Esperanza Girls’ Relay Team Makes Its Mark

The Esperanza girls’ 4 x 880-yard relay team was just happy to be at the Sunkist Invitational track meet at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, let alone come away with a victory.

Seniors Carrie Caulkins and Courtney Pugmire were stopped in Caulkins’ car when it was hit by another car traveling 45 miles per hour Friday night in Anaheim. Caulkins’ car was pushed into teammate Inshirah Jones’ car, which was stopped in front of it.

“We were lucky things ended up the way they did,” Esperanza Coach Al Britt said.

Although sore necks and backs were the end result, Lauren Matt, Caulkins, Heather Perrin and Pugmire outdueled the defending State team champion from Long Beach Poly, winning in 9 minutes 49.4 seconds.

“I’ve been excited this whole week for this. Maybe it showed a little,” said Pugmire of her fast opening lap, which made up the three-meter gap between her and runners from El Modena and Long Beach Poly.

Jones finished second in her heat of the 50-meter hurdles in 7.97 seconds.

Brethren Christian senior Brendon Pacheco showed he hasn’t lost a step since winning the Southern Section Division I title in the 1,600 meters last spring, winning his heat of the boys’ mile in 4:29.3.

“My coach just told me to relax,” Pacheco said. “I know people go crazy in this meet because they get so excited.”

Mission Viejo freshman Ashley Bethel breezed to victory in her heat of the 50-meter hurdles (7.92) and finished fourth in the long jump (17-6 1/2).

Highlighting the action in the high school portion of the meet was Kingsburg senior Melissa Price, who set an American record with her leap of 12 feet 2 inches.

Notes

Marina junior Sonya Bryant finished second in the shotput, contested at USC, throwing 39-4 1/4. . . . University senior Sephar Sharifi threw the discus 166-4 to finish third. . . . Marina freshman Heather Cuthbertson used a strong finishing kick to win her mile heat, finishing in 5:27.5. . . . Nancy Dollar of San Clemente ran 11:51.5 for third place in the girls’ two mile. . . . Kelly O’Conner of Esperanza (36-0) and Erica Dickson of Mission Viejo (35-10) finished third and fourth in the girls’ triple jump. . . . The Foothill girls’ mile relay team of Katie Mook, Tara Oettinger, Christina Gustlin and Brooke Mitchell combined to win its heat in 4:11.7. . . . Defending State champion Tara Oettinger of Foothill did not long jump because of a strained lower back. . . . Defending county champion Reggie Curry of Tustin (46-10 1/2) finished second in the triple jump.