Girls track and field: CdM girls close in on PCL title

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - Monday night was likely peaceful at the Geider family

dinner table, after identical twin sisters Hanni and Jasmine enjoyed the

rarest of luxuries at the Pacific Coast League girls track and field

preliminaries at Irvine High.

The Geiders, both juniors, typically take sibling rivalry to new

heights as they regularly square off in the 100 meters and 200

representing Estancia High.

But, placed in separate heats in the 100 and 200 Monday, they enjoyed

the experience of winning their respective heats, while also rooting for

one another.

“It was cool!,” said Hanni Geider, after they completed the first half

of their sprint duo, the 100. “We both can feel good about winning.”

Both did just that in both sprint events, though Hanni, the defending

league champion in the 100, had the top qualifying time in each event,

heading into Thursday’s finals.

Hanni, second in the 200 at last year’s league finals, went 13.33 in

the 100 and 27.20 in the 200. Jasmine, second and third in the 100 and

200, respectively, at last year’s PCL Finals, qualified second in the 100

(13.37) and the 200 (27.42).

“I think we’re undefeated (in league) as a team,” said Hanni Geider,

who prefers to look at the duo as a combined entry. “I love it when I can

cheer (Jasmine) on.”

While it was a special day for the Estancia standouts, it was a

virtual day off for Corona del Mar High junior Julie Allen, who cruised

to a heat victory in the 800 (2:20.90), qualifying second, between senior

teammates and fellow heat winners Diana Hossfeld (2:20.03) and Jenny

Cummins (2:25.55).

Allen, a two-time Sunset League 3,200 champion who also won the Sunset

1,600 representing Fountain Valley last spring, looks forward to adding

both the 1,600 and 3,200 to her 800 challenge Thursday at her first PCL

Finals.

But, with no qualifying heats to run at the longer distances Monday,

she blew off some excess energy with a long warm-down (about six laps

around the infield). Then, the former club soccer player revived that

former passion, deftly dribbling a soccer ball with a friend in the

infield for several minutes.

“Today was a fun day,” said Allen, who considers the 3,200 her best

event, followed in order of preference by the 1,600 and 800.

CdM senior Jaycee Mahler qualified first in the 100 and 300 hurdles,

with times of 16.82 and 47.54, respectively. She buried the field in each

of her heats and is one reason why Sea Kings Coach Bill Sumner believes

the unbeaten league dual-meet champions should salt away the league crown

with little challenge Thursday.

“It looks like the girls are OK,” Sumner said. “In fact, I’m real

confident about our girls.”

Costa Mesa High sophomore Sharon Day has reason to be confident in the

400, after qualifying first in 1:00.16.

Ashley Schaefer, another Mesa sophomore, saw her confidence swell with

a surprising heat victory in the 400. Her personal-best time of 1:02.38

made her the second-fastest qualifier.

“That was an upset,” Mesa Coach John Carney said of Schaefer’s

performance. “That was a PR by two seconds.”

Carney also pointed to Karlene Cluff (18.90) and Vikki Pham (19.13),

qualifying sixth and seventh, respectively, in the 100 hurdles, as a

highlight for the Mustangs. Pham, whose 100 hurdles time was a PR,

grabbed the eighth and final qualifying spot in the 300 hurdles (55.80).

Costa Mesa’s Lisa Dunn (52.16) and CdM’s Cheryl Hack (52.30) qualified

fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 300 hurdles.

CdM’s Katherine Morse qualified third in the 400 (1:02.54), while

teammate Kinzie Kramer qualified fifth in the 400 (1:03.95) and the 200

(28.18).

Thayer had the fourth-fastest time in the 200 (27.94), while Cummins

qualified seventh in the 200 (28.54).

CdM’s Jaclyn Thayer was a double qualifier, fourth in the 100 (13.85)

and the 200 (27.94), while Mesa’s Sarah Marx went 1:04.03 to qualify

sixth in the 400.

There was no varsity field-event qualifying and the running results

were rendered unofficial, so meet organizers could review qualifying

criteria in each event (see boys story).