Sparks heats up for Mesa

Steve Virgen

Jenny Sparks says she joined the Costa Mesa High girls track and

field team to help train for soccer. But she might be on to something

more in the 1,600 meters.

Sparks, a junior who competed in the event for only the third time

this season, recorded a personal-best 5:35.40 to qualify fourth in

the Golden West League preliminaries at Orange Coast College Monday.

The feat proved remarkable since, five months ago, she was out of

action with a sprained medial collateral ligament in her right knee.

The injury sidelined her for most of her junior soccer season. She

earned second-team All-CIF Division III honors her sophomore year

when she helped lead the Mustangs to a share of the CIF Division III

title.

“That girl is tough,” Mustangs Coach Glenn Mitchell said. “It was

her choice to run [the 1,600]. Usually we have kids who tell us they

don’t want to run that event. But not her.”

Sparks finished second in her heat and shaved five seconds off her

previous best.

“Running the 1,600 has gotten me in so much better shape,” said

Sparks, who competed in field events for the Mustangs last year. “I

just like to run in the 1,600 with the girls. It’s fun. I’m more into

the team aspect of sports and it feels like a team when I run with

[Jasmin Day, Kyla Flores, Christine Bjelland and Emily Cotton].”

Flores (5:36.08), Bjelland (5:49.76) and Cotton (5:59.60) also

qualified for the 1,600 final, and will be seeded fifth, sixth and

10th, respectively, Thursday.

Estancia freshman Jeannette Abrego qualified ninth in the 1,600 in

5:56.78, while teammates Lucy Leon (6:18.0) and Okairy Lomeli

(6:18.53) qualified 11th and 12th, respectively.

Costa Mesa, the defending league champion, finished third in the

dual-meet season. The Mustangs have an outside chance to win the

Golden West League title. If they can win the finals Thursday, and if

Santa finishes ahead of first-place Saddleback, the league title will

be Costa Mesa’s. Estancia finished fifth in the regular season.

Costa Mesa senior Rachel Hughes qualified second in the 100 in

13.42 and fifth in the 200 in 28.25, while her teammate, senior

Cassey Brick, qualified third in the 100 in 13.31 and fourth in the

300 hurdles in 51.79.

Day, a Costa Mesa junior who won the Golden West League individual

championship in cross country last fall, qualified fourth in the 800

in 2:28.05. She will also compete in the 3,200 and the high jump

Thursday.

Day and Sparks play on the same club soccer team, the Newport

Beach Slammers, which competed in a tournament Sunday.

Tracy Bjelland and Vicky Pham also qualified fourth in their

respective events. Tracy Bjelland, a sophomore and Christine’s

younger sister, ran 28.15 in the 200 and Pham clocked 19.05 in the

100 hurdles.

Costa Mesa sophomore Anna Rodriguez qualified sixth in the 100 in

13.77 and sixth in the 200 in 28.35.

Estancia junior Rachel McMasters qualified seventh in the 300

hurdles (52.29). Estancia senior Erica Plietez qualified eighth in

the 100 in 14.07 and ninth in the 200 in 28.97.

Christine Bjelland qualified eighth in the 800 in 2:37.36, while

teammate Shawna Buchanan qualified ninth in the 100 hurdles in 20.29.

Tracy Bjelland, Rachel Ronquillo and Stacy Krikorian, as well as

Estancia junior Elise Carroll, will compete in the 400, which did not

have preliminaries.