TRACK TUSTIN RELAYS : Tolson’s Work Pays Off; Freshman Boisvert Rallies to Win

After the Tustin Relays on Saturday, Elinor Tolson of Fountain Valley needed an ice bag and Barbara Boisvert of Orange Lutheran needed a straitjacket.

Well, sort of.

Tolson, who placed third in the State meet in the 300-meter low hurdles and fourth in the 100 hurdles last season, was nursing a sore left knee at the track and field meet at Rancho Santiago College.

Boisvert, a freshman who has been running competitively since age 10, couldn’t calm down after coming from 200 meters behind to help Orange Lutheran win the girls’ distance medley. She set a personal record for her anchor leg of 1,600 meters.

“I feel so good . . . I’m so happy,” Boisvert said. “I thought I’d have a chance to catch them, but I wasn’t sure I could get them at the end.”

With less than 500 yards remaining, Boisvert passed Ocean View’s Tara Lawson and Laguna Hills’ Mayra Medina to take the lead. Boisvert’s 5-minute, 2-second anchor lap helped Orange Lutheran finish the race in 12:56.2. Ocean View was second (12:57.9) and Laguna Hills third (13:04.1).

Boisvert, who had a personal best of 5:08.5 in the 1,600 at the Irvine Invitational March 14, said she was more pleased with Saturday’s run.

“I’m really excited,” said Boisvert, who also ran a leg for the 3,200 relay team, which finished third. “I ran the time I expected to. I’m hyper to some extent, but right now, all of this adrenaline is flowing. All of this hard work is paying off.”

Tolson’s hard work paid off in a different way. Though she was limping after her last race--the 800 relay--during the meet, she ran a 100-meter leg of the shuttle hurdles and 200 legs on the sprint medley and 800 relays.

Tolson, a junior, was unofficially timed in a quick 24.8 in the sprint medley and 14.6 in the hurdle race.

Tolson has missed one dual meet this season and didn’t compete at the Irvine Invitational because of her knee injury.

Fountain Valley Coach Dan Moran said he couldn’t see any evidence of Tolson’s injury when she ran.

“She looked great today,” Moran said. “When she runs, her form looks real nice--you can’t see her limping. But afterward, she’s limping. She’ll have an even better season than last, if she stays healthy.”

In other top races, Mission Viejo’s Shannon Dean, Heather Sterlin, Amy Chris and Andrea Dean won the 400 relay (50.3) and Laurie Murphy, Chris, Sterlin and Dean won the 1,600 (4:10.9).

In the boys’ races, Westminster’s Rey Torres, Jim Jenkins, Bill Voorhees and Christian Moore won the 800 (2:31.1). Mission Viejo’s David Cullum anchored the distance medley with a 4:22 split, but the Diablos finished second (10:44.1) to Claremont (10:43.8).