Day qualifies for world championships

Former Costa Mesa High standout Sharon Day, a Beijing Olympian, qualified for the IAAF World Championships by finishing third in the women’s high jump at the USA Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore. Thursday.

This is Day’s first trip to the world championships.

Day was one of three to clear 6 feet, 4 3/4 inches, but finished third determined by clearances at earlier heights. Chaunte Howard won the high jump, while Amy Acuff finished second. Lauren Collins of UC Irvine finished 10th, clearing 5-10.

Day had the day off on Friday before returning to the track today to compete in the two-day heptathlon. In her last multi-event competition, Day posted the highest score (6063 points) by an American in 2009 en route to winning the America’s Combined Events Cup in Havana, Cuba.

The world championships take place Aug. 15-23 in Berlin, Germany.

Ex-’Eaters performing

Former UC Irvine men’s basketball standouts Adam Parada and Matt Okoro have been contributing to the Los Angeles Lightning of the International Basketball League.

Parada, a 7-foot center who has had various tryouts with NBA franchises, is averaging 19.3 points and 14.8 rebounds in four games with the team, which plays its home games at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

Parada is shooting 68.3% from the field (28 of 41) and has 14 blocks since joining the team for its June 13 game against the Grand Rapids Flight.

Okoro, who has played 11 games, including nine starts for the Lightning (12-3), has averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. Heading into the team’s final three regular-season games, he was shooting 57.1% from the field (24 for 42).

The Lightning have home dates with the Nevada Pride, today at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5:30 p.m.

The team concludes its regular season Tuesday at the Tacoma Tide.

— From staff reports