.44 seconds.

Athletes who won their heat, plus the next five fastest overall, qualified for tonight’s finals, beginning at Cerritos College at 5 p.m.

Taylor, who despite being in her first year of competitive running had not lost a 1,600-meter race since mid-April, could only watch as Jorgensen loped away at the start for a commanding lead. Taylor started out in mid-pack and eventually made her way to second, where she finished in 4:58.77, a half-second personal improvement and good enough to qualify for tonight’s final.

Taylor’s improvement, her fourth in as many races, didn’t seem to satisfy her, though.

“I didn’t feel great in the race,” she said. “I guess I put a lot of pressure on myself (to win). I think I expect too much out of myself sometimes.”

Although Taylor wasn’t impressed with her finish, Jorgensen certainly was. Said Jorgensen: “She’s not depressed is she? She should be proud of herself, especially making it this far as a freshman. I never made it to State finals as a freshman.”

In the boys’ 1,600, Mater Dei’s Mike Nielsen advanced with a third-place finish in his heat in 4:15.05, the fifth-fastest time overall. Nielsen, who last year did not advance past the Southern Section preliminaries, started out in mid-pack, then gradually worked his way into fourth.

With 200 meters to go, Nielsen, trying to maintain his crisp, efficient stride, charged to third and then tried to catch Burbank’s Todd Lewis and Arroyo Grande’s Louie Quintana but could not. Lewis won in 4:12.66, and Quintana was second in 4:13.00.

“I felt pretty good,” Nielsen said. “I think I have a lot left. They went by me and beat me fair and square.”

Corona del Mar’s Eddie Lavelle finished a surprising and disappointing eighth in his 1,600 heat and did not advance. Lavelle, who has a best time--and county-leading time--of 4:11.95, came through the first 300 meters fourth from last but worked his way into what appeared to be a comfortable third.

But with 200 meters to go, Lavelle faded and, without a kick, dropped to eighth. After the race, he walked off the track with a noticeable limp, his left shin bleeding from spike marks.

After a disappointing finish in the long jump, Canyon’s Allison Franke qualified in her specialty, the discus, with a toss of 151-feet-10, fourth best overall. Franke, who fouled twice in the long jump before leaping 17-7, made up for the disappointment with an discus series of 151-5, 151-10 and 150-8. Bakersfield’s Melisa Weis leads the field at 163-9, her first and only throw of the night.

In the girls’ shotput, Irvine’s Bev Oden advanced with a mark of 40-9, eighth-best overall. Edison’s Leslee Briggs, the county’s season leader at 41-11 1/2, fouled on two of her three attempts. Her only legal mark was 39-8, which tied her for tenth. Only 2 3/4 inches separated Briggs from advancing to tonight’s final.

In the girls’ high jump, El Dorado’s Lori Svoboda advanced with a leap of 5-6. That mark tied her for first with defending state champion Crissy Mills of North Hollywood Campbell Hall. Svoboda, who defeated Mills last Friday to win the Masters title, passed on the first three heights, cleared 5-4 on her first attempt, passed at 5-5 and cleared 5-6 again on her first try. Mills duplicated Svoboda’s series exactly.

Other county athletes who advanced to tonight’s finals were Edison’s Doug Nichols (sixth-best 800 at 1:54.11); Capistrano Valley’s Laurinda Mulhaupt (fifth-best 800 at 2:15.38); Magnolia’s Phouphet Singbandith (fourth-best triple jump at 49-7 3/4); Westminster’s Shelly Tochluk (the final 400 qualifier at 56.34); Valencia’s Eric Whitcomb, and Irvine’s Sean Rogan (both 14-4 in the pole vault); Edison’s Greg Thurston (56-3 3/4 shotput) and Edison’s boys’ 1,600-meter relay team (3:19.84).

State Meet Notes

The boys’ and girls’ 3,200-meter finals are tonight and include Santa Ana Valley’s Jimmy Rodriguez and Katella sophomore Martha Pinto . . . Other county athletes whose season came to an end Friday included: Esperanza’s Chuck Underwood (54-2 1/2 shotput); Foothill’s Elizabeth Bauer (5-2 in the high jump); Woodbridge’s Louie Muniz (39.56 in the 300 hurdles); Sonora’s Shannon Bryant (300 hurdles); Mater Dei sophomore Melissa McDonald (17-11 1/4 in the long jump); Mission Viejo’s Allison Axtell (17-5 in the long jump); San Clemente sophomore Tim Martin (10.77 in the 100 meters; ties for alternate position); Foothill’s Janette Reed (2:21 in the 800).