Tustin Makes Quick Work of Competition

The first two events of the meet set the tone for the Tustin boys’ team at the Orange County Track and Field Championships.

With the 110-meter high hurdles and the 400 relay in the books, the Tillers had 24 points and were well on their way to the team title.

“I think we place in every running event except for the 800 meters,” second-year Coach Shad Vickers said. “That was very impressive. You just win these kind of meets with the sprints.”

The Tillers (77 points) dethroned defending champion El Toro (50) to make a clean sweep of the county title, after winning the area cross-country title in October.

Senior Dominique DeGrammont, sprinter of the meet, won the meet’s first event, the high hurdles in 13.73, .01 seconds off his national-leading mark in the event, then came back to anchor the winning 400 relay in 42.08.

DeGrammont, a senior, also won the 300 intermediate hurdles in 37.49, then ran the third leg on the Tillers’ winning 1,600 relay (3:22.36).

“I just have a little grudge,” DeGrammont said after his team edged Santa Margarita (3:22.63), the team that beat the Tillers, 31-0, in the Southern Section Division V football title game. “I think about that every time I see them.”

DeGrammont wasn’t the only Tiller who came to the meet ready to compete, as Tiller high jumper Lester DeRaad upset defending state champion Elliott Parks of El Toro (6-8) in the high jump with a personal best of 6 feet 10 inches.

“Lester really came through for us,” Vickers said. “I’m not saying that’s the difference in the meet, but it sure got the kids fired up.”

Mission Viejo junior Mark Gleason pulled off a distance double, besting the county’s elite in the 1,600 in a county-leading 4:19.43, then coming back to win the 3,200 (9:27.96).

“I hadn’t gone under 4:27 yet this year, so I was definitely scared coming into the meet,” said Gleason, who ran 4:24.5 in the 1,600 a year ago.

Mater Dei junior Mike McNair also pulled off a double victory of his own, winning both the 100 (10.67 wind-aided) and 200 (21.59).

“I’m kind of upset that the wind was blowing so hard for the 100,” said McNair, who also anchored the Monarchs to a second-place finish in the 400 relay (42.75).

Parks kept the Chargers in the team battle, winning the long jump with a county-leading 23-0.

Teammate Mike Smith finished second behind DeGrammont in both hurdle races, running personal bests of 14.40 and 38.71.

Notes

Edison junior Cosy Jones won the triple jump on his final attempt with a county-leading 45-8 3/4 effort . . . Fountain Valley senior Travis Vandrovec won the pole vault with a 15-0 clearance . . . Scott Moser was named field event athlete of the meet with his victories in the shotput (59-7 1/4) and discus (192-7) . . . Pete Morello of Laguna Hills edged Shane Vickers of Tustin by .02 seconds to win the 400 in 49.82 . . . Devin Lindahl, a Dana Hills sophomore, won the 800 in a county-leading 1:55.01.