Girls track: Back-to-back

Richard Dunn

NORWALK - You’d expect it to come down to the last event, or at

least an exciting showdown in a field event.

But the CIF Southern Section Division III girls track and field team

championship Saturday came down to misses in the high jump at Cerritos

College.

In claiming its second straight Division III title -- the third CIF

girls team championship in school history -- Corona del Mar held on to

beat Muir, 52-51, with Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks placing third (46).

After the completion of the 15th event, the high jump, CdM had its one

point lead.

But, then, Notre Dame still had a pole vaulter scheduled to compete in

the last event on the field, and, if Claire Parker placed first or

second, the Knights would pass Muir and CdM and capture the title. If she

placed third, Notre Dame would tie CdM in points. Any place lower than

third would give the Sea Kings their championship.

CdM Coach Bill Sumner and his squad waited on edge for the final

results for about 45 minutes, but it was moot because the Notre Dame

vaulter never competed, instead leaving the meet early to attend a prom.

“She wasn’t even there,” Sumner said. “We were worried about a person

who wasn’t even there.”

In the high jump, CdM junior Alison Brawner, with five misses after

5-foot-2, beat out Muir’s Glenda Anderson, who had six misses after 5-2.

They placed fourth and fifth, respectively, giving CdM four points and

Muir two in the team standings, enough for the Sea Kings to squeak past

the Pasadena-based Mustangs and win their second consecutive title.

Costa Mesa’s Sharon Day, a sophomore, won her second straight Division

III title in the high jump at 5-6 to highlight the local Mustangs.

For Corona del Mar, junior distance standout Julie Allen was the No. 1

heroine with an incredible triple, winning individual CIF Division III

titles in the 3,200 meters (10:43.28) and 1,600 (4:58.30) and placing

second in the 800 (2:18.12) to score more than half (28) of her team’s

points.

“I really wanted to help our team,” said Allen, who will focus on one

event Friday night at the CIF Masters Meet, probably the 3,200. “All the

races were for the team, and contributing to whatever I can to the

success of the team. (A chance to win the team title) was definitely

there, so you just had to go for it.”

Allen, a two-time state finalist in the 3,200 for Fountain Valley as a

freshman and sophomore, usually doesn’t run the 800, but ended up with

eight points (second place) in that event. First place earned 10 points,

third place six, fourth place four, fifth place two and sixth place one.

CdM senior Diana Hossfeld also came up big at the right time, placing

a surprising second in the 1,600 in 5:00.27, a personal record by seven

seconds.

“(The race) totally went exactly how I hoped it would,” said Hossfeld,

who also qualified for the prestigious Masters Meet. “Having Julie there

has made the difference. She’s so optimistic. She’s the reason that it

happened. Without her there pulling for me, I could have never done it.

She’s amazing ... she has a great attitude and it rubs off. I never

expected (to qualify for the Masters Meet). I thought this would be my

last race.”

Added Allen: “I told Diana she’s going to do it. She’s always doubting

herself, so I was telling her she can.”

Said Sumner: “Diana left everything she had (on the track).”

Along with Allen’s eight points in the 800, CdM senior Jenny Cummins

placed third in 2:18.38 to pick up six points.

Another key event was the 300 low hurdles, where CdM senior Jaycee

Mahler’s bronze-medal finish was a surprise.

“We figured Jaycee would be fourth or fifth, and, for her to get third

(in 46.13), she helped where we missed (on other anticipated points),”

Sumner said.

“Take any angle you want, whether it came down to (the high jump) or

the fact we started one-two in the 1,600 and then went two-three in the

800.”

In addition to winning the high jump, Day placed second in the 400

(57.83) behind Morningside’s Donisha Sanford (56.90).

In the 3,200, Estancia senior Liz Huipe placed fourth in 11:19.62. She

did not qualify for the Masters Meet.

Other local Division III athletes who competed but did not qualify for

the Masters Meet included Costa Mesa’s Beverly Aina in the shot put

(seventh at 32-8).

In Division II, Newport Harbor’s Elizabeth Clayton in the triple jump

and Amy Burlingham in the 200 competed but did not advance.