Prep track and field: UNSEASONABLY HOT

MISSION VIEJO - With the track and field postseason just five weeks

away, Corona del Mar High boys and girls coach Bill Sumner told his

athletes to turn up the heat Saturday at the Trabuco Hills Invitational.

Not surprisingly, senior Liz Morse was one of several Sea Kings who

responded.

“She was blistering,” Sumner said of the decorated standout, who led a

Back Bay sweep in the 800 meters with a state-best time of 2:12.8, then

came back to top the field in the 400, with an Orange County-best 56.1.

“Liz was on fire.”

Newport Harbor junior Amber Steen smoked the competition in the girls

3,200 (11:02.58), winning by nearly 30 seconds, while CdM sophomore

Alison Brawner was the other local winner, capturing the high jump with a

leap of 5-4.

Trevor Jones, Newport Harbor’s talented senior hurdler, took advantage

of his opportunity to run the 200 meters with fresh legs. Though he

finished second, his time of 21.97 broke the 25-year-old school record

held by Brian Theriot (22.02).

Jones, the reigning Sea View League champion in the 110 high and 300 intermediate hurdles, also anchored the Sailors’ 1,600 relay, which ran a

season-best 3:24.76, the second-fastest by any county quartet this

spring, en route to a third-place finish. The rest of the relay consisted

of juniors Richard Weber, Dan Moyer and John Peschelt.

“Since the 200 is near the end of every meet, Trevor usually has already

run two or three races by then,” Newport Harbor boys coach Bim Barry

said. “The whole purpose of Saturday’s meet for Trevor, was to give him a

shot at the 200 with fresh legs. Breaking a 25-year-old record is big

stuff and Trevor was excited about it, though he didn’t have much time to

bask in it, since the relay came pretty quickly after that.”

Morse, who won the 800 at last year’s Masters Meet and was third in the

state, held off former Sea View rival Steen, who finished second in

2:17.53, two seconds better than her previous personal record.

CdM junior Jenny Cummins was third in the 800 in 2:20.2, adding to a

stable of CdM athletes who posted personal bests, according to Sumner.

“We’ve kind of been in a low-key mode,” Sumner said. “But with (the

prestigious Arcadia Invitational) coming up (Saturday), I told our kids

to go after some marks. I’d say about 80% of our kids ran PRs.”

CdM junior Josh Yelsey was second in the 1,600, bettering his old PR by

three seconds with a mark of 4:22.25.

CdM junior Diana Hossfeld was second in the girls 1,600 in 5:16.3, also a

PR.

Cummins, her freshman sister Becky, senior Kelly Halley and Morse, also

combined to finish third in the 1,600 relay with a county-best 4:00.0

clocking. Morse passed two runners with a sizzling 54.8 anchor leg, as

the Sea Kings were topped only by two teams from Long Beach Wilson.

“And we would have been better, but we had two girls run into each other

on one handoff,” Sumner said.

Halley also finished fourth in the long jump (16-1 3/4), while sophomore

teammate Season Meservey was fourth in the 3,200 (11:41).Senior Sean

Fenton was fifth in the shot put (52-3), Jenny Cummins was sixth in the

400 (1:01.9) and sophomore Katherine Morse was seventh in the 3,200

(11:58) to round out the Sea Kings’ strong showing.

After league dual meets this week -- CdM hosts Estancia Wednesday and

Newport hosts Woodbridge Thursday -- Morse, Jones and Steen will lead the

local contingent competing at Arcadia High. Jones will run both hurdles,

Steen will vie in the 1,600 and Morse is scheduled to run the 800.