Girls’ Player of the Week : Keffer Learns to Enjoy Her Success on the Run

Kaci Keffer, a sophomore at Woodbridge High School, never wanted to run track or cross-country.

Her dad made her do it.

Keffer never wanted to try the hurdles, or the 800 meters, or the anchor leg on the mile relay team.

But her coach told her to.

And now, with all of 1 1/2 years of running experience, Keffer still hasn’t become used to the rigors of daily track practice.

“I don’t like it,” she said. “I don’t like it at all.”

Fortunately for Woodbridge, Keffer’s mind set changes drastically when a race is on the line. Last Saturday, Keffer, The Times’ player of the week, led the Warriors to the Valencia Invitational championship.

Keffer won the 300-meter low hurdles in 46.87 seconds. She anchored the Warriors’ 400-meter relay team to victory in 50.69, and in the 1,600-meter relay, Keffer outsprinted Apple Valley’s Tonya Irick in the final leg to win in 4:04.45. Irick is the defending champion in the Southern Section 2-A 200 and 400 meters.

This season, Keffer has bests of 46.3 in the 300 hurdles; 57.2 in the 400 meters, and a 1,600-meter relay split of 56.5. She is one of Woodbridge’s top scorers in dual meets and invitationals.

“Kaci hasn’t really hit her stride yet,” Woodbridge Coach George Varvas said. “She hasn’t done the outstanding things she’s going to do. We’re pacing her for CIF (Southern Section finals) or the state meet.”

Talk of the state meet--or of any other serious track and field endeavor--often makes Keffer smile. Up until about a year ago, Keffer didn’t have a clue when her coach and teammates were talking track.

“Varvas would ask me, ‘What’s your best time in the mile?’ ” Keffer said. “I’d ask, ‘How many laps is that again?’

“He told us to see who would be on the mile relay team, we were going to do a time trial. I had no idea what a time trial was. I didn’t know what a relay was. I made it, though, and everyone was talking about going to state (the state championships). I had no idea what state was either.”

Keffer, 16, didn’t play organized sports before high school. Athletics? Keffer liked to roller skate and ride her Big Wheel. She tried soccer once, but only because her parents played in an amateur league.

Said Keffer: “I was horrible (at soccer) and I hated it. I quit.”

The summer before her freshman year, Keffer learned that her dad had enrolled her in the Woodbridge cross-country program.

“I came home one day and my dad said, ‘Oh, by the way, you’re going to be at practice every morning at 7 o’clock,” Keffer said.

Varvas, who coached former Woodbridge greats Sheri Smith and Eric Schermerhorn, believes Keffer can attain national prominence in the 800 meters. Aside from her natural talent, Keffer’s strength, Varvas said, is her ability to come through under pressure.

Last May, at the prestigious Southern Section Masters meet, Varvas told Keffer she would be anchoring the Warriors’ mile relay team for the first time. Keffer would be running against the best 400-meter runners in the Southern Section and she needed to place sixth or better to advance the Warrior foursome to the state championships.

“When I got the baton, we were in sixth and Corona del Mar was right in front of us in fifth,” Keffer said. “I was thinking, ‘Oh great Varvas, now look what you got me into.’ I was just going, ‘Yikes!’ I knew there were some really fast girls coming up behind me. But I just went into that Twilight Zone state and ran as hard as I could.”

Keffer finished fourth, passing Corona del Mar’s d’Layne Kerr and Thousand Oaks’ Sharon Manship en route to a 55.9 second-anchor leg, the fastest of her career.

What does she think of track--and her sudden success--now?

“Oh, I love track--but just the meets,” Keffer said. “But now, I just do what they tell me. I figure whatever happens, happens.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Tiffany Boyd of Woodbridge pitched her third no-hitter of the season and struck out 19 Tuesday in a 2-0 victory over Trabuco Hills.

Terry Carpenter of Edison pitched a one-hitter and struck out 12 Tuesday in a 5-0 victory over Marina. Carpenter pitched her sixth one-hitter and struck out 15 Friday in a 1-0 win over Westminster.

Kelly Cook of Brea-Olinda pitched her third no-hitter of the season in a 1-0 victory over Magnolia Tuesday.

Allison Franke of Canyon threw the discus 155-feet 8-inches, the state’s second best mark this season and a personal best by 5-10, to lead the Comanches to the team title Saturday at the Tustin Relays.

Sita Jones of La Habra won both the 1,600 meters (5:17.1) and 3,200 meters (11:16.0) at the Valencia Invitational Saturday.

d’Layne Kerr of Corona del Mar placed second in both the 400-meters (57.33) and the 200 meters (25.06) Saturday at the Mt. Carmel Invitational.

Jayme Ondracek of Tustin pitched her first no-hitter of the season Wednesday in a 11-0 victory over Corona del Mar.

Wendy Shean of San Clemente had a grand slam Friday in a 4-0 victory over Irvine.

Shannon Skoglund, a Los Alamitos sophomore, pitched a no-hitter and struck out eight in a 3-0 victory over Katella Tuesday.

Kaci Keffer

Woodbridge High

Position: Sprinter/Hurdler.

Height, Class: 5-8, Soph.

Last Week: Keffer led the Warriors to a team championship at the Tustin Relays Saturday. Keffer won the 300- meter low hurdles (46.87 seconds) and anchored the Warriors’ 400-meter relay team to victory (50.69).

Season: Keffer has bests of 46.3 in the 300 hurdles, 57.2 in the 400 meters, and a 1,600-meter relay split of 56.5. She is one of Woodbridge’s top scorers in dual meets and invitationals.