Mission Viejo Girls’ Invitational : Franke’s Day: Two Wins, Two Seconds and a Third

Multi-event star Allison Franke of Canyon High School continued her winning ways Saturday with two firsts, two seconds and a third at the Mission Viejo Girls’ Invitational track and field meet at Mission Viejo High.

Franke, a junior who was named athlete of the meet, had little trouble winning her best event, the discus, with a personal record 149-feet 10 1/2-inches. That was better than the meet record of 112-5 set two years ago by Edison’s Noel Karrer.

Kelsey Allen of Capistrano Valley was second at 127-11, and Megan Franke, Allison’s older sister, who started throwing the discus this season, was third at 123-10.

Allison Franke, who was fourth in the 1987 state meet, has recorded personal bests three times in her past three discus competitions. Saturday’s throw was 9-feet 1/2-inch better than her 140-10 at a dual meet Thursday.

“My goal was 143 today,” Franke said. “I just thought, ‘Well, it’s about time.’ I’ve been throwing well, and I threw 151 in practice two weeks ago.”

Franke’s other victory was in an event in which she seldom competes--the long jump. Her 17-11--a personal best by a foot--beat Mission Viejo’s Allison Axtell (17- 1/2).

“I’m really happy about the long jump,” Franke said. “That’s the first time I haven’t scratched (fouled) on a 17-footer.”

Franke placed second in the 100-meter hurdles in 15.44 seconds, just .01 behind Upland’s Aldora George. Franke’s triple jump of 36-5 1/2 was second to Mission Viejo’s Lisa Fager (37- 1/2).

Franke’s worst finish--a third--was in the 400-meter dash, in which she ran 1:02.08.

Mission Viejo won its third consecutive team championship with 106 points. Canyon was second with 61 and Capistrano Valley third with 48.

Sprinter Sheri Bertell won twice for Mission Viejo. She set a meet record in winning the 100 meters in 12.39, breaking the record of 12.45 set by Hawthorne’s Tami Stiles in 1985. She also won the 200 meters in 25.30.

Fager also won twice, the triple jump and the high jump at 5-2. Axtell, in addition to placing second to Franke in the long jump, won the 400 meters in 1:00.05.

Mission Viejo won the 400-meter relay (49.3) and the 1,600 (4:14.71).

In the distance races, Capistrano Valley’s Laurinda Mulhaupt, the defending South Coast League 800-meter champion, won that event in 2:20.26, edging Serrano’s Zita Hillinger (2:20.45).

Mater Dei’s Lynne Hagen battled the stifling heat and stiff competition to win both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs.

Hagen, who took an early lead in both events, won the 3,200 in 11:33.4, outsprinting Santa Ana’s Maria Mendoza (11:35).

Hagen came back two hours later to win the 1,600 in 5:27.78. Mendoza finished second (5:36.57), and Karen Longyear of Villa Park was third (5:37.02).

Canyon sophomore Sheila Green was named the frosh-soph athlete of the meet.