Marina vaulters headed to state

Mike Sciacca

For the second time in four years, Marina High will send two pole

vaulters from its girls’ track and field program to the CIF State meet.

Senior Kristen McGregor and junior Cara Walker have qualified for

Friday’s meet, which will be held at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

McGregor earned the right to compete Friday by hitting an outstanding

vault of 12-feet-9 at last Friday’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet,

also held at Cerritos College.

Her vault established both a new Orange County and Marina High record.

During the regular season, McGregor set a new Sunset League record of

12-5.

Walker, who jammed her ankle on her first attempt last Friday, still

managed to hit an 11-3, which was good for an at-large qualifying mark

for Friday’s state meet.

“Both Kristen and Cara are unbelievably great kids who have worked

their tails off this season,” said Dick Degen, head coach of the Marina

boys’ and girls’ track and field program for the past 20 years.

Marina’s placing of two pole vaulters in the state meet is topped only

by Atascadero High, which is sending three.

The last time Marina sent two athletes, Degen said, was in 1998, when

then-school record holder Katie Rorem and Caroline Rebello competed

In the boys’ Masters meet, Edison High’s Aaron Corbett tied for first

place in the pole vault at 15-feet-8 and moves on to the state meet, as

will Huntington Beach High’s Brian Ruziecki, who qualified in the shot

put and discus.

Ruziecki had an at-large qualifying mark of 58-3 3/4 in the shot put

and finished fifth in the discus with a toss of 165-10.

Also at the Masters meet, Trabuco Hills High senior Matt Bruno set a

new county record by running a 20.93 in the 200-meter dash. His time

eclipsed the previous county mark of 21.01.1 set in 1985 by Marina’s Chip

Rish.

The top five finishers in each event automatically qualify for the

State Meet.

In CIF baseball action, Marina High’s run in the CIF Division II

playoffs came to an end in a 12-5 home loss to Channel League champion

Santa Barbara. The Vikings (20-11) had previous playoff wins over Sierra

League champ Damien and Century League titlist Foothill.