Bethel Is Improving by Leaps and Bounds : Track: Pentathlete from Lake Forest, 13, sets national age-group record in the long jump at national meet.

The long jump used to be one of the toughest events for pentathlete Ashley Bethel. Now, it’s one of her favorites.

While training for the USA Track and Field Youth National Championships, the 13-year-old from Lake Forest worked diligently to improve her technique in the event. Then, she leaped into the record book.

At the USATF youth nationals June 29-July 3 at the University of Houston, Bethel soared 19 feet 7 1/4 inches to break a 16-year-old national record for girls, ages 13-14. In 1977, Robin Jackson of Staten Island, N.Y., jumped 19-4 1/2.

Bethel’s mark will be submitted to the USATF national convention in December for official approval, said Ruth Van Kuren, the USATF youth records chairwoman.

To put the jump into perspective, consider the following:

* Bethel bested her closest competitor at the youth nationals, Myra Combs of Lake Charles, La., by more than a foot.

* Bethel would have placed second in the CIF meet behind only Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks High, who posted a state-record mark of 22-0 1/2.

* Only three girls in Orange County prep history--Karen Attlesey of Corona del Mar (20-8 3/4, 1971), Lisa Gourdine of El Toro (19-9, 1977), and Heather Sterlin of Mission Viejo (19-8 1/2, 1992)--have jumped farther.

All this from a kid who will be in the eighth grade this fall.

“Everyone wants to see if the record jump was a fluke,” said Ashley’s father and coach, Skip Bethel. “I think she’ll jump that far or better before she leaves the youth division.”

According to her father, she followed her 19-7 1/4 jump with an 18-11 effort at Houston.

“There’s some pressure, but I don’t pay any attention to it,” Ashley said. “I just want to do my best; I want people to know I’m for real.”

Ashley will compete in five events--pentathlon, 100-meter hurdles, 200, long jump and high jump--at the USATF Junior Olympics in Baton Rouge, La., which begin today.

Last weekend at Balboa Park in San Diego during regional qualifying, she won the 100 hurdles (15.01 seconds), 200 (28.01), and long jump (17-8 1/2). Ashley qualified in the high jump with a third-place mark of 5-2 1/2. She qualified for the pentathlon by winning at the USATF youth nationals.

Dana, Ashley’s 10-year-old sister, also will participate in the Junior Olympics this weekend, competing in the long jump, high jump and triathlon.

Track and field is a family tradition with the Bethels. Skip was a football and track standout at Douglass High in Key West, Fla.

Jason, Ashley’s older brother, will be a junior this fall at El Toro, where he long jumps and triple jumps.

Even the youngest Bethel, Morgan, age 7, trains with Ashley, Dana and the rest of the Silver Wings track club, coached by her father and Bill Norris.

Skip founded the Silver Wings in 1989, and current prep standouts--including sprinter Meisha Wilson-Duval of Woodbridge--train with the club.

Ashley and Dana have aspirations of competing in the Olympics some day, and they received some advice from one of their idols, 1988 Olympic gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner.

“She just told me to keep going till I break all of her records, too,” Ashley said.

With one youth record in hand, she might be on her way.