Mortensen Goes Distance to Break Record in 3,200

With a week remaining in the high school track and field season, there’s no telling how fast distance runner Kim Mortensen of Thousand Oaks will go.

At the Southern Section’s Masters Meet on Friday at Cerritos College, the senior shattered the national record in the 3,200 meters with a time of 9 minutes, 48.59 seconds.

The previous record was a converted two-mile time of 9:52.46 by Melody Fairchild of Boulder, Colo., at an indoor meet in Syracuse, N.Y., in 1991.

Mortensen put herself among the national leaders last week when she ran a personal best of 10:06.21 at the Southern Section finals at Long Beach City College.

Although she wasn’t challenged Friday, Mortensen was on a record pace from the opening lap and seemed to pick up steam in the final three laps with the crowd of 6,000 cheering her on.

The national record isn’t expected to last long, however. Mortensen will be challenged by defending champion Julia Stamps of Santa Rosa at the state meet next Saturday at Cerritos.

“That’s going to be a fantastic race,” Mortensen said. “Julia has been the one to beat for several years, and I’m sure she’ll be ready.”

There were no team titles decided at the Masters Meet, which sends the top five finishers in each event to the state meet.

In the boys’ competition, Pasadena Muir strengthened its chances of winning its third consecutive state title by qualifying everyone who entered. Junior sprinter Obea Moore won the 200 (20.77) and 400 (46.14) and anchored his team’s victorious 1,600 relay (3:11.64).

“We did everything I hoped we’d do tonight,” Muir Coach Clyde Turner said.

In the girls’ competition, Long Beach Wilson and defending champion Long Beach Poly qualified several individual and relay teams and should contend for state team titles.