Coasters: OCC’s Kroening plans eventful meet

Steve Virgen

Shame on Saddleback College. If the Gauchos would have tried to

accommodate Julie Kroening, they might have received a budding track

star.

Kroening, who played soccer and competed in track and field for Costa

Mesa High last year, started her first semester at Saddleback. But she

then decided to transfer to Orange Coast. She wanted to train on

Saddleback’s facilities, but a track coach (we won’t mention any names)

there did not allow her since she was transferring.

Instead of trying to lure Kroening, the Gauchos showed her the door.

Kroening took Saddleback’s brushoff personally and made sure she won

all her events when the Pirates were in a meet with Saddleback.

“I missed out on a lot of practicing,” Kroening said. “I won my events

so that’s cool ... in their face.”

And just what does Kroening compete in? Let’s just say she covers a

lot of ground.

Kroening is a heptathlete, who has not given up the 400 hurdles, her

favorite event.

She left for the Southern California Multi-Event Championship at the

Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, today and will compete in the

first half of the heptathlon Tuesday. The first half consists of the

110-meter hurdles, long jump, shot put and 200. Wednesday, she competes

in the javelin throw, high jump and 800.

Saturday she was in Chula Vista for the All-American Meet, featuring

some of the best athletes in the country. She ran the 400 hurdles. She

finished sixth out of seven, but she completed a personal-best 65.6, 1.3

seconds faster than her previous best. And she says she doesn’t feel as

if she’s in good shape.

She’s definitely better off than she was when she was at Saddleback.

She’s also, believe it or not, better off than she was while at Costa

Mesa. She says she’s mentally stronger.

As a Mustang, she set a school record in the 300 hurdles in 45.33. She

won Pacific Coast League titles in the 100 and 300 hurdles. She finished

third in CIF Southern Section Division III in the 300 hurdles. She also

played soccer and, as a freshman, was on the softball team at Costa

Mesa.

Last year, however, she endured bouts of extreme anxiety. Once, she

said, a black cat ran out onto the track and she could barely gather

enough strength to take her mark in the blocks. Now she just laughs at

the incident.

Her stress has subsided and she is mentally strong for each meet.

She also became stronger because she longed for competing. At

Saddleback, she began to lose her endurance and stamina. She never

trained, but she then realized she missed competing and training and she

wanted to get back into track.

She came to OCC, where coaches noticed her superb athleticism. It was

as if she stumbled into the heptathlon and she didn’t turn down the

opportunity. Such is her character. She takes on anything with an

open-minded attitude.

“It has made me stronger,” Kroening said of being a heptathlete. “Now

I know if I really want to do something all I have to do is work at it.”