Track and field: OC Championships set for today

Tony Altobelli

MISSION VIEJO - After rain postponed the first attempt, the Orange

County Championships will get a second chance to showcase the area’s top

talent today at 8:30 a.m. at Trabuco Hills High.

Unfortunately for those associated with the event, a strong portion of

the schools will not be coming with a full arsenal, if they come at all.

Three of the four Newport-Mesa high schools, Estancia, Costa Mesa and

Corona del Mar will not be in attendance because of Monday’s Pacific

Coast League preliminaries.

“Once I found out when the new date for this meet was, I decided we

were not going to participate,” CdM Coach Bill Sumner said. “I didn’t

feel that this meet would help our team as a whole. We have some runners

that are on the bubble for CIF and I didn’t want to miss an opportunity

to get a full day of training in.”

With Sea View League prelims set for Tuesday, however, Newport Harbor

will be in attendance and the Sailors are looking forward to the

festivities.

“The people we have competing at this event should not have a problem

getting ready for league prelims,” Newport Coach Eric Tweit said. “The

finals are on Friday, so that will give the runners six days, which is

plenty of time. They were going to have a pretty strong workout (today)

anyway.”

One of Newport’s top runners competing on the girls side will be

senior Amber Steen.

Steen, who recently set her own personal-best time of 4:47.61 in the

1,600 meters at the Arcadia Invitational two weeks ago, won last year’s

race with a time of 4:58.77. She also placed fourth in the 3,200

(11:04.93).

Nadia Topalovic (300 hurdles, 1,600 relay), Evita Castillo (long jump,

triple jump), Valerie Day (100 hurdles, 300 hurdles), Patty Vasquez (400)

and Lauren Hansen (400) will also compete for the Sailors.

On the boys side, John Peschelt, Dan Moyer and Richard Weber,

three-fourths of last year’s victorious 1,600 relay squad will be in

attendance today.

That threesome, along with Dede Johnson, will look to improve on their

3:20.72 from last year’s event.

Peschelt will also take part in the 800 and the high jump. He finished

second and third, respectively, in those events last year.

Moyer will also compete in the 110 high hurdles and 300 intermediate

hurdles, while Weber will test out his speed in the 100 and 200.

Senior Chris McMillen (800, 3,200), Sean Tupy (110 HH, 300 IH), Morgan

Curtis (triple jump), David Sprenger (triple jump, long jump, 400 relay),

David Marshall (shot put, discus), Rion McKenney (shot put, discus),

Jesus Santana (1,600, 3,200), Adam Kerns (long jump, 400 relay) will also

compete for the Sailors, who finished third as a team at last year’s

event with 49 1/2 points.