Day seeking exclamation point at state

Steve Virgen

Sharon Day, the Costa Mesa senior star, was named the Orange County

Female Athlete of the Year last week, which put into perspective a

season that has included awards, championships and even a bit of

redemption in regard to her recruiting situation with Stanford

University.

The Cardinal was one of Day’s top choices to continue her track

and field career, but Stanford’s loss became Cal Poly San Luis

Obispo’s gain. In January, Day’s mother, Yolanda, asked Stanford

track and field associate head coach Edrick Floreal if the Cardinal

would have a scholarship for Day, who had been in contact with

Floreal since October 2002.

“[Floreal] said that I wouldn’t be receiving a scholarship from

them until my junior year because I had to prove that I could compete

[in the high jump] in the Pac-10,” Sharon Day said Thursday. “My

parents can’t afford to send me there. It was a disappointment, but

if he was going to be that way I didn’t want to be coached by someone

like that.”

Floreal did not return phone messages left Thursday.

The Cal Poly Mustangs gave Day a full scholarship in track and

field. She will also be a walk-on for the Cal Poly women’s soccer

team.

For Costa Mesa, Day won Golden West League titles in the high

jump, the 100 meters, the 200 and as the anchor of the 1,600 relay.

In April, Day, a four-time CIF Southern Section division-title

winner, cleared 6 feet, 2 inches, which is the nation’s best this

season and it broke the Orange County and CIF Southern Section

records. Day, the 2003 Masters Meets high jump champion, will attempt

to defend her state title in the high jump starting today at the CIF

state preliminaries at Cerritos College.

Greatness has followed Day throughout her senior year, as she has

been a part of three teams, volleyball, soccer and track and field,

which went undefeated in the Golden West League. In volleyball, she

was named the Golden West League’s MVP.

Then, Day led the Costa Mesa girls soccer team to a Golden West

League title and a share of the CIF Division III championship. She

was named Offensive MVP of the league and of CIF Division III after

scoring 29 goals to go with 34 assists.

Day, who was also voted as the Golden West League Female Athlete

of the Year, is believed to be the first Costa Mesa female athlete to

win the Orange County award, Pat Leahy, the school’s athletic

director said.