Girls track and field: Mesa has a walk in the park

Joseph Boo

LAGUNA BEACH - Laguna Beach High’s girls track and field team

provided little competition, literally, for Costa Mesa in a Pacific Coast

League dual meet.

The host Artists fielded runners in only five track events, the

100-meter, the 100 low hurdle and the three distance races, and that

allowed the Mustangs to romp in a 79-47 victory Tuesday.

But the win came at a huge price for the Mustangs because senior Julie

Kroening, Mesa’s top runner in the 100 race and 300 low hurdles and an

important long jumper, suffered a possible broken foot in the 300

hurdles.

It was especially costly because Laguna Beach didn’t fill a lane in the

300 and Kroening was only running against teammate Candace Nicholson.

Aiming merely for a good time, Kroening got off to a good start for the

first 150 meters. But she hobbled down the stretch and finished with a

winning time of 51.33. Nicholson came in right behind her at 52.74.

“Kroening won (three) events,” Costa Mesa Coach John Carney said, “but

what I’m really worried about is whether she broke her foot.”

In her first time in the event this year, Kroening won the 100 low

hurdles in 17.56. She also captured the long jump (14-10). Both victories

came before the 300 hurdles.

The day’s biggest mark for Mesa (2-1 in league) came from freshman Sharon

Day, who broke the school record in the high jump with a personal record

of 5-4, a winning height by eight inches. Day also took the 200 (28.22)

and the 400 (53.40).

Nicholson, a senior, had a bright debut in an off event by winning the

triple jump. She jumped 30-11 the first time she competed in the event.

“The girls are all excited that they’re getting first- and second-places

in events they did for the first time,” Mesa assistant Coach Sue Carney

said.

Misa Lee had a strong showing for the Mustangs by holding off a Laguna

Beach runner at the stretch to win the 100 (13.20).

Laguna Beach (0-4) collected most of its points in the distance races.

The Artists’ biggest highlight came in the 1,600, where they swept the

top three spots.

But injuries prevented Laguna Beach from fielding much of a team, and it

was most evident in the 1,600 relay, where Mesa’s varsity squad just went

fast enough to beat its junior varsity team.

Girls

Costa Mesa 79, Laguna Beach 47

100 - 1. Lee (CM), 13.20; 2. Chaldu (LB), 13.87; 3. Green (CM), 14.09.

200 - 1. Day (CM), 28.22; 2. Schaefer (CM), 28.77; 3, Lee (CM), 29.07.

400 - 1. Day (CM), 1:01.61; 2. Schaefer (CM), 1:04.11; 3. Dunn (CM), 1:06.02. 800 - 1. Ward (LB), 2:30.49; 2. Reed (LB), 2:45.04; 3. Hines

(LB), 2:45.38. 1,600 - Brown (LB), 5:40; 2. Bevacqua (LB), 5:48; 3.

Jenette (LB), 5:57. 3,200 - 1. Brown (LB), 12:55.39; 2. Hines (LB),

14:16.63; 3. Hitt (CM), 14:24.64. 400 relay - 1. Costa Mesa, 55.10. 1,600

relay - 1. Costa Mesa, 5:12.24. 110 HH - 1. Kroening (CM), 17.56; 2.

Henderson (LB), 18.55; 3. Nicholson (CM), 19.95. 300 LH - 1. Kroening

(CM), 51.33; 2. Nicholson (CM), 52.74.

HJ - 1. Day (CM), 5-4; 2. Rogers (CM), 3. Weening (LB), 4-0. LJ - 1.

Kroening (CM), 14-10; 2. Henderson (LB), 14-6; Rogers (CM), 12-8. TJ - 1.

Nicholson (CM), 30-11; 2. Gregney (CM), 25-7 1/2; 3. Dunn (CM), 24-9. SP

- 1. Weening (LB), 34-10; 2. Ainu (CM), 28-22; 3. Weeks (CM), NT. DT - 1.

Weening (LB), 114-2; 2. Weeks (CM), 89-7; Schurabrend (LB), 80-0.