PREP TRACK AND FIELD ROUNDUP : Woodbridge Boys Win the Title

Gary Young thought he had done everything he could for Woodbridge to win the Sea View League team title Friday night at Irvine High School.

The Warrior senior won the 100 (10.98) and 200 meters (22.34) and anchored the 1,600 relay team to an apparent victory.

But a celebratory flip of the baton cost the Warriors the relay victory and nearly their third consecutive title.

Before the final relay, Woodbridge was tied with Saddleback at 73 points. A victory in the relay would have ensured a team title for Woodbridge with the triple jump to go.

Woodbridge was disqualified immediately, giving Saddleback the lead (83 points) with one event to go.

“A rule is a rule,” said Warrior Coach George Varvas, referring to one that limits youthful exuberance and taunting.

“You’re not in touch with reality when you run a leg of that time,” added Varvas, whose star pupil held off Saddleback’s Matt Lete.

Despite the disqualification, Young accounted for 20 of the 88 points the Warriors scored in the meet.

Warrior triple jumpers Jimmy Matsushima and Tony Muniz, who finished second and third, clinched the team title by one point.

The Santa Margarita girls’ team ran away with the team title behind strong performances from Barbara Scheil and Heather Novak.

Scheil, a junior, won the 100 (12.87) and 200 (26.07) in addition to anchoring the Eagles’ victory in the 400 relay (a county-leading 49.44).

Novak won the long jump (17-5 wind aided), 100-meter high hurdles (15.18) and triple jump (35-5 3/4).

“I think the key to our winning tonight was that we had so many girls advance into the (league) finals,” said Eagle Coach Cindy Schaf.

Eagle freshman Katie Nuanes won the 800 (2:23.61) and the 1,600 relay (4:05.59).

The individual highlight of the meet for the boys came in the day’s first event, the shotput.

Newport Harbor’s Wade Tift assumed the state lead with a personal best effort of 61-6.

In the Freeway League boys’ track and field finals:

La Habra boys win--Mark Gonzalez of Sonora, the winner of three events, was named the athlete of the meet. The junior sprinter won the 200 meters (22.99), triple jump (42-5 1/2) and anchored the winning mile relay (3:36.19).

Randy Wilson of Sunny Hills set a league record of 50.80 in the 400 meters.

La Habra won the title with 156 points, followed by Sonora (114), Sunny Hills (72), Buena Park (59), Troy (22) and Fullerton (18).

In the Freeway League girls’ track and field finals:

Sonora girls win--Senior Kathi Aagaard won four events to lead Sonora to its sixth consecutive league title. Aagaard, the female athlete of the meet, won the 400 meters (60.22) and 400 relay (52.98) and 1,600 relay (4:13.99) for the fourth consecutive season. She also won the 200 (27.00).

Troy finished second (107), followed by La Habra (72), Buena Park (69), Sunny Hills (39) and Fullerton (15).

In the Orange League boys’ track and field finals:

Brea-Olinda boys win--Carl Daucher of Brea-Olinda and Mike Flores of Savanna were named athletes of year for the Orange League. Daucher won the 1,600 meters (4:29), the 3,200 (9:54.1) and finished third in the 800 (2:02.2). Flores won the 100 (10.8) and the 200 (21.8). Team scores were: Brea-Olinda 126, Valencia 92, Savanna 82, Magnolia 69, Western 58, Anaheim 44.

In the Orange League girls’ track and field finals:

Brea-Olinda girls win--Kelly Daucher of Brea-Olinda was named athlete of the year for the Orange League. Daucher won the 1,600 (5:26.3), the 3,200 (12:11.3) and was second in the 800 (2:29.1). Teammate Marsha Conrad won the shotput (35-1 1/2) and the discus (109-3). Team scores were: Brea-Olinda 171, Anaheim 70, Magnolia 54, Western 51, Valencia 42, Savanna 34.