Fast Finish Carries Rio Mesa Girls Past Buena in Channel League Track

In track, a slow start can be costly. But for the Rio Mesa High girls’ team, it only added to the challenge Thursday.

Trailing by 20 points after four events, Rio Mesa received uplifting performances from unexpected sources to knock off Buena, 72-55, in its Channel League opener.

Tarin Tucker won the triple jump (32 feet 11 3/4 inches) on her final attempt; Alycia Burnham, sister of five-time state sprint champion Angela, finished second (26.86 seconds) behind teammate Stacy Rosemeyer (26.28) in the 200 meters; and Tiffany Marra finished third to break up an anticipated Buena sweep in the 1,600 meters.

Rosemeyer also led a Spartan sweep of the long jump with a leap of 16 feet, 5 inches.

The win put Rio Mesa (1-0) on a fast track toward its fifth consecutive league title. The Spartans beat Buena in the final meet in 1989.

“It’s kind of nice not having to wait ‘til the last meet of the season,” Rio Mesa co-Coach Brian FitzGerald said. “The anticipation last year killed me.”

Freshman Marion Jones won two individual events and anchored two victorious relay teams. Jones took the 100 in 12.14 and the 400 in 58.82.

Buena, the league runner-up last year, launched a relentless attack early, sweeping the 800- and 3,200-meter runs and finishing 1-2 in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Rio Mesa won the 400 relay (49.12) but trailed, 26-6, after four events.

The Bulldogs (1-1, 1-1) were paced by double winners Fanya Bryant and Carla Besamat. Bryant won the 800 (2:24.83) and the 1,600 (5:24.04); Besamat clocked 15.58 and 47.32 in capturing the 100 and 300 low hurdles, respectively.

Buena’s boys’ team won 12 of 16 events--including both relays--in handing the Spartans their first dual-meet loss since 1985, 93-43.

James Craft and Jeff Coyner each won two individual events and ran a leg on the Bulldogs’ winning 400 (44.84) and 1,600 (3:32.75) relay teams.

Craft took the 200 in 23.18 and 400 in 50.49. Coyner won an unlikely combination in the 110 high hurdles (15.29) and pole vault (13-0).