Track and field: Even more highlights from the Division II preliminaries

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Here’s a quick look at some of the more notable performances to come out of the final hours of the Southern Section-Toyota Division II preliminaries at Moorpark:

• For the last two hours, people have been poking their heads into the press box and asking if we had the boys’ and girls’ 3,200-meter results. Well, consider yourselves lucky to find out Rex Nelson of Newport Harbor posted an impressive time of 9 minutes 18.52 seconds -- more than six seconds faster than his seeding time. Whittier’s Luis Dorantes was second (9:19.12) and James Kostelnik of Loyola qualified third (9:20.78).

• Woodbridge’s Christine Babcock may have posted the quickest time in the 3,200 meters (10:43.99), but I was really impressed with Agoura’s Erin Baird. The freshman stayed within striking distance of Babcock until the last 300 meters and her 10:51.19 was the second-best time of the afternoon. Baird is definitely a future state-title contender in the 3,200.

• One of the most-exciting events of the day was the boys’ 200 meters. There weren’t any records, but each heat was competitive and fun to watch. Damien’s Taylor Herrera posted the fastest qualifying time of 21.41 seconds and Tommy Curry of Riverside North, who was the top qualifier in the 100, was second at 21.76. Rio Mesa’s Sean Alfino was third (21.72) and San Bernardino’s Dwanye Booker, pictured, was fourth (21.76). Any of these guys have a chance at winning next Saturday.

• Rio Mesa’s Valexsia Droughn isn’t the only athlete in the running for the 100 and 200 meter titles. Norwalk’s Cindy Robinson actually posted the same time as the freshman in the 100 (12.01) and out-qualified her in the 200 (24.45).

-- Austin Knoblauch