CdM, Day continue on

Chris Yemma

Heading into the CIF Southern Section Division III girls track and

field championships, one Newport-Mesa team, along with several

individual athletes, have chances to clinch titles.

A matinee preview was shown Saturday at the divisional

preliminaries at Gahr High.

Corona del Mar, a third-place finisher at last year’s divisional

finals, grabbed 12 individual spots while also qualifying two relay

teams on its way to Saturday’s finals at Cerritos College.

“I like our position a lot right now,” Sea Kings Coach Bill Sumner

said. “But I don’t want to say for sure, because of what happened at

[the Orange County championships]. There were a lot of sleepers in

the back.”

CdM finished third at the county championships earlier this

season, but the top two schools compete in Division I, meaning Corona

del Mar won’t face them in the divisional finals.

The core of CdM’s point-scorers lie in the distance and middle

distance runners, who paced the team at Saturday’s prelims.

Defending CIF Division III champion in the 800 meters and 1,600,

junior Annie St. Geme led a pack of CdM runners to four of the top

five qualifying spots in the 1,600, while also qualifying second in

the 800 (2:14.42) and ninth in the 3,200 (11:27.06).

Her time of 4:59.73 in the 1,600 topped the prelims field and was

the only clocking to break five minutes. Sophomore Hilary may grabbed

the No. 3 spot (5:06.31), freshman Allison Damon clinched the fourth

spot (5:06.39) and sophomore Sarah Cummings claimed the fifth spot

(5:06.48).

“That’s not bad,” Sumner said. “Four of the top five in the

[1,600] -- the [1,600]-runners got it started and could be carrying

the torch. But the torch will go out of other people don’t get on

board.”

But the others did get on board in the prelims, as senior Melissa

Swigert qualified second in the 400 (57.00) and third in the 200

(25.29); May and Damon also qualified in the 800; Cummings added a

qualification in the 3,200; sophomore Tiffany Liu made the long jump

cut; junior Kelly Morgan made the 400 cut; and the 400 and 1,600

relay teams clinched a finals spot.

The 400 relay team of Meagan Benbow, Alex Tobiessen, Kelly Morgan

and Swigert had the second-fastest time (48.66), while the 1,600

relay team of Tobiessen, May, Morgan and Swigert won Heat 3 in

3:59.88.

Swigert, who is coming off Pacific Coast League title performances

in the 200 and 400, is hoping to trade in her league title for a CIF

crown in the 200.

Meanwhile, Costa Mesa’s Jasmin Day began her quest of defending

her CIF Division III high jump title, qualifying in the event with a

leap of 5 feet, 1 inch, to tie with five others for the top jump.

“I’m hoping to get in the top six at state,” said Day, who

finished eighth at last year’s CIF State meet. “I’ve been practicing

more, and this year I’m more focused on the high jump.”

Day also competed in the 100 hurdle prelims but did not advance.

“We’ve been training a lot,” said Eugene Day, Jasmin’s father and

Mustangs high jump coach. “I think she can get six feet [in the high

jump]. She’s doing pretty good.”

The junior, who won the CIF Division III title last season in the

event, cleared 5-8 three times last year -- including at the state

meet -- and just recently won a Golden West League title with a 5-8

clearance.

Santa Margarita senior Lauren Collins was the only athlete

entering the prelims with a higher jump (5-8 1/2 ) than Day.

At the CIF Division II preliminaries at Moorpark, Newport Harbor

junior Whitney Blue qualified first in the 3,200 and third in the

1,600, while the Sailors’ 400 relay quartet of Alexis Conley, Hannah

Bearden, Cassidy Gayner and Stephanie Lambrakis combined for a

season-best time of 51.20, but did not advance.

At the CIF Division IV preliminaries at Carpinteria, Sage Hill

senior Laura Gordon qualified third in the triple jump (32-5).