Girls track: Steen breaks CIF Division II record in the 1,600

Richard Dunn

NORWALK - First, it was Buffy Rabbit scratched from the track and

field record books by Newport Harbor High senior distance standout Amber

Steen.

Now, after the girls CIF Southern Section Division II championships

Saturday at Cerritos College, Steen erased two more time-honored names

from the sport’s past -- Newport Harbor’s Maggie Henson and University’s

Polly Plumer.

In the 1,600, Steen broke a 20-year-old CIF Division II record in

4:47.72, held by Plumer (4:48.60) since the first year of President

Reagan’s term.

“I didn’t know I was going for the record,” Steen said. “I was just

running, and I don’t know if there were announcing it or what. I didn’t

find out it was (a record) until 10 minutes after.”

Steen also broke Henson’s school record in the 1,600. A week ago at

the CIF Division II preliminaries, Steen set school and CIF Division II

records in the 3,200 (10:27.20), topping Rabbit’s 16-year-old mark.

“I guess that’s not too shabby, especially beating people like Buffy

Rabbit and Maggie Henson,” said Steen, who repeated as Division II

champion in the 1,600.

The University of Arizona-bound Steen said she had plenty of energy

left after the 1,600. “It still could be faster,” she said. “I wasn’t

totally spent after the race. I still felt strong.”

Steen, who also competed on Newport Harbor’s 1,600 relay with Amy

Burlingham, Patty Vasquez and Lauren Hanson, breezed to victory in the

3,200 in 10:33.07.

In that race, Agoura’s Laura Jakosky was more than 20 seconds off the

pace as the runner-up in Division II. But the meet combined two

divisions, sending Corona del Mar junior Julie Allen into the same race.

Allen, who had already competed in the 800 and 1,600, won the Division

III title in the 3,200 (10:43.28), but couldn’t keep up with Steen.

The two jostled for position with about 500 meters left, with Steen

taking a slight lead, then pulling ahead on the final lap.

“They were rubbing shoulders,” said CdM Coach Bill Sumner, who

complained afterward to an official about Steen’s bumping on the track.

“Whoever has the (inside) lane owns the lane. One or two bumps is OK, but

consistent bumping is not.”

Allen, who will probably drop the 800 and 1,600 at the CIF Masters

Meet Friday and concentrate on the 3,200, said she “should’ve been ready

for that. We’re just two competitive people. She decided to pass and we

were close. Mentally, I should’ve stayed with it, even though I got

tripped up. She ran a great race.”

It was the second 3,200 meeting between Allen, a junior transfer from

Fountain Valley and two-time state finalist in the 3,200, and Steen. They

also squared off in a nonleague dual meet earlier in the year and will go

head-to-head again at the prestigious Masters Meet.

“I hope we see each other more,” said Allen, who played soccer with

Steen. “It will be fun.”