Mesa girls romp

Steve Virgen

The rumblings made of what the Costa Mesa High girls track and field

team can do in the Golden West League are probably a bit louder after

the Mustangs’ season-opening performance Thursday.

The Costa Mesa girls displayed its talent and newly acquired depth

with a 86-41 Golden West League victory over host Ocean View.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs’ boys squad scored a 62-61 thrilling victory

that came down to the final event.

Senior Zach Powell, Mesa’s anchor, completed his 400 meters in 52

seconds in the 1,600 meters relay, which included Luis Gonzalez, Omar

Ruiz and Carlos Ibarra.

“(The Mustangs) spread all around the track and cheered like

crazy,” Costa Mesa first-year coach Glenn Mitchell said. “That was

awesome -- what high school track and field is all about.”

Powell won the 800 (2:09.7), junior Marco Huipe took first in the

1,600 (4:47.15) and 3,200 (10:51.6), and the Mustangs also won the

400 relay, which aided Mesa in its league-opening win.

For the girls, senior Sharon Day was in rare form, while junior

Christine Bjelland showed progress in her comeback from a hip injury

she had to overcome since the cross country season.

And, then there were others like freshman Jasmin Day and senior

Rhondi Naff, whom completed debuts that made the dual meet seem

unfair for Ocean View.

“They have some really high-level athletes,” Seahawks’ Coach Grant

Mosher said of the Mustangs. “They’ve got distance and some field

events covered, and in addition to that, they have depth. They are

very strong.”

Sharon Day epitomized that strength, as she was a triple winner.

She provided a glimpse of what should bring her a Golden West League

individual title in the high jump.

“Five-feet, 10 inches; I repeat, 5-10, for the state defending

champion,” Mosher announced on his microphone about Sharon Day, who

also won the 100 (13.4) and 200 (26.7). She also contributed to

Mesa’s victorious 1,600 relay.

Bjelland won the 1,600 (5:35.47), finishing ahead of Ocean View’s

Kaylynn Gallo, who was second in cross country in the Golden West

League.

Beverly Aina, a senior, won the discus (92-2) and shot put (35-1

1/2) , while Vicki Pham finished first in the 100 hurdles (19.09).

Naff won an exciting race in the 400. Naff, competing for just the

second time in the event, finished in 1:04.84, three-hundredths of a

second before Ocean View’s Rachel Rojas.

“When I saw (Rojas) go ahead of me, I had a feeling I could still

beat her,” Naff said. “So, I just gave it all I had. My body was like

a brick at the end. But it was good.”