Track and field: Whiteside worth watching Saturday at Mission Viejo HS

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The Orange County Track and Field Championships are Saturday at Mission Viejo High, and one guy to keep an eye on is Cecil Whiteside. Actually, keep an eye peeled for what’s coming out of his hand.

Whiteside is a Newport Harbor football and basketball player who is also one of the outstanding shot putters and discus throwers in the county. And he’s only a sophomore.

He is so good that Tony Ciarelli, who coached Huntington Beach’s Scott Moser, the O.C. record-holder in the discus and Newport Harbor’s Bo Taylor, who is No. 2 all-time, says that Whiteside is ahead of both in terms of development in that event, according to Steve Fryer.

Moser’s discus record is 213 feet 11 inches. At the Trabuco Hills Invitational, Whiteside threw it 175-9. Based off performances through April 8, he is second in the event to Blake Ayles (183-2) of Orange Lutheran, another football player. But Ayles is a senior. Whiteside’s 56-1 in the the shot put is third, behind seniors Blake Poole of Esperanza (61-0) and Jeff Baca (56-7) of Mission Viejo. Again, both are seniors.

It will be interesting to see Whiteside develop over the next two seasons, especially under Ciarelli’s tutelage.

Another athlete to keep your eye on is Christine Babcock of Woodbridge, who a couple of weeks ago ran the 800 for the first time this season in an invitational and posted the fastest time in the state. She ran it in 2:10.5 at the Trabuco Hills Invitational.

Running events begin at 8:30 a.m., and field events begin at 9 a.m.

-- By Martin Henderson

-- Image from www.jonathansteele-artwork-gallery.com