It’s a Triple Treat for County Boys

Orange County athletes dominated the field events at the state track and field championships, winning three of the six competitions Saturday at Cerritos College.

The winners were Elliott Parks of El Toro, who became the first county titlist in the high jump since Katella’s Kevin Carlson won in 1990. Huntington Beach junior Scott Moser won the discus, and Brethren Christian senior Steve Michels won the pole vault, clearing 16 feet 2 inches.

Parks didn’t miss until the bar was raised to 6-11; he cleared 6-10 on his first attempt.

Selma’s Gabriel Zarate cleared 6-10 on his second attempt, and when Parks and Zarate each missed on three attempts at the higher height, Parks won.

“After [Friday night], I didn’t know how I was going to do,” said Parks, who missed his first attempts at 6-4 and 6-6 en route to qualifying for the final. “At the beginning of this year I wasn’t even thinking about going to state.”

Moser also didn’t have dreams of making the state meet, since his biggest victory coming into the season was the county freshman-sophomore title he won in 1995.

However, Moser won the preliminary round at the state meet, then waited until the fourth round to toss a personal best 185-7.

“Going over 180 was the thing,” Moser said. “I’ve been trying to do that all year.”

Michels surpassed 16 feet for the ninth time this season. “Last week was a little motivating factor,” said Michels, who finished second in the Masters meet to Edison’s Nate Fox. “I got fired back up.”

Fox finished second in 15-10.

Huntington Beach senior Jess Strutzel ended his prep career with a third-place finish in the 800 meters, running a season-best 1 minute 52.25 seconds.

“This was my last race,” Strutzel said. “I’ve got to just finish up my senior year.”

Tustin junior Dominique DeGrammont, the only county boy to make the state finals in two events, finished fourth in the 110 high hurdles (13.87). DeGrammont crashed into the final hurdle in the 300 intermediate hurdles and did not finish. Garden Grove senior Kevin Griswold lowered his personal best in the 200, finishing third in 21.21. Griswold’s time is the third-fastest in county history.

Boys’ notes

Brodie Reiderich of Edison took sixth place in the shotput in 54-3 1/4. Matt Blasdel of Santa Margarita finished sixth in the 300 intermediate hurdles (37.76).Sam McMullen of Calvary Chapel placed seventh in the discus (170-5). Sean Jarne of Esperanza was ninth (159-1).