Boys track and field: Yelsey sizzles in 3,200

Barry Faulkner

MISSION VIEJO - At a meet in which just about everyone but the

sprinters was looking to save every ounce of energy possible for next

week’s finals, all Corona del Mar High senior Josh Yelsey was hoping for

Friday night was a green light.

Yelsey, who won three events at last week’s Pacific Coast League track

and field finals, pared that schedule to two events for Friday’s CIF

Southern Section Division III boys preliminaries at Trabuco Hills High.

He tried to convince CdM Coach Bill Sumner to let him burn his jets in

the 1,600 meters, but was directed only to push the throttle on the final

lap. He qualified second in that event in 4:20.26.

In the 3,200, however, Sumner took the gloves off and Yelsey burned

the field and torched his previous best. Yelsey’s top qualifying time of

9:25.52 was nearly 16 seconds faster than his previous best in the event.

“I have only run the 3,200 hard twice this season and I wanted to go

as fast as I could,” Yelsey said. “Coach told me to stay with (the field)

through the first 500, then I could go. I felt tired at the 500, but I

went anyway.”

Yelsey, second in the Division III 1,600 final as a junior, competed

in the 800 last year, finishing ninth at CIF finals. He chose the 3,200

over the 800 as his second event this season and he introduced himself as

a title contender in a big way Friday.

Yelsey said he was also happy with his 1,600 time, though he believes

he can go as quick as 4:15 at some point in the postseason.

Estancia sophomore Humberto Rojas and Corona del Mar senior Taumata

Grey were other locals who advanced in individual events.

Rojas went a personal-best 4:23.44 to qualify fourth in the 1,600,

while Grey’s discus throw (145-11) was seventh-best, earning him one of

nine berths into the May 19 CIF Finals at Cerritos College.

Grey’s shot put mark of 45-4 was 17th, while Rojas, who was boxed in

during the first lap and virtually had to stop to avoid being tangled

with another runner, posted the 14th-fastest time in the 800 (1:59.79).

Estancia High junior Mike Casillas also ran well, but failed to

advance in the 3,200 (14th in 8:58.33) and the 1,600 (16th in 4:34.12).

Costa Mesa’s Louis Day (long jump), Josh Strickland (100 and 200),

Bernardo Falci (110 high hurdles) and Zach Powell (400) also failed to

advance, as did CdM pole vaulters Erik Knuppel and John Turco.

Mesa’s 1,600 relay team attempted to qualify after press time.