Girls track and field: Sea Kings unseated

Steve Virgen

IRVINE - If the Pacific Coast League Track and Field Finals were

all about track events, this story would be about how the Corona del Mar

High girls team won its third straight title. But, the bottom line was:

University (155 points) dominated the field events and dethroned the Sea

Kings (123), the two-time defending PCL champions Friday at Irvine High.

“(The PCL Finals) basically turned into a dual meet (because Uni owned

the field events, winning four events and sweeping one),” CdM Coach Bill

Sumner said. “On the track, we beat (Uni).”

Several athletes from the Newport-Mesa District performed at their

highest level and advanced to the CIF Southern Section Preliminaries.

CdM senior Julie Allen and Costa Mesa junior Sharon Day won three

individual titles each.

Allen won the 800 meters (2:18.56), the 1,600 (5:03.66) and the 3,200

(11:17.08). Day won her third straight PCL title in the high jump

(5-foot-10), and also won the 400 with a personal-best 57.33. For the

first time this season, she ran the 200 and won in 26.08.

Krisserin Canary, a Corona senior, dominated in the pole vault. She

cleared 11-6, while second place was a 8-foot clearance.

For Allen, winning was simple.

“I just run,” Allen, the Stanford-bound distance runner said. “I go in

there and give a wholehearted effort. If you are competing, you think

big. You shoot for the top.”

Estancia’s Geider twins, Hanni (second in 100 and third in 800) and

Jasmine (third in 200 and 400), as well as teammate Diana Rosete (third

in 3,200) advanced to the CIF Prelims.

Costa Mesa sophomore Christine Bjelland (second in 800, 1,600 and

3,200) will make her first appearance at the CIF meet. Bjelland’s

teammate, Beverly Aina, also qualified for CIF with her third-place mark

in the shot put (34-7 3/4), and CdM will be represented by Alison Brawner

(second in high jump), Melissa Swigert (second in 200 and 400) and Becky

Cummins (third in 1,600)

The CdM girls won both relays. Jaclyn Thayer, Swigert, Christina Tucci

and Kinzie Kramer won the 400 relay (52.07), while Kramer, Sara Claster,

Katherine Morse and Swigert won an exciting 1,600 relay (4:03.98).