Newport Harbor throwers, Sage impress at CIF Track & Field finals
NORWALK — Newport Harbor High junior Mike Jarboe led the Division 2 boys’ shotput Saturday all the way until the final throw.
Jarboe was on his way to a title at the CIF Southern Section track and field divisional finals at Cerritos College, until someone stepped up to best his mark. But neither Jarboe nor Newport Harbor throws coach Tony Ciarelli could be too upset. It was easy to understand why.
The eventual winner was also a Sailor, junior Cole Smith, who unleashed a throw of 57 feet, 91/2 inches. Jarboe was second in a personal-best 57-01/2 .
The one-two finish in Division 2 shotput was fine with Ciarelli, who knew both of his throwers had qualified for the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on Friday back at Cerritos College.
“I’m very happy with the result,” Ciarelli said. “I tell them, ‘I just want one-two, I don’t care who’s one and who’s two. You guys decide that.’”
Smith and Jarboe are two of six Newport-Mesa athletes to advance to Masters, the precursor to the CIF State Meet. Smith also made it in the discus, after a personal-best heave of 179-03.
Newport Harbor senior Emma Kratzberg also made it in two events, the girls’ 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles. Sage Hill senior Chance Kuehnel advanced in the boys’ high jump for the second straight year, and Lightning junior Alex Escalera made it in the boys’ pole vault. Costa Mesa sophomore Felicia Crenshaw also moves on in the girls’ discus.
Kuehnel and Escalera, along with long jump third-place finisher Miles McCord, helped Sage Hill’s boys’ team finish second in Division 4 behind champion Oaks Christian.
The top nine performers regardless of division in the sprints, hurdles and relays qualified for the Masters Meet, while the top 12 in the distance and field events moved on. Of the local qualifiers, Kratzberg, Kuehnel and Escalera also won divisional titles.
Smith, who was second in Division 2 in the discus, expected to advance in both throwing events. The winning mark in the shotput does not approach his best of 60-1, which ranks fourth on the Sailors’ all-time list. But he has time to get back to that mark.
Jarboe also was excited after he had his personal best in the shotput.
“This is what we were aiming for all week,” he said. “It feels great [to PR]. This is the perfect time to do it.”
The teammates know that the at-large state meet mark in the shot is 56-0. A repeat performance next week and they will automatically qualify.
“It should be easy,” Smith said. “We’ve just got to relax and hit the mark. You should see us moving on in the next couple of weeks, most definitely. That’s the goal. [Making state] would be our Olympics for high school track and field.”
Kratzberg has similar aspirations. She finished third in the Division 2 100 hurdles in a school-record time of 14.22 seconds, breaking former teammate Hope Bender’s mark of 14.35 set last year. Kratzberg was later the Division 2 champion in the 300 hurdles after running a 43.15, but that was the race she was less happy about.
The Colorado State-bound Kratzberg said she stuttered on the sixth hurdle, which threw her off for the rest of the race. She holds a personal best of 42.34 in the race. She’s chasing Bender’s Orange County record of 42.18.
“I definitely was expecting a lot faster than that, so it’s a little bit of a disappointment,” she said. “But it’s all right. It still made me a D2 champion, so I’m very happy about that … I know I will for sure [be faster next week]. I’m moving on in both [races] and I still have more chances. It’s not over yet.”
Kuehnel was the busiest local athlete on Saturday, competing in three events. He won the Division 4 boys’ high jump by clearing 6-6. Kuehnel also won the Division 4 boys’ 110 high hurdles, lowering his school record to 14.64 seconds. That time, however, left him as the third alternate for Masters.
Kuehnel, who also was fifth in the Division 4 boys’ long jump, cleared 6-6 in the high jump on his third and final try. He then had at least two good attempts at 6-8, which would match his personal best, but couldn’t quite stick those jumps. He received advice from former Lightning jumper CJ McCord, who now competes at Yale, in between his jumps. Before Kuehnel’s last leap, McCord told him to just stay consistent.
“He’s a pretty good coach, you know?” Kuehnel said.
As for Kuehnel’s postseason, he’d love to get to the state meet, where McCord placed second in a school-record 6-101/4 two years ago.
“I can clear 6-8, too,” said Kuehnel, who was one of eight jumpers to clear 6-6 on Saturday. “I’m really happy I had good looks at it. Just toward the end of the season, you’re kind of tired and stuff like that. For two of the previous meets, I haven’t been jumping to my full potential, so I’m really happy that today I’m back jumping to my 6-8 potential and possibly even higher.”
Escalera won the Division 4 pole vault by clearing 15-1, just one inch off his personal best. Escalera was one of just five pole vaulters across all divisions to clear the height.
“I was really trying to make 15-6,” Escalera said. “I was happy with how I did, though. My practices have been a lot better lately. I feel a lot more confident.”
Crenshaw did not feel confident she would be moving on after placing fifth in the girls’ discus. Her first throw of 129-06 was her best, though it didn’t approach her 135-08 from a week ago that tied the school record.
“I was mad at myself,” Crenshaw said. “I’m not saying 129 is a bad thing to hit, but I felt like I didn’t make it [to Masters]. I was scared and I was worried, but my coaches were like, ‘Felicia, calm down.’ I realized I shouldn’t be crying it all. I’m a sophomore and I made it here, and it’s an honor to be here.”
But Crenshaw soon found out she tied for 11th, narrowly moving on to next week. On her second throw, she nearly threw it about 140 feet, but she fouled.
” I just didn’t plant my foot correctly … and it barely touched the outside of the ring,” she said. “But I know what to do next time. I’ll be ready for next week.”
Among other competitors Saturday, CdM junior Raquel Powers was third in the Division 3 girls’ 1,600 in 5:06.96, and fifth in the 3,200 for the second straight year in 10:59.08. But no Sea King athlete advanced to Masters, also for the second straight year.
The other local to race in two events was Costa Mesa senior Paige LaBare, who will run track next year at Biola. She was sixth in the Division 3 girls’ 100 in a personal-best 12.13. She then finished seventh in the 200 in 25.47.
” I started very hesitant [in the 100],” LaBare said. “I mean, if I had the start that I had in practices this week, I think I would have gotten under 12. Next year at Biola I’m looking forward to hitting that 11.”
Twitter: @mjszabo
