Girls track: Allen, Steen lead way for locals at CIF Finals.
Richard Dunn
NORWALK - With several girls competing in multiple events, Corona
del Mar and Newport Harbor are still in “team mode” as the Back Bay high
schools try to win CIF Southern Section divisional track and field
championships today at Cerritos College.
Coach Bill Sumner’s Sea Kings, hoping to repeat as CIF Division III
champions, are led by junior Julie Allen, one of the top 3,200-meter
runners in the nation who will compete in three events (3,200, 1,600 and
800).
Newport Harbor senior Amber Steen, the defending CIF Division II
champion in the 1,600, heads the list of five Newport Harbor athletes in
four events.
“All of our girls have a real good chance of scoring points
(Saturday),” said Newport Harbor Coach Eric Tweit, whose 1993 squad won
the CIF Division II title, the school’s only CIF championship in girls
track and field.
Corona del Mar, in addition to Allen, features seniors Diana Hossfeld
and Jenny Cummins in the 800, senior Jaycee Mahler in the hurdles, junior
Alison Brawner in the high jump and the 1,600 relay of Becky Cummins,
Katherine Morse, Mahler and Jenny Cummins.
“Our chicks are on fire,” said Sumner, whose team is expected to
compete with Muir, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and Morningside for the
Division III team title.
“(The championship) might come down to the 1,600 relay (the last event
of the meet). We’re still in team mode. We’ve got a chance (to win) ...
about a 60%-to-70% chance.”
A lot will be asked of Allen, whose best event is the 3,200, but the
distance sensation will compete in only one event at the CIF Masters Meet
on May 25 if she qualifies in all three.
“Julie really hasn’t run a lot of races this year, so her season has
just started,” Sumner said of the Fountain Valley transfer and two-time
state finalist in the 3,200.
“You’re probably going to see (personal records) out of kids like
Diana Hossfeld and Jenny Cummins. For Diana, this is it for her. Anything
else she gets from here is icing, because going on from the CIF Finals is
tough. Diana is supposed to give me her best race of the season Saturday,
and so is Jenny. Julie can do whatever it takes to win. That’s a
different level.”
In addition to Allen’s three events, Mahler, Hossfeld and Jenny
Cummins are in two events. Hossfeld will also run the 3,200.
“It’s kind of rare when you see a team like ours to have a shot at
(the CIF team title) with distance runners,” Sumner said.
Last year, Brawner was second in the high jump at the CIF Finals,
helping the Sea Kings win the team title. She qualified No. 2 out of the
Division III preliminaries at 5-2, but has cleared 5-6 this spring.
For Tweit’s Sailors, Steen set a CIF Division II record in the 3,200
with a 10:27.20 clocking in the prelims at Mt. San Antonio College. She
also broke the 16-year-old school record set by Buffy Rabbit.
“This time of year is what Amber has been pointing for,” Tweit said.
“It’s been a four-year journey for her and she’s had a lot of success.”
Steen also qualified No. 1 in the 1,600 (4:57.87), while Newport
freshman Elizabeth Clayton (fifth in the triple jump at 36-0) and
sophomore Amy Burlingham (fourth in the 200 in 24.83) also advanced
individually.
The Sailors’ 1,600 relay of Patty Vasquez, Burlingham, Lauren Hanson
and Steen qualified eighth (4:00.82).
“Our relay team has an excellent chance of scoring points, of going
under four minutes and and placing,” Tweit said.
In Division III, Costa Mesa sophomore Sharon Day, the defending
champion in the high jump who went on to finish fifth in the state and
has a personal best of 5-9, qualified first at prelims. She also
qualified fourth in the 400, while sophomore teammate Beverly Aina
qualified eighth in the shot put (34-4 1/2).
Estancia senior distance standout Liz Huipe qualified fourth in the
3,200 in 11:14.3.
The field finals begin at 10:30 a.m., the track finals at 1 p.m.
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