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.