Cassity soars to new heights for Orange Coast women

Bryce Alderton

The number 5 holds significance for Orange Coast College sophomore

Lauren Cassity.

In her two years at Coast, she has played five sports, including

track and field -- in which she is a heptathlete -- competing

regularly in five events: the javelin throw, high jump, shot put, the

100-meter and 400 hurdles. She occasionally throws discus and will

run in a relay, such as she did Thursday, as host Coast scored 158

1/2 points in an Orange Empire Conference tri-meet to beat

second-place Fullerton, which tallied 140 points and Santiago Canyon

(16 1/2).

“Anything I can do to help the team with points,” Cassity said

after she completed the 400 hurdles in which she finished second to

Coast’s Hanni Geider by 20-hundredths of a second. Geider claimed the

high jump (4-feet-8) while Cassity threw the javelin 98-9 to win.

Both Coast and Fullerton came into Thursday’s meet undefeated and

OCC Coach John Knox knew it would be close because of the scoring

system used that gave points to first- and second-place finishers.

Fullerton won nine events to Coast’s eight. But second place was

where the meet was won. The Pirates (6-0) placed second in eight

events to only five for Fullerton.

“Usually, improving two inches in the shot put or throwing it

further in the javelin wouldn’t matter for the team score, but

[Thursday] it did,” Cassity said. “It can come down to two or three

points.”

Thursday’s meet didn’t come down to the final event, but still

provided a showcase for Coast.

Roseann Peters won the 800 (2:19.9) followed by sophomore Michelle

Icban (2:21.2).

Icban, the defending state champion in the 5,000 and 10,000, paced

to a 4:41.47 to win the 1,500 Thursday and was followed by Ava Jones

in 4:43.72. Jones would place first in the 3,000 (10:12.5) as Suzette Dinoso crossed in second place in 11:04.30.

Jennifer Finaldi, the reigning state champion in the pole vault,

surpassed the competition by clearing the bar at 11 feet while racing

to first in the 100 (16.6). Cassity, who has played soccer,

volleyball and softball in her Coast tenure, finished second in the

100 (18.30).

Finaldi placed second in the triple jump (32-8 1/2) while Jasmine

Geider raced to second in the 100 (13.73). Viviana Gutierrez took

second in the pole vault (8) and Hanni Geider placed second in the

long jump (16- 1/4).

Simone Peront, Jasmine Geider, Hanni Geider and Finaldi teamed to

win the 400 relay in 51.19.

Twin sisters Jasmine and Hanni Geider, who both went to Estancia

High, join Cassity as heptathletes for Coast.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Cassity said of competing in several events.

“It doesn’t seem like there are enough hours in the day to do so many

events. But we get through the weeks, working out and helping each

other.”

With the Orange Empire Conference championships next week at Santa

Ana College, Coast figures to pack a strong punch in hopes of placing

as many athletes as possible in the state championships. The top six

will qualify for the state meet.

“We’ll be stronger next week,” Knox said. “We have a lot of

depth.”