Athletes Seek to Qualify for Masters Meet

Orange County’s top track and field athletes will compete in the Southern Section finals Saturday at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

Field events start at 11 a.m., running events at 1:30 p.m.

The top 12 finishers in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races will advance to next week’s Masters Meet. The top nine finishers from each division in all other events will qualify.

Here’s a look at the divisions:

Division I: Edison senior Kerry O’Bric won the Sunset League long jump title (19 feet 9 1/2 inches). Esperanza senior Kelly O’Connor, the defending state champion in the triple jump, has the nation’s third-best mark (40-11 1/2). Los Alamitos senior Cory Johnson is a three-time Orange County high-jump champion.

Division II: County champion El Toro and runner-up Santa Margarita are expected to battle Moreno Valley Canyon Springs for the boys’ team title. El Toro’s Elliott Parks (high jump), Dan Noll (shot put) and Tad Kaput (800 meters) will contend for individual titles. Santa Margarita senior Matt Blasdel is the divisional leader in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles. Mission Viejo sophomore Ashley Bethel qualified in the high jump, long jump, 100-meter low hurdles and 200 meters. Foothill senior Erica Hoernig broke the division and county records with an 11-8 pole vault in the prelims.

Division III: Garden Grove sprinter Kevin Griswold ran the third-fastest 200 meters in county history at the prelims last week. University freshman Allyson Marquand and Buena Park sophomore Heather Garritson lead all qualifiers in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters.

Division IV: Steve Michels of Brethren Christian has been among the national leaders all season in the pole vault, having cleared 16-2 in January. The Calvary Chapel boys’ team is led by senior David Kuhn, who qualified for the finals in the long jump and 110-meter high hurdles. Orange Lutheran sophomore Joey Tilocco is one of the favorites in the girls’ 100-meter low and 300-meter intermediate hurdles.