Girls track and field: The CdM girls are back

Steve Virgen

CORONA DEL MAR - The Costa Mesa High girls track and field team

should blame University High for what took place Thursday in a Pacific

Coast League meet at Corona del Mar.

The CdM Sea Kings responded from their first PCL loss in three years,

an 87-49 setback at Uni last week. They won 11 individual events, one

relay and swept in five events to defeat the Mustangs, 102-33.

“The (CdM) girls losing to Uni kind of changed everything for us,” CdM

Coach Bill Sumner said. “They really wanted it (Thursday). And, they’ll

have another chance at Uni (in the PCL Finals).”

CdM sophomore Stefanie Sitzer, one of three Sea Kings to double,

typified CdM’s return to form. Sitzer, who is also on CdM’s dance team,

tripped and scraped her knees in the 100-meter hurdles two weeks ago.

But, against the Trojans, Sitzer did not trip, nor was she scared to fall

when she won the 100 and 300 hurdles.

She led a sweep in each event, and after the races she hugged her

teammates, Jill Ukropina and Victoria Quinlan, who finished second and

third, respectively in both hurdle races.

Senior Julie Allen paced herself and won the 1,600 (5:17.6) and 3,200

(11:18.8, while senior Carrie Hawkins won the shot put and discus for the

Sea Kings (3-1 in the PCL).

CdM senior Krisserin Canary, who completed a personal-best 11-foot-6

clearance in the pole vault at the Arcadia Invitational Saturday, won the

pole vault (7-6) and contributed in the Sea Kings’ victorious 400 relay.

Sophomore Kinzie Kramer, who won the 100, and freshman Melissa Swigert,

who won the 200, were also on the winning 400 relay team.

Junior Sharon Day doubled for the Mustangs (1-3 in the PCL), winning

the 400 (58.6) and high jump (5-6), while sophomore Christine Bjelland

won the only other individual event, the 800.

Stacy Krikorian, Rachel Hughes, Bjelland and Day won the 1,600 relay,

which featured a thrilling anchor race between Day and Swigert.

Day and Swigert also provided excitement in the 400, in which Swigert

finished second (59.1).

Costa Mesa Coach George Greenwalt said the Sea Kings’ depth was too

much.

“This is one of the reasons we’re changing leagues next year,”

Greenwalt said, referring to Mesa’s entrance into the Golden West League

next season. “We did have some nice performances today. Rachel Hughes in

the long jump (14-3) is really starting to work hard.”

CdM sophomore Jennifer Way, who won the triple jump, and Alison

Brawner, who won the long jump, will compete in the Orange County

Championships at Trabuco Hills High Saturday. The duo will be joined by

Keelan Cuyler, Sara Claster, Becky Cummins, Stephanie Kendrick, Canary,

Allen, Swigert, Ukropina, Hawkins and Kramer, while Costa Mesa will be

represented by Day, Bjelland, Krikorian and Hughes.