Rio Mesa’s Burnham Seeks Niche in History in State Championships

Angela Burnham of Rio Mesa High will attempt to make history when the state track and field championships begin today at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Burnham, the defending state champion in the 100 and 200 meters, can become the first girl to win three state 100-meter titles and five state sprint titles during her career.

Burnham, who first won the 100 as a freshman in 1986, also can become the first girl to win consecutive state titles in the 100 and 200.

“This is the meet she’s been training for all year,” Rio Mesa co-Coach Brian FitzGerald said. “All her training has been geared toward June 3.”

Preliminaries will be held today, starting at 4 p.m., and the finals are scheduled for Saturday at 5.

Burnham also will anchor Rio Mesa’s 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams, which have posted best times of 47.03 seconds and 3 minutes, 48.66 seconds this season.

Rio Mesa, which tied Bakersfield for the state title last year, is expected to finish among the top three this year.

Although Bakersfield--led by defending discus champion Melissa Weis--is favored, either Rio Mesa or Pasadena Muir could challenge for the team title.

“They (Bakersfield) should win,” FitzGerald said. “But you never know. I didn’t expect to win last year, either, and it just kind of dropped in our lap.”

Burnham, who is favored in both sprints, will receive stiff competition from Inger Miller of Muir, who defeated Burnham in two of their five meetings this season.

Burnham, however, has won their past three races, including the 100 and 200 in the Southern Section Masters meet last Friday.

Burnham’s times of 11.52 in the 100 and 23.49 in the 200 in the Masters were national bests, but FitzGerald and his protege are taking nothing for granted.

“She knows that last week doesn’t mean much,” he said. “It’s what she does this week that counts.”

Crissy Mills of Campbell Hall will attempt to win her second consecutive title in the girls’ high jump.

Mills, who cleared 5 feet, 10 inches to win the title last year, established a personal best of 5-10 3/4 two weeks ago and is one of three favorites.

The others are J. C. Broughton of Woodland and Lori Svoboda of Placentia El Dorado. Broughton has cleared a national-best 6-2 1/4, but Mills defeated her and Svoboda in the Arcadia Invitational in April. Mills also defeated Svoboda in the Masters meet.

Bryan Dameworth of Agoura and Mike Williamson of Thousand Oaks placed first and second in the 3,200 in the Masters meet and are expected to battle David Welsh of Sacramento Jesuit for the title.

Dameworth, the two-time defending state Division I cross-country champion, and Welsh met twice this season in invitational meets, with Dameworth winning the 3,200 at Arcadia and Welsh taking the 3,000 in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays.

Todd Lewis of Burbank, the Southern Section 3-A Division 1,600 champion, will battle Carpinteria’s Coley Candaele for the title in that event.

Russell White of Crespi will compete in three events.

White, the Southern Section 2-A champion in four events, is ranked fifth in the long jump and triple jump and tied for sixth in the 200. White, whose time of 10.78 in the 100 meters is the best in the Valley area this season, failed to qualify in that event in the Masters meet.

Charles Brown of Channel Islands is ranked third in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Tony Borquez of Alemany and Jeff Ingalls of Agoura are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 400.