State Prep Track and Field Meet : Henson, Carrasco, Carter Lead Orange County

Maggie Henson, Yleana Carrasco and Kaleaph Carter led Orange County performers in the first day of the State high school track meet Friday at Cerritos College.

The first day of the two-day tournament is something like a wedding rehearsal as athletes jockey for position in today’s final, where the medals are actually won.

Each event had three flights of nine athletes each, with the nine best times or distances among those 27 advancing to the final.

Carrasco, Henson and Carter each distinguished themselves in front of the crowd of 6,200 by winning their events on a cool and windy evening, one that many of the athletes complained worked against them.

Among them was Katella High School’s Terry Johnson, who placed second overall in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.

Following his heat in the 110 hurdles, Johnson fretted that a strong crosswind might throw off his stride in the longer race, which is run on a curve.

“My start was excellent in this race (110), but sometimes the wind can blow you from side to side,” Johnson said. “Now (in the 330) I’ve just got to make sure that I get in my 13 steps between hurdles.

“If it picks up, it might cause me to stutter-step.”

Johnson looked smooth in both races, turning in a 14.13 in the shorter race and a 37.86 in the longer one.

The wind didn’t seem to bother Anaheim High’s Carrasco, however, as her high jump of 5-feet 6-inches gave her first place.

Five other jumpers also cleared 5-6, including Debbie Orr of Ocean View, but Carrasco won by virtue of least number of misses. Orr placed fourth and Lisa Coleman of Marina (5-5) ninth to qualify for the final.

The other field event winner of the night from the county was Edison’s Carter, whose shotput of 60-10 3/4 outdistanced El Capitan’s Brian Boggess’ toss of 60-1.

While many of the other athletes at the meet sported T-shirts of rock groups or colleges, Carter and teammate Mike Smyser opted for something more mystical.

Read their identical green and white warm-up shirts:

“The Vital Force is Very Real and Therein Truth Dwells.”

That quote belongs to noted track buff Lao Tsu, a Chinese philosopher who espoused his views back in 515 B.C.

Explained Edison weights coach Tony Ciarelli: “I had a philosophy class at Long Beach State a few years back and the mental aspect (of the quote) kind of fit here.”

“You see, when you’re at a meet like this and have so many great athletes all throwing between 59-60 (feet), it’s the mental aspect that can make the difference between winning and losing.”

Whatever, the Vital Force was certainly with Carter, the Chargers’ sophomore sensation who put himself in a good position to win the state championship when the shotput final begins at 7 tonight.

Another good bet for a state title from a county athlete would be Newport Harbor’s Henson, who advanced to the final in the 800 and 1,600 runs.

Henson placed seventh overall in the longer race in a time of 4:55.40 but won the 800 in 2:10.66. When told of her time after the race, Henson asked, “Can you check that? It didn’t feel that fast at all.”

If it didn’t feel fast, it certainly looked that way as Henson outdistanced the other runners in her heat in the two-lap race.

“I felt kind of alone the last 220 yards,” she said. “I was worried that the pace wasn’t fast enough.”

The pace turned out to be fast enough for both the win and an assignment to lane No. 5 for the start of the final, an advantage if only she can see where the rest of the field is before breaking to the inside after the first lap.

A medal for placing among the top six finishers would make a nice going-away present for the University of Mississippi-bound senior, one who is also going to Hawaii for a vacation after graduation later this month.

Other county athletes who advanced to the finals and have opportunities to win medals include, among the girls, El Modena’s Shellie Lovati in the discus and shotput; Edison’s Nicole Richot and Mission Viejo’s Kathy Grayson in the 800; Ocean View’s Debbie Orr in the triple jump; and the Mission Viejo 1,600 relay team.

Those who qualified from the county for the boys’ finals include Anaheim’s Mike Fritz in the 400; Villa Park’s Jim Sorenson in the 800; Servite’s Steve Williams, Estancia’s Doug Miller, and Foothill’s Steve Slocum in the pole vault; and Corona del Mar’s Michael Bain in the discus.