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.”
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