QUANTUM LEAP

COSTA MESA - A complete lack of history in the CIF Southern Section

girls soccer playoffs proved to be “so old millennium” at Costa Mesa

High, where the Mustangs’ postseason debut was one of several highlights

in the 1999-000 athletic year.

An at-large entry in Division IV, Mesa used stifling defense to earn its

first playoff appearance ever and a strong contingent of returners could

make postseason competition an annual event.

It is just that for the girls basketball team, which extended its 11th

straight postseason invitation to the Division III-AA quarterfinals,

before being eliminated by eventual champion Bishop Montgomery.

Softball also made the playoffs, ending a three-year drought, and the

track and field team was seventh in CIF Division III.

Several individuals sparkled, including: soccer and track and field

standout Sharon Day, a freshman; senior track and field stalwart Julie

Kroening, the school’s female Athlete of the Year; senior Kelly Daub, the

Newport-Mesa District Player of the Year in softball; and All-CIF

honorees Autumn Smith (second team in basketball as a senior) and Katie

Roche (third team in soccer as a junior).

Day won a CIF Division III title and was first-team all-league in soccer,

while Kroening won league titles in both hurdles races and was third in

CIF in the 300-meter lows.

Swimmers Jody Martinovich and Erin Bayes were league champions, while

Jenny Earnest and Nancy Hatsushi were all-district in basketball.

-- by Barry Faulkner