Arreola Ranked 10th for ’89 in 1,500 Run

Darcy Arreola of Cal State Northridge finished 1989 ranked 10th in the nation in the 1,500 meters by Track & Field News magazine.

Arreola, who ran a personal best of 4 minutes 14.15 seconds to place second in last year’s NCAA Division II championships, became the first Lady Matador to rank among the nation’s top 10 since former Thousand Oaks High standout Marlene Harmon was ranked third in the heptathlon and eighth in the 100-meter low hurdles in 1983.

In addition to her runner-up finish in the Division II meet, Arreola placed third in the Division I championships and seventh in The Athletics Congress meet.

Surprisingly, Northridge triple-jumper Lolita Pile was not ranked in the magazine’s top 10.

Pile finished second in the Division II meet, and her personal best of 42 feet 4 3/4 inches put her sixth on the national list. Her decision not to compete in either the Division I or TAC championships might have cost her a top-10 ranking.

Angela Burnham, formerly of Rio Mesa High, and Crissy Mills of Campbell Hall, also were among the top 30 on the national list.

Burnham, now at UCLA, was tied for 22nd on the 100-meter (11.52 seconds) list and was 23rd in the 200 (23.49). Mills’ best of 6 feet in the high jump tied her for 26th.

Burnham won the 100 and 200 meters for the second year in a row in the state championships in June, and Mills won her second consecutive high jump title.

Mills was favored to win an unprecedented third consecutive state title as a senior, but she won’t compete this season because of torn knee ligaments suffered during a volleyball match in September.