Burnham Tops Track Qualifiers

Angela Burnham of Rio Mesa High might have been the most impressive performer at the Southern Section 4-A Division track prelims at Gahr High on Saturday, but teammate Travis Cooksey was the biggest casualty.

Burnham remained undefeated--winning heats of the 100- and 200-meter dashes with the day’s fastest qualifying times--but Cooksey fell after being tripped in the 800-meter run and did not qualify for next Saturday’s finals at Cerritos College.

Displaying his usual front-running tactics, Cooksey led the field through a 55.1 first 400, but disaster struck 50 meters later.

After pulling up alongside Cooksey, Eric Smith of Redlands inexplicably cut in on the Spartan senior, sending the defending 4-A champion sprawling into the infield.

It took a stunned Cooksey five or six precious seconds to regain his feet, and when he did start running again, he was limping noticeably. He ran gamely for the next 150 meters, but eased up in the last 200 when it became obvious that he would not qualify.

“A foul should have been called,” an irate Rio Mesa Coach Brian FitzGerald said. “I’m appalled at the lack of officiating at this meet. There wasn’t even an official on the curve. I saw the race on film and there’s no doubt Travis was fouled.”

Had a foul been called, the race would have been rerun at a later date, according to FitzGerald.

With Cooksey out, Burnham did her best to lift the Spartans’ sagging spirits.

The 1986 state 100-meter champion cruised to times of 12.08 and 24.23 in the 100 and 200 and anchored Rio Mesa’s 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams to second-place finishes in each heat. The Spartans’ time of 4 minutes, 2.23 seconds in the 1,600 was the fastest in the Valley area this season.

Burnham’s 100 time was two-tenths of a seconds faster than the second-fastest qualifier, Inger Miller of Muir, and her 200 clocking was .45 seconds better than Channel League rival Simone Cain of Hueneme.

“She’s running very well right now,” FitzGerald said of the 5-foot, 5-inch, 109-pound speedster, who leads the state in the 100 (11.65) and the nation in the 200 (23.94). “She should win both races next week.”

If Burnham meets FitzGerald’s expectations, and teammates Mary Bittner and Shannon Wiebelhaus place in the top six in the long jump and 300-meter low hurdles, Rio Mesa could contend for a top-three finish.

Crescenta Valley, Saugus and Camarillo are not expected to contend for any team crowns at next week’s finals, however, each school could produce individual champions.

Junior Morgan Bateman of Crescenta Valley won heat one of the 800 in 1:55.05 and Saugus senior Joe Devine won the first heat of the 1,600 meters in 4:14.97. Both times were qualifying leaders.

Devine’s time moved him to third on this year’s Valley-area list and Bateman’s effort marked the fourth time this season that the Falcon junior has bettered 1:55.1.

Devine’s teammate, Damiean Jenkins, qualified fifth in the discus with a throw of 152 feet, 9 inches, but is expected to challenge for the title next week. Jenkins leads the Southern Section with a best of 178-3.

Jessica Craven of Camarillo had the fastest qualifying time in the girls’ 1,600 (5:09.43) and the third fastest in the 3,200 (11:12.9).

Other top qualifying efforts were turned in by Paul McCarter of Thousand Oaks in the 1,600 (4:20.06) and Desiree Joubert of Westlake in the 800 (2:19.49).

Westlake’s Jennifer Feller won heat two of the 3,200 in a personal best of 11:07.8 and Cindy Byrne of Canyon qualified in the 100- and 300-meter low hurdles.

Byrne’s time of 45.98 in the hurdles gave her the best mark among Valley-area performers this season.