Bache Cuts Through Gloom at Mt. SAC With Sparkling 1,500

It could have been a terrible 18th birthday for Kristi Bache of University of San Diego High.

After being “kidnaped” by her friends and enduring the embarrassment of being taken to a restaurant wearing koala slippers Friday night, Bache awoke to rain and the prospect of a two-hour drive.

It was raining even harder by the time she lined up to run the high school 1,500 meters at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays at Walnut.

But 4 minutes 31.01 seconds later, Bache had forgotten everything . . . including her birthday. She had made up more than 30 yards on the last lap to beat a top field. Equally important to Bache was beating favorite Kira Jorgensen of Rancho Buena Vista for the first time and trimming almost 18 seconds off her personal best of 4:48.95.

“It was total runner’s high,” a sopping wet Bache said after running a girls’ national best in the 1,500 for 1988. “It was real wet, and there were big puddles on the track, but I never really noticed. Oh yeah, it’s my birthday. I guess this is my birthday present.”

Kristina Hand of Fallbrook was equally elated. Hand won the 800 meters in a hand-timed 2:17.7. It was slower than her season best of 2:15.1, but for Hand it was a sign that she may have regained the form that helped her finish second in the state last season.

Bache and Hand were the only San Diego County athletes to win invitational events Saturday, and they were two of only a handful to compete. The cold and pouring rain forced several of the state’s best to scratch, including the section 400-meter leader, Michael Stevenson of Morse.

That was ironic, because it was Bache who had to run through the worst weather of all.

She almost let that be an excuse for a poor finish. After starting on the outside, Bache trailed the leaders, Jorgensen and Tracey Williams of Mountain View High, by six seconds after 400 meters.

“I figured, ‘Oh well, forget it,’ with the weather and everything,” said Bache, who earlier in the week decided she will attend UCLA. “It was crowded, so I just was going to run and see what would happen.”

But it was Bache who made things happen in the last 400 meters. She was fourth as the last lap and even harder rain began, but she looked strong as she began to close the gap. She streaked past Jorgensen before the last turn and held off Lisa Harvey of Calgary, Canada, who finished second at 4:31.42. Jorgensen, who won the 3,000 meters Friday, finished third in 4:32.91.

“I was pretty far behind with a lap to go, farther than I thought I could make up,” Bache said. “But I kept working.”

But the victory just added to Bache’s confusion over which race to concentrate on, going into the state meet the first weekend in June.

“I don’t know what I should do,” she said. “I felt strong today. After this, maybe I’ll run the 1,600.”

Bache had seemed a lock to run the 800 after she ran a surprising 2:13.41 to finish third and beat Hand, the defending champion, at the Arcadia Invitational two weeks ago.

That was why Hand was so happy after she won Saturday. She said she needed some confidence after she finished seventh at Arcadia.

“I expected too much at that race,” Hand said. “I hoped to run 2:11. It’s hard to come back after winning (at Arcadia) last year. Last year, no one knew who I was. There was more pressure this year.”

She did not have to run against as many top runners Saturday as she did at Arcadia, but in some ways it was a more difficult race.

Hand ran the mile, 880 yards, 220 and a 1:00.3 anchor leg on the mile relay in a dual meet Friday. Her legs were heavy after that.

They got heavier when Hand’s shoes got wet. The track had so much water along the curb on the inside, she was forced to run in the second lane.

But those conditions did not hamper Hand much. She looked strong and led almost the entire way.

“I think this will help me get some of my confidence back,” she said. “I’ll be better prepared the next time I run.”