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.”
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.