Drossin Bides Time Well in Arcadia Win : Prep track: Agoura distance runner makes move in second half of 3,200 and finishes with a national-best 10:19.63.

Confidence was on Deena Drossin’s side Saturday night as she circled the Arcadia High track in the 3,200-meter event at the Arcadia Invitational.

The Agoura senior was, in fact, so sure of her ability that it prompted Charger Coach Bill Duley to question his own confidence.

Trailing Fallbrook’s Milena Glusac by 30 meters at the halfway point, Drossin made up the deficit in the next lap and went on to win the event in a nation-leading 10 minutes 19.63 seconds.

Glusac finished second in 10:24.61, also better than the previous best time in the nation, a 10:40.2 run by Drossin last month.

Sophomore Stacy Auer of Thousand Oaks, who never really threatened Drossin, closed quickly to finish third in 10:38.63.

“She was running real confident but I was starting to think that Milena was too far out and would not come back,” Duley said.

Drossin, who reached 1,600 meters in 5:16.6, chased Glusac down with a 1:11.8 fifth-lap split and pulled even with last year’s San Diego Section champion at 2,000 (6:28.4).

Drossin, the defending state champion at 3,200 meters, moved to about a 35-meter advantage over Glusac with 800 meters remaining (7:42.9). She ran 5:03.0 for her final 1,600.

Though Glusac took the lead at the start, Drossin’s prerace strategy was to hang back with the pack.

“I wanted to go a little slower to see what was going on ahead of me and then try to take (the race) strongly,” Drossin said. “But when Milena stayed with me for a little bit, that sort of scared me.”

Dave Hartman of Canyon, who will making a recruiting visit to Villanova today, did a little traveling Saturday as well, winning the boys’ 3,200 in a nation-leading 9:00.63. Angel Martinez of San Gabriel was second in 9:03.92.

* JONES LOWERS NATIONAL MARKS

Rio Mesa’s Marion Jones won the 100 meters in 11.38 seconds and the 200 in 22.87 at the Arcadia Invitational, setting national records in both events. C18