Mission Viejo Boys, Girls Ring Up Points

It’s not easy scoring 200 points in the league finals, but Mission Viejo did it twice Friday.

The Mission Viejo boys’ team, led by its talented distance runners, won the South Coast League finals at Trabuco Hills with 208 points. The girls’ team showed off its depth by scoring 202 points, nearly three times as many as second-place Trabuco Hills.

Ashley and Dana Bethel combined for 66 points, which was more than four teams totaled. Ashley won the 100 hurdles (14.39), long jump (18-1) and 200 (25.58), and Dana finished first in the 300 hurdles (46.76), second in the 100 hurdles (14.67), third in the long jump (17-8) and helped the Diablos to a third-place finish in the 400 relay.

“It was a good day for all of us,” Ashley said. “We broke 200 points, which is hard to do in a league final, so I’m really proud of them today. They did good.”

The Diablos, who won their 16th consecutive league title, also received strong performances from freshman Kendal Billingsley, who finished second in the 1,600 and 3,200 and third in the 300 hurdles, senior Julia Loya, who took second in the shotput and third in discus.

In the 400, Jen Mescher (59.92) and Brook Taylor (1:00.27) took first and second for Mission Viejo, and in the pole vault Sarah Higham (11-0) and Kristine Burns (10-6) finished first and second.

The boys again were led by Mark Gleason and Chris Kemp, who took the top two spots in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. Gleason won the 1,600 in 4:24.55 and the 3,200 in 9:43.47. Kemp, an exchange student from Australia, where he’s a nationally ranked triathlete in his age group, won the 800 in 1:54.86.

Other multiple winners included Dana Hills’ James Brown in the 110 hurdles (14.51) and 300 hurdles (40.38), Mater Dei’s Mike McNair in the 100 (10.85) and 200 (21.49), and Capistrano Valley’s Mario Rosario in the long jump (21-8) and triple jump (42-5 1/2).