Bjelland breaks league record in 3,200

Bryce Alderton

Costa Mesa High senior Christine Bjelland didn’t want to eclipse the

one-minute, 30-second mark on her splits in the 3,200 meters during

the girls Golden West League track and field finals Thursday at

Orange Coast College.

She held true to those words, breaking a Golden West League record

in the 3,200 (11:35.30) by a little less than three seconds.

“I wasn’t actually aware when I was running,” Bjelland said. “I

found out after. The wind kind of slowed me down, but it made for

good running conditions.”

Bjelland also won the 1,600 Thursday (5:24.50) and was one of

several Mesa athletes to fuel the school’s first league girls track

championship since 1974.

Senior Sharon Day tripled in the 100, 200 and high jump while

running on the winning 1,600 relay along with Rhondi Naff, Stacy

Krikorian and Toshia Bryant.

Day, who will play soccer and compete in track next season for Cal

Poly San Luis Obispo, ran a 26.30 in the 200, leaped 5 feet, 8 inches

in the high jump to break a league record (5-2) and finished the 100

in 13.07.

She kept it as simple as possible.

“Coach just told us to win our events by as big a margin as

possible,” Day said. “The wind made running a hindrance, but it

didn’t affect my jumping. The wind was worse Monday.” Bryant placed

second to Day in the 200 (27.44) followed by Mesa’s Rachel Hughes in

fourth (28.46) and Estancia’s Erica Plietez (28.77).

Mesa’s 1,600 relay team took first in 4:07.44, beating Saddleback

by almost 11 seconds and setting another league record set by

Saddleback in 1997 (4:11.79).

Mesa’s girls volleyball team won its first league title in school

history this past fall and the soccer team shared the CIF Southern

Section Division III title.

Naff doubled Thursday, racing to first (1:01.91) in the 400 and

leaping 32-5 in the triple jump. She made up ground on the back

straightaway of the 400 and pushed past Estancia High’s Ludi Valdez

(1:02.71) and Saddleback’s Carmen Gonzalez (1:02.63) in a tight

finish.

Naff, who stands 5-11 and played on the basketball team, agreed

the back stretch is where she gained on her opponents.

Naff, who is still deciding between Concordia University and

Orange Coast College about where to continue her academic and

athletic career, finished third in the long jump (15-7) while

teammate Cassey Brick won the event (15-11 1/4).

Mesa earned 184 points, followed by second-place Saddleback

(95.5). Estancia finished with 41 points, good for fifth place.

Day’s freshman sister, Jasmin, won the 800 in 2:25.23 and finished

second to Sharon in the high jump (5-4). Estancia’s Sage Otoole

placed fourth with a clearance of 4-6 followed by Mesa’s Jenny Sparks

(4-2).

Valdez won the 300 hurdles in 49.34 while teammate Diana Rosete

placed second to Bjelland in the 3,200 (11:56.61). Brick finished

third in the 300 hurdles in 49.97.

Mesa’s Beverly Aina won the shot put (34-8 1/2) while Thida Pov

threw 29-3. Vicki Pham placed second in the 100 hurdles (18.29) while

Brick took third (18.32).