CdM’s St. Geme sets pace

MISSION VIEJO ? With the two biggest high school track meets in Southern California fast approaching, Corona del Mar High’s Annie St. Geme has already placed herself well ahead of the pack.

The senior won the girls’ 1,600 meters at the Trabuco Hills Invitational on Saturday with the seventh-fastest time in state history. St. Geme finished with a time of 4 minutes, 43.13 seconds, the best mark recorded in the state in five years.

The time was also the fastest in Newport Mesa history, surpassing the mark of 4:43.75 set by former Newport Harbor High star Amber Steen in 2001.

St. Geme also won the 800 in 2:11.70, another meet record.

Other individual winners included Newport Harbor High senior Bo Taylor, Costa Mesa High senior Jasmin Day, and Corona del Mar sophomore Shelby Buckley.

The UCLA-bound Taylor, who competed for the first time in a year with the spin technique, topped the field in the boys’ shot put with a heave of 59 feet, 2 inches.

He was also second in the discus throw (196-5), five inches behind his future UCLA teammate Nick Robinson from El Toro.

Day won the girls’ high jump with a clearance of 5-4.

Buckley’s winning time of 10:36.3 in the girls’ 3,200 was a meet record. Corona del Mar junior Sarah Cummings was second in 10:40.66.

Newport Harbor’s Jessica Robson was second in the high jump (5-2).

Newport Harbor also had victorious performances in the girls’ 4xmile relay and distance medley relay.

In the 4xmile relay, Lauren Maddox, Whitney Blue, Taylor Bryson and Melissa Mead combined for a time of 21:25.37.

Blue (1,200), Cassidy Gayner (400), Bryson (800) and Mead (1,600) combined to break the distance medley meet record with a time of 12:26.90.

Newport Harbor finished second in the boys’ distance medley relay. Chris Lewis (1,200), Nick Nigro (400), Chase Nelsen (800) and Kenny Rakestraw (1,600) combined for a time of 11:04.52.

Corona del Mar’s Tiffany Liu was third in the girls’ long jump (17-0). Teammate John Fairbanks set a personal record in the shot put in a toss of 50-0.

Allison Stokke, the CIF state pole vault champion in 2004, elected not to compete due to wet conditions, Newport Harbor assistant coach Kira Kirby said.dpt.03-st.geme-mug-BPhotoInfo7T1PIADO20060402ioql6skn(LA)Annie St. Geme