PREP TRACK : Saddleback Makes Its Mark in Distance Medley at Tustin Relays

Mel Silva, the boys’ distance coach at Saddleback High School, was hoping for a school record in the distance medley at the Tustin Relays on Saturday at Rancho Santiago College.

And that’s what the Saddleback quartet of Robbie Price (1,200 meters, 3 minutes 9.6 seconds), Alex Rico (400, 52.2), Rudy Hernandez (800, 2:04.8) and Eddie Salinas (1,600, 4:32.7) did to hold off Mater Dei and win the race in a school-record time of 10 minutes 39.7 seconds, breaking their mark of 10:48 set this season. Mater Dei finished second in the distance medley in 10:41.0 and Marina was third in 10:43.8.

“I put all my big guns in two races,” said Silva. “We’re taking the distance medley team to Arcadia (Invitational, April 7) and we expect to get down to (a time of) 10:30.”

Price took the lead two laps into the race, running stride-to-stride with Mater Dei’s Tom McCauley. After 1,200 meters, the Monarchs held a slim lead over Saddleback, but Hernandez moved Saddleback into contention, giving Salinas, the anchor, a 70-meter lead.

Then Mater Dei’s Jeff Matsumoto, who placed third in the 1,600 meters at the Orange County Championships last week, quickly made up the difference. But he came up short as Salinas outran him at the finish.

“We knew Mater Dei was going to be tough because they have Tom McCauley,” Silva said. “But fortunately for us, Hernandez had a better day today and he broke it wide open for us.”

Saddleback also won the 3,200 meter relay, placing third in the meet with 39 points. Marina won the meet with 50 points and El Toro was second with 45.

In the girls’ competition, Los Alamitos won the team title with 50 points over Marina (46) and Santa Ana Valley (42).

Los Alamitos senior Pam Kurtela competed in four relays, anchoring the sprint medley (2:56.0) and the 1,600-meter (4:07.3) teams to victory.

Her teammate, Tracy Fatone, also had a busy day, anchoring the distance medley team to first place and the 3,200 squad to third.

In the distance medley, Los Alamitos finished in 12:49.9 to take sixth place on the all-time meet list. Fatone, who ran the 1,600 leg of the medley, held off Newport Harbor’s Kim Robinson, one of the top distance runners in the county, to win the race.

“I ran against (Robinson) in cross-country,” Fatone said. “She is very fast. I was just trying to run fast, trying to hold onto the lead and not let my (teammates) down.”

Newport Harbor was second in the distance medley in 12:55.4 (seventh all-time) and Katella was third (13:05.4, ninth all-time).

In the 3,200, Katella’s Donna Mills (2:23.8), who recently transferred from Tustin High School, Cambria McConnell (2:28.1), Martha Pinto (2:26.4) and Debbie Germinaro (2:30.6) broke the school record, winning in 9:50.2.

Pinto, Germinaro, Laura Gamez and Sara Thornton set the old mark of 10:02 last season.