Girls track and field: Big ‘Day’ for Mesa

Joseph Boo

NORWALK - With the wide-eyed innocence only a freshman could

possess, Costa Mesa High’s Sharon Day captured the girls high jump title

at Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Division III track and field finals at

Cerritos College.

Day more than made up for her disqualification in the 400 meters. Her

high jump mark tied her own school record and it was the fourth-best

qualifying mark for Friday’s Southern Section Masters Meet, which

includes the top nine qualifiers from all divisions.

Day won the Pacific Coast League title two weeks ago and she was one of

five PCL jumpers in this event. She outdueled league rival Allison

Brawner of Corona del Mar, who cleared 5-4 on her last attempt to force a

one-on-one matchup. Day then cleared 5-6 on her second attempt to win the

crown.

“It feels good I guess,” she said. “I didn’t really expect it as a

freshman. I was just trying my best.”

Mesa senior Julie Kroening continued her remarkable run by qualifying for

the Masters Meet in the 300 low hurdles. After setting a personal record

last week in the CIF preliminaries ( 47.16), she shattered the school

record with a 45.33. That placed Kroening third in the Division III race

and got her the ninth and last spot for the Masters.

“I thought I could beat my old time,” she said. “At the prelims, my

sprint at the beginning was a little shaky, so if I smoothed that out, I

thought I would have a chance.”

Kroening only picked up the hurdles halfway through this dual meet

season, which makes her performance Saturday all the more remarkable.

“I’m scared about the Masters,” she said. “I was just running for fun and

making it this far didn’t enter my mind at all.”

The Costa Mesa girls 1,600 relay team, comprised of Day, Kroening, Lisa

Dunn and Ashley Schafer, finished fifth with a time of 4:02.74.

The Mustangs finished tied for seventh in the team standings with 17

points.