Four Years Later, Keffer Knows Her Sport : Girls’ track: Versatility has given the Woodbridge senior a wide range of knowledge.

When Kaci Keffer joined the Woodbridge High School track and field team four years ago, she had very little knowledge of the sport.

“I didn’t know anything,” Keffer said. “(Coach George) Varvas would say, “OK, run a mile.’ And I’d be like, ‘Uh, how far is that?’

“He told us we were going to have a time trial to see who would be on the mile relay. He lined us up on the track and said, ‘OK, run a 400.’ And I’m like, ‘Uh, how many laps is that?’ I ended up making it, but I didn’t even know what a relay was. Then everyone was talking about ‘going to state’ And I’m like, ‘What’s state?”

Four years and three state-meet appearances later, Keffer, The Times’ Orange County athlete of the year in girls’ track and field, has an impressive--and wide-ranging--understanding of the sport.

Keffer, a senior who was named athlete of the meet at several invitationals this year, including the Orange County Championships, always has been impressive in her diversity. This year was no exception.

Keffer led the county in both the 400 meters (56.54 seconds) and 300 hurdles (42.84).

Along with teammates Kristina Lockwood, Madelline Liseblad and Michelle Muniz, Keffer helped Woodbridge to a county-leading time in the 400 relay (48.83). In the 1,600 relay, Keffer’s anchor leg gave Woodbridge the county’s second-best time (3:55.62).

And, so as not to get bored, Keffer also occasionally competed in the 200, 800, long jump, shotput and discus.

Asked to name a highlight and a low point of the season, Keffer summed both in three words: the state meet.

She was happy that she advanced to the state meet in the 300 hurdles and thrilled with her career-best time (42.84) in the state preliminaries, but she was not happy with a slower time (43.07) and third-place finish in the final the next day.

“Making it to state, and breaking my best time was great,” Keffer said. “I was really amazed. I was like, ‘How did I do that?’ . . But a 43 the next day? I mean, you’d figure you’d go faster in the finals.”

When she compares that to what happened last year, though, Keffer admits her senior season was a good one.

As a freshman and a sophomore, Keffer had reached the state tournament as a member of the relay team. As a junior last year, she seemed to have a good chance of advancing to the state meet in the 300 hurdles. But at the Masters meet--the qualifying meet for the state championships--Keffer went from third to seventh in her race and did not advance.

“I gave up halfway through the race,” Keffer said. “I was in third and I just mentally gave up. I still haven’t watched the video of it. I probably should. I just went home that night and cried and went to bed.”

Keffer said she considered that to be one of her most valuable learning experiences. This year, Keffer was more mentally prepared than ever.

“She’s grown tremendously, both in her times and psychologically,” Varvas said. “Track was something she just did in the beginning. She was not really into it. But over the years, it’s really become part of her life.”

ALL-COUNTY GIRLS’ TRACK TEAM Event: 100 Meters Player, School: Andrea Dean, Mission Viejo Year: Sophomore Mark: 12.36 Won 100 and 200 at county championships, helping the Diablos to the county title Event: 200 Meters Player, School: Andrea Dean, Mission Viejo Year: Sophomore Mark: 25.38 Was integral part of the Diablos’ South Coast League champion 400 relay team Event: 400 Meters Player, School: Kaci Keffer, Woodbridge Year: Senior Mark: 56.54 County champ; Woodbridge’s most valuable--and most versatile--track athlete Event: 800 Meters Player, School: Christie Engesser, Ocean View Year: Freshman Mark: 2:12.79 Second at Arcadia, but illnesses ended her season before Southern Section finals Event: 1,600 Meters Player, School: Shelley Taylor, Edison Year: Sophomore Mark: 4:54.44 Was disappointed with her fifth-place finish at state, but was class of the county Event: 3,200 Meters Player, School: Martha Pinto, Katella Year: Junior Mark: 10:42.51 Ran the fifth-fastest time in county history in placing second at the state meet Event: 100 Low Hurdles Player, School: Elinor Tolson, La Quinta Year: Freshman Mark: 14.51 County champion; only county freshman in any event to advance to the state finals Event: 300 Low Hurdles Player, School: Kaci Keffer, Woodbridge Year: Senior Mark: 42.84 After advancing to two state meets on a relay, Keffer placed third in this event Event: 400 Relay Player, School: Woodbridge Year: Mark: 48.83 Kristina Lockwood, Kaci Keffer, Madelleine Liseblad and Michelle Muniz Event: 1,600 Relay Player, School: Esperanza Year: Mark: 3:52.93 Melissa Ribaudo, Cyndi Boothby, Nikki Jackson and Lynn Murray Event: High Jump Player, School: Melissa McDonald, Mater Dei Year: Junior Mark: 5-10 McDonald--a state long jump finalist--won county title with 5-10 jump Event: Long Jump Player, School: Melissa McDonald, Mater Dei Year: Junior Mark: 18-3 1/4 Improved her best by 6 1/4 inches to reach state final, where she placed eighth Event: Triple Jump Player, School: Lisa Fager, Mission Viejo Year: Senior Mark: 39-11 1/2 Leap of 40-10 at county meet would have been a record but was wind-aided Event: Shotput Player, School: Kristin Dunn, Mission Viejo Year: Senior Mark: 42-1 Despite shoulder injury, won county title in the shotput and discus Event: Discus Player, School: Debbie Hargrove, Estancia Year: Senior Mark: 143-10 Placed third at Masters, ninth at state Athlete of the year: Kaci Keffer, Woodbridge