Carlson Jumps Record 7-1, but Somebody Goes Higher for Title : Finals: Esperanza’s Parlin in shotput, El Modena’s Terry in 800 are county’s champions.

Kevin Carlson of Katella High School wrapped himself in a blanket, plopped into his favorite beach chair and cranked up Pirate radio on his headphones Saturday night. It was crunch time in the CIF State high jump final.

A few moments later, Carlson cleared an Orange County record of 7 feet 1 inch on his third and final attempt.

“I told myself it’s all or nothing right here,” Carlson said.

But it turned out to be as high as Carlson would jump. Avery Anderson of Riverside North cleared 7-2 on his first try to win. Carlson, who set the county record of 7-0 in winning last year’s State meet, was second.

“I’m very happy with the performance, but a little disappointed with the place,” Carlson said.

Anderson and Carlson swapped places from last year’s meet, when both cleared 7-0 but Carlson won on fewer misses.

This year, the crowd of 10,510 was heading toward the exits at Cerritos College, still buzzing over the boys’ 1,600-meter relay, when Anderson cleared 7-1 on his second attempt. Carlson followed a moment later.

With the bar at 7-2, Anderson made it with plenty to spare on his first try. Carlson missed, then passed to 7-3.

Anderson missed thrice and Carlson, needing a clearance to win, failed twice.

El Modena’s Mike Terry came into the meet looking for redemption and found it in the final 100 meters of the boys’ 800.

At that point, he swept past the pack and went on to win in 1 minute 53.99 seconds. Dan Niednagel of Dana Hills was fourth in 1:54.56, and Mike Hancock of Newport Harbor was ninth in 1:56.48.

A year ago, Terry entered the 800 final buoyed by a 1:53.30 clocking in his qualifying heat. But the next day, he was eighth in a field of nine.

“I don’t know if I had any doubts (Saturday, but) I was really nervous,” Terry said. “I started to get excited with about 200 meters to go. The adrenaline started to kick in, and I felt good.”

With 100 left, Terry moved to the outside and was ready to pounce.

“I felt the crowd, it was a great feeling,” he said of his homestretch run. “I just wanted to make sure nobody passed me. I kept driving.”

The boys’ team championship rested on the sore hamstring of Compton’s Edward Hervey. With Hervey, Compton had a chance to win its first title since 1958. Without him, Esperanza had a chance to win the first county title since Mission Viejo tied Crenshaw in 1982.

Hervey, who injured his hamstring qualifying in the 400 Friday, ran only a leg on the winning 400-relay team, and Ricky Carrigan won the 100 and 200 as Compton scored 30 points to Esperanza’s 24 1/2.

Esperanza’s Mark Parlin won the shotput (61-5 1/2) and was second in the discus (181-7), Roshawn Sims finished third in the 400 (a personal-best 47.73) and Trevor Lycett was tied for sixth in the pole vault (14-8) for Esperanza.

“I guess we were just destined to finished second this year,” said Esperanza Coach Al Britt, who’s team finished second to Thousand Oaks in the Southern Section 3-A meet.

As it was during Friday’s qualifying, a strong tailwind was a blessing and a curse for Tim Martin of San Clemente, who blazed to personal bests in the 100 and 200.

Martin’s 10.46 clocking in the 100 would have lowered his county record of 10.56, but the wind was a stiff 3.29 meters-per-second, above the allowable 2.0 for setting records. He was a distant third behind Carrigan, who ran 10.33, and Matthew Harding of San Dimas (10.40).

“I’m satisfied with third,” Martin said. “I would have rather had second or first. . . . I’m mildly disappointed. I’m glad my time has been going down each week.”

Thirty minutes later, he finished fourth in the 200 in a wind-aided 21.25, the second-best county time under any conditions. Carrigan completed his season unbeaten, running 20.84.

In the boys’ 110 hurdles, Adrian Brown of Huntington Beach was second in the 110-meter high hurdles behind Isaac Carson of Daly City Jefferson. Carson ran 13.67 to Brown’s 14.13, Brown’s best legal mark this season. Charlie Davidson of Saddleback was sixth in 14.40. In the 1,600 relay, Foothill finished fifth in 3:18.35 and Valencia was sixth in 3:18.65.

For the girls, if Saturday was an indication, the future of county distance running rests with a freshman who’s a veteran road racer and a sophomore who had never run competitively before this season.

Carrie Garritson, a freshman at Sunny Hills, and Amber Parkinson, a sophomore at Orange Lutheran, battled in the middle of the pack in a very competitive 3,200.

Parkinson outkicked Garritson in the final 100 to place fourth in 10:38.80. Garritson was fifth in 10:39.17, the fourth and fifth fastest times in county history.

Deena Drossin of Agoura led eight runners under 11 minutes, winning in 10:30.71.

In the 1,600, Shelley Taylor of Edison was seventh in 5:01.29. Last year, she was fifth.