Milers Miss the Call as Henson Gets a Victory

It could be said that Maggie Henson of Newport Harbor High School left the rest of the field behind in the girls rated mile at the Sunkist Invitational Indoor Track and Field Meet at the Los Angeles Sports Arena Friday night.

Actually, because of a foul-up, a few of the better competitors got left behind, out in a hallway, when the race began.

Henson left the rest scattered behind her on the track as she won the girls’ rated mile in 5:08.9.

Seventeen girls were scheduled to compete in two heats, and when organizers combined them into a single heat at the last minute, six girls missed the call, and therefore, the race.

Among them were two of the favorites, Edison’s Nicole Ritchot and Laura Chapel of University City in San Diego, who formerly ran for Irvine High.

Henson was competing in the meet for her third year, as was her cousin, Joe Brummer of Mission Viejo, whose defending meet champion two-mile relay team placed fourth.

Henson said her family gets together on Thanksgiving, Christmas and at the cousins’ track and cross-country meets, which are a much more frequent occasion for a family reunion than the holidays.

Brummer’s mother, Margaret, is the older sister of Henson’s father, Roger. Maggie Henson said she also sees her relatives at another sporting event--Saddleback College basketball games. The team is coached by Brummer’s father, Bill.

Henson said she was happy to win her race Friday, but the circumstances took a little of the joy out of it.

“I was disappointed they weren’t in the race,” she said of the missing entrants. “I felt sorry for them.

“I wish they had been there because I don’t think I would have lost. . . . But I guess my time could have been helped if there had been somebody else up there with me.”

Another Orange County high school athlete to do well was Kirk Ayers, a junior from Western, who came from behind to tie with Joseph Hart of Locke in the 500-yard dash in 58.9 seconds.

Servite pole vaulter Steve Williams leaped to a career best 15 feet for second place. Estancia’s Eric Dorn finished second in the long jump with a leap of 22-5 and Santa Ana’s Rich Fanti placed third in 22-2.

La Quinta’s Kristin Harkins came in second in the girls’ 880 in 2:19.6. Woodbridge’s Rich Brooks placed third in the 60-yard dash in 6.4 seconds.

Villa Park’s Bill Meyer won the boys rated mile in 4:21.5.

Canyon won one heat of the girls’ two-mile relay in 10:08.5, and Esperanza anchor Tammy Harberth carried her team into second place in the other heat in 10:10.9, behind Hawthorne’s 10:01.5.