Huntington Beach’s Lightbody, Marina’s Odden Stay on Course
Sam Lightbody of Huntington Beach and Logan Odden of Marina produced expected results Friday night at the Sunset League track and field meet. Esperanza distance runner Maribeth Buche, on the other hand, did the unexpected, winning three races and anchoring a winning relay. And Edison’s boys’ 400-meter relay team never made it across the finish line.
Lightbody threw the shotput a personal-best 60 feet 8 1/4 inches and hurled the discus 186-1 1/2 to win both events at Huntington Beach High. Odden set a meet record of 15-4 1/2 in the pole vault, beating the runner-up by 7 1/2 inches.
Despite being advised by coaches not to push herself, Buche won the 400, 800 and 1,600-meter runs, then pulled away on the back stretch to lead the Aztec girls’ 1,600-meter relay team to victory. Esperanza also ran away with the girls’ team title.
The Edison boys’ relay team, however, considered one of the best in the county, was disqualified. Ben Ogawa, running the third leg, and anchor Darryl Poston mishandled the exchange during the 400 and the baton fell. The Chargers had a sizable lead at the time over Esperanza, which went on to win the race, earning enough points to take a two-point meet victory over the Chargers.
“I got a really good start and Ben wasn’t there right away,” Poston, a sophomore who won the 200 meters, said. “Everyone was yelling in the grandstand and I couldn’t here him tell me to slow down.”
Earlier this year, the Chargers, thought to be the favorite, were disqualified when Jimmy Thorson was given a false start when a starting block slipped at the Orange County Championships.
Lightbody got off his best throw in the shot put on his third and final try after a couple of lackluster attempts that drew the wrath of Coach Tony Ciarelli.
“I was trying to get my adrenaline going,” Lightbody said of his final throw. “You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
Ciarelli wasn’t too impressed with Lightbody’s best effort in the discus, which was nearly four feet short of his qualifying distance. “It wasn’t a great throw and he rushed it a little bit,” Ciarelli said.
Freshman Bianca Ziemann of Edison won the girls’ high jump (5-8) and sister Rachael finished second (5-6). Bianca Ziemann also won the long jump (16-2 3/4). Teammates Erin Novak (16-0 1/2) was second and Rachael Ziemann (15-9) was third.