No Clear Favorite in Sprints

Woodbridge senior Meryl Stone, Santa Margarita junior Meghan Atkinson, Santa Ana Valley sophomore Crystal Davis and El Modena freshman Juanita Lawson hope to represent more than just their current high school classes Saturday.

Each will be vying for individual titles in the girls’ 100 and 200 meters at the Orange County Championships at Trabuco Hills, and each has already made a case for being a favorite in the events.

Stone is the defending champion in both races with lifetime bests of 12.08 in the 100 and 24.62 in the 200. Atkinson, who was third in both events at the county championships last season, has shown considerable improvement in the 100 and currently holds the top electronic time (12.30) this season.

Davis ran 12.51 to win the 100 meters at the Trabuco Hills Invitational earlier this month, and ran 12.14 while finishing fourth in the Division II finals a year ago. Lawson, a four-sport athlete for the Vanguards, could sneak up on the others if she runs anything near the county-leading 11.8 hand time she produced in a dual meet last month.

Mission Viejo sophomore Dana Bethel should dominate the 100 hurdles, and the 300 hurdles should belong to Santa Margarita’s Amanda Shanklin, who ran the third fastest time in the nation (43.41) this season at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays last weekend

Bethel is also a favorite in the long jump after clearing 19-2 last week, which is 17 inches more than the next best mark. Shanklin is also expected to make a run at the triple jump title, but will have to do better than Foothill’s Tynisia Edwards, who has the county’s leading mark (38-3 1/2).

In the boys’ competition, Brea Olinda junior Claude Melvin is the one to beat in the sprints, and Mater Dei’s Steve Hilferty and Newport Harbor’s Steve Jensen have run the top times this season in the 400 and 800, respectively.

The distance events lost some of their depth when Katella opted not to compete this weekend, but the 1,600 should still be competitive between Santa Ana’s Alfonso Leon, Costa Mesa’s Bruce Hancock, Newport Harbor’s Curt Heberts and Esperanza’s Ryan Bousquet. Loara’s Jose Herrera, who finished seventh in state in the 3,200, is the favorite in that event.

Kennedy senior Ahmed Wright could join Melvin as a double winner in both hurdles.