St. Geme crowned state champ

Annie St. Geme saved her best effort all season long for one race.

That contest came Saturday, as the Corona del Mar High junior clocked

her best time all year to become state champion in the girls 1,600

meters.

“It feels so good, I don’t think it has even triggered yet,” St.

Geme said Saturday night. “I expected it to hurt more and be a lot

harder -- and it was [hard] -- but it ended up going my way.”

St. Geme tops the list of Newport-Mesa athletes competing in the

CIF State track and field championships, which concluded Saturday at

Sacramento City College. Costa Mesa junior Jasmin Day claimed second

in the girls high jump, while Newport Harbor’s Whitney Blue finished

sixth in the girls 3,200; Newport’s Bo Taylor finished seventh in the

boys shot put; and Sage Hill’s Zach Chandy claimed seventh in the

boys 200 and eighth in the 400.

St. Geme, who was sixth at last season’s state championships,

ended Saratoga senior Alicia Follmar’s run for a third straight state

championship in the event, as the CdM runner clocked 4 minutes, 50.40

seconds for her best time this season. Follmar finished fourth.

“It’s what we’ve been working for all year and it came together

for us,” Corona del Mar Coach Bill Sumner said. “All the work was

worth it. Everything else now is icing on the cake.”

St. Geme’s lifetime best is 4:49.84, which she ran at the Golden

West invitational one week after last year’s state meet.

Day, the Southern Section Masters Meet champion in the high jump,

cleared 5 feet, 9 inches on her second attempt to match her lifetime

best and finished second to Desirae Gonder of Stockdale. Gonder

cleared the same height on her first attempt to edge Day.

“I felt good. I was ready to jump,” Day said. “I’m happy I came

out here and performed. Next year I can do even better and work for

first place.”

Blue, a junior, ran the 3,200 in 10:47.08, off her personal best

of 10:35.64, which she ran at the Arcadia invitational earlier this

year. Gunn’s Tori Tyler won the event in 10:38.90.

Chandy clocked 21.51 in the 200 and 48.50 in the 400, while Taft’s

Jamere Holland won the 200 in 20.88 and Dorsey’s David Gettis won the

400 in 45.84 to become the three-time state champion.

“I’m sure he has ambitious goals for next year,” Sage Coach Nate

Miller said of Chandy. “We’re happy with everything he did.”

Taylor a junior for the Sailors competing under the guidance of

longtime throwing coach Tony Ciarelli, threw 57-6 1/2 in the shot put to finish seventh. Taylor’s lifetime best is 59-5 1/2 .