ALL-COUNTY TEAMS AND ATHLETES OF THE YEAR : Parlin Is Throwing His Weights Around : Boys’ track: Esperanza senior focuses on discus and shotput, and consistently comes out on top.

The track and field coaches at Esperanza High School knew they had something special when they first saw freshman Mark Parlin.

He was big, fast and strong, but there seemed to be some question about which events the coaches should point him.

As a freshman, he did a little of this and a little of that. He dabbled in the shotput and discus. After all, Parlin seemed to have the build and the strength for those events. He also ran the 100 meters and was fast enough to place in the Empire League frosh/soph meet.

But at some point during his sophomore season, coaches Al Britt and Bill Pendleton realized Parlin was going to develop into a fine shotputter and discus thrower.

“I remember Bill Pendleton said Parlin is going to be the best we’ve had,” Britt said.

It was about that time that Britt and Pendleton found their inexperienced, sophomore-dominated varsity team was growing up. Later that season, Esperanza pulled off an upset by winning the Southern Section 3-A championship meet.

“That was the big surprise, that everything came together,” Britt said. “We had gone to the Orange County championships and most of our kids competed on the frosh/soph level. They really weren’t mature enough in competition. But within three weeks, they were scoring points in (the section finals).”

It was just the beginning for Parlin, who spent the season as an understudy to section shotput champion Chuck Underwood, a senior.

Last year, Parlin was the county leader in the shotput with a best of 62 feet 9 inches, good enough to place second in the State meet. Once again, Esperanza won the 3-A team championship.

In his senior season, Parlin emerged as the State’s top shotputter and the second-best discus thrower. His consistency was the key to Esperanza’s hopes for a third consecutive championship.

“I was trying to think what his off-day (distance) might have been this year,” said Britt, whose team finished second in the 3-A and State meets. “It might have been 59-9. The big thing was his consistency. And not just that he’s been consistent, but he’s been exceptionally consistent at a high level and that’s the tough thing.”

His best marks were 66-7 1/2 for the shotput and 194-2 in the discus. He won the State meet shotput and was second in discus and earned The Times Orange County boys’ track and field athlete of the year honors.

There remains one goal that Parlin wants to reach. “Seventy,” Parlin said of his dream shotput mark. “I’m hoping to hit it at Golden West (Invitational this Saturday at Sacramento) or Keebler (Invitational at Chicago in two weeks).”

Parlin will continue his career at UCLA, working with noted weight events coach Art Venegas. After weighing full scholarship offers from seven schools, Parlin signed a letter of intent with the Bruins during the early signing period last fall.

“He should make some real progress at UCLA,” Britt said.

The Times’ All-County Boys’ Track and Field

FIRST-TEAM INDIVIDUALS

Player School Yr. Event Tim Martin San Clemente Sr. 100 Tim Martin San Clemente Sr. 200 Roshawn Sims Esperanza Sr. 400 Mike Terry El Modena Sr. 800 Mike Bernstein Garden Grove Sr. 1,600 Mark Gonzalez La Habra Sr. 3,200 Adrian Brown Huntington Beach Sr. 110 HH Greg Muniz Woodbridge Jr. 300 IH Kevin Carlson Katella Sr. High Jump Trevor Lycett Esperanza Sr. Pole Vault Adrian Brown Huntington Beach Sr. Long Jump Vince Church Kennedy Sr. Triple Jump Mark Parlin Esperanza Sr. Shotput Mark Parlin Esperanza Sr. Discus

Player Comment Tim Martin Set Orange County record of 10.56. Tim Martin Best of 21.50; fourth at State. Roshawn Sims Third at State in PR 47.73. Mike Terry State champion; best of 1:52.95. Mike Bernstein Qualified for State with a 4:12.87. Mark Gonzalez Won 2-A title in 9:20.35. Adrian Brown Second at State in 14.13. Greg Muniz Ran 38.52 at Masters meet. Kevin Carlson Broke county record with 7-1 jump. Trevor Lycett Had a best of 14-9 1/4. Adrian Brown Jumped 22-8 this year. Vince Church State meet qualifier; 48-2 3/4. Mark Parlin State champion; best of 66-7 1/2. Mark Parlin State runner-up; best of 194-2.

FIRST-TEAM RELAYS

School: Saddleback 400 Team Members: Davidson (Jr.), Davis (Jr.), Bandy (Jr.), Murrell (Jr.) Time: 42.62 School: Valencia 1,600 Team Members: Alexander (Jr.), Manning (Sr.), Alexander (Jr.), Edwards (Sr.) Time: 3:17.84 SECOND-TEAM INDIVIDUALS

Player School Yr. Event C. Davidson Saddleback Jr. 100 Roshawn Sims Esperanza Sr. 200 Aaron Taub Foothill Jr. 400 Dan Niednagel Dana Hills Sr. 800 Linh Le Los Amigos Sr. 1,600 John Kenfield Esperanza Sr. 3,200 C. Davidson Saddleback Jr. 110 HH Brent Busch Newport Harbor Sr. 300 IH Thomas Clayton Tustin Sr. High Jump Tom Bottiaux Canyon Sr. Pole Vault Bernie Chapman Capistrano Valley Sr. Long Jump B. Chapman Capistrano Valley Sr. Triple Jump Paul Richard Valencia Sr. Shotput J.R. Sauni Orange Sr. Discus

Player Comment C. Davidson Second at OC champs in 10.95. Roshawn Sims Runner-up in 3-A meet in 21.72. Aaron Taub Masters meet qualifier in 48.75. Dan Niednagel Fourth at State meet in 1:54.56. Linh Le Third at 2-A meet in 4:20.28. John Kenfield Fourth at 3-A meet in 9:22.95. C. Davidson Sixth at State meet in 14.40. Brent Busch Fourth in 3-A in 39.07. Thomas Clayton Jumped 6-6 at 3-A finals. Tom Bottiaux OC Championships runner-up. Bernie Chapman Had a wind-aided best of 22-11. B. Chapman OC champ with wind-aided 47-9. Paul Richard Second at 2-A meet in 54-10 1/4. J.R. Sauni Third at 3-A meet in 160-5.

SECOND-TEAM RELAYS

School: Mater Dei 400 Team Members: Sparks (Sr.), Jackson (Soph.), Carter (Sr.), Ellis (Sr.) Time: 42.90 School: Foothill 1,600 Team Members: Taub (Fr.), Amos (Sr.), Heath (Jr.), Taub (Jr.) Time: 3:18.53