Boys track and field: Yelsey triples for CdM

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - Things happened in threes for the Corona del Mar High boys

track and field team at the Pacific Coast League Finals Thursday at

Irvine High.

But, unfortunately for the Sea Kings, one of those was good and one

was, well, at least they still have a share of their title.

Senior Josh Yelsey won individual crowns in the 800 meters (1:58.42),

the 1,600 (4:25.60) and the 3,200 (9:57.55). His 1,600 triumph allowed

him to repeat in that event.

But, in the team standings, CdM, which won all five league dual meets,

wound up third, behind University and Northwood.

Since Northwood trimmed University in their dual meet, the three

schools share the league team championship.

It might have been different for the Sea Kings, but for a pair of

disqualifications. The Sea Kings’ 400 relay, which would have finished

third, was disqualified for a handoff outside the zone. That cost the Sea

Kings six points.

Then, a CdM athlete was disqualified in the long jump after he

appeared to earn another six points for a third-place finish. The head

starter ruled the Sea King long jumper was out of uniform, since the

tights he had on under his shorts were not the proper color.

“That (12 lost points) may have been the difference,” said Sumner,

whose Sea Kings totaled 102 points, to Uni’s 119 and Northwood’s 111. The

thing you have to remember is that when we lost those points, someone

else got them.”

Yelsey earned all the individual points he could, and tried to

continue his heroics on the anchor leg of the 1,600 relay. But, he

inherited much too big a deficit to make up and the Sea Kings settled for

fifth in that event.

Costa Mesa finished fourth as a team (61 points), while Estancia was

sixth (37).

The Mustangs produced one champion, senior long jumper Louis Day, who

went 19-11 for a new personal best.

Additional champions from CdM included John Turco (11-6 in the pole vault) and Taumata Grey (143-0 1/2 in the discus throw).

Grey, a senior, was second in the shot put (46-2 1/2), while Mesa senior sprinter Josh Strickland and Estancia sophomore distance standout

Humberto Rojas earned a pair of runner-up finishes. Strickland clocked an

11.49 in the 100 and went 23.54 in the 200, while Rojas went 1:59.04 in

the 800 and 4:28.43 in the 1,600.

CdM’s Erik Knuppel (11-0 in the pole vault) and Travis Beardslee

(9:59.04 in the 3,200) also earned second-place points, as did Estancia’s

Bobby Arroyo in the discus (132-8).

The top two in each event for the local schools earned automatic

berths to the CIF Southern Section Division III preliminaries next week,

as did some third-place finishers who met a qualifying standard. Others

are eligible for at-large berths.

Estancia’s Mike Casillas (4:35.31 in the 1,600 and 10:03.42 in the

3,200), Mesa’s Bernardo Falci (16.59 in the 110 high hurdles), and Mesa’s

Zach Powell (51.81 in the 400) all advanced after third-place efforts.

Falci’s third-place time in the 300 intermediate hurdles (43.31), though

a PR, did not meet the standard.

Yelsey’s performance earned praise from Sumner.

“Josh was huge, Sumner said. After his three (individual) races, he

ran our fastest 400 of the night with a 52.0 split on the relay.”