Back for seconds

Mike Sciacca

For Marc Todd, Brendan Bowler and Addison Doud, it’s a case of, been

there, done that.

But for all three members of the Laguna Beach High track and field

program, they say there is no luster loss, no nonchalant approach,

when it comes to competing at the CIF Southern Section Track and

Field Prelims.

All three athletes have qualified for today’s Division II event at

Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

The top finishers from preliminary competition move on to the

Southern Section division finals, set for May 24 at Cerritos College

in Norwalk.

“I’m just glad to get another chance to go to CIF,” said Todd, a

senior. “I went last year and was excited to be there, but I didn’t

do as well as I would have hoped. I’m looking to better last year by

far.”

Todd qualified for this year’s meet in two events after winning

the Pacific Coast League long jump title and finishing third in the

triple jump at the May 9 league finals.

He won the long jump with a personal best effort of 20-feet, 1

1/2.

Todd reached last year’s CIF prelims and competed in the triple

jump as the PCL’s No. 2 entry.

The triple jump line was set at 38-feet from the pit for the

prelims, a point, Todd said, from which he had not attempted a jump

last season.

“I hadn’t tried it from that spot before,” he said. “Something

like that, in a big setting, can play a bit with your mind. I

couldn’t make the adjustment.

“I’ve been practicing this week from the 38-foot mark and I’m

getting there, feeling more comfortable with it. I just have to go

all out.”

This is Todd’s first CIF appearance in the long jump.

For the second straight year, Doud has earned a spot in the

prelims.

Last year, she did so as a freshman.

Doud will compete in the discus after placing third at the girls’

PCL final with a heave of 112-8.

For Bowler, last year’s trip to the CIF prelims proved to be a

learning experience.

He’s back again in the boys’ 1600 meters, the same race he ran in

2002.

“It was such a privilege just to make prelims last year and I got

caught up in all of the excitement of it right in the middle of my

race,” said the senior.

“That experience has taught me that CIF is a really tough event,

especially the Southern Section and the competition is a huge jump

from league. I learned things like not to get boxed in, get off to a

quick start -- stuff like that. I’m looking forward to getting

another shot.”

Bowler, who is heading to Tufts University in Boston next fall,

says his game plan for the 1600 is to take the first lap strong, then

drop the intensity a bit in lap No. 2 before turning it on in the

second half of the race.

“But I don’t think I’m in as good of shape as I was last year at

this time,” he chuckled. “It’s just been a different season.

“Advancing to CIF finals is something that’s really hard to get

to. I’m approaching these prelims as though I’m running my last high

school race. I want this race to be a good memory, and a good memory,

for me, would be to beat my personal record time of 4:32. I’ll be out

to do that.”