Orange County Championships Loses Top Track and Field Stars to Arcadia

Shotputter Kaleaph Carter of Edison High School won’t be there. Nor will discus thrower Michael Bain of Corona del Mar, pole vaulter Steve Slocum of Foothill, high jumper John Amneus of Foothill or 400-meter runner Nick-John Haiduc of Servite.

Many of Orange County’s premier track and field athletes won’t be competing today in the 17th Orange County Championships at Mission Viejo High School.

Instead, they will be competing in the 20th Arcadia Invitational, which has attracted more than 300 schools from four states.

“Traditionally, we’ve always had our meet on the Saturday before spring vacation,” said Mike Rush, Mission Viejo track coach and Orange County meet director. “Arcadia has traditionally been the second Saturday in April.

“Unfortunately, the dates are the same this year. It happens every three or four years. We thought about moving our meet to Friday night under the lights at Saddleback College, but the traffic on Friday nights makes that impractical.

“We also thought about moving the meet to another date, but then we’d be conflicting with another county meet and we don’t want to do that.”

Rush expects 2,100 entries from 43 county schools and is emphasizing team scoring with many of the county’s top individuals missing.

Rush will be missing one of his top athletes, 800-meter star Kathy Grayson, who will compete at Arcadia.

“Everybody had a choice to make,” Rush said. “Some decided to go to Arcadia, but we think we have some top athletes competing here, too.”

Glen Garson, track coach at Savanna, said it’s unfortunate that the two meets conflict but said the absence of several of the county’s top track stars in the Orange County Championships will benefit others.

“The Orange County Championships offer some others to get some notoriety, and I think that’s healthy,” he said.