Escobar Pushed Onto Fast Track

Villa Park junior Augie Escobar thought Josh Spiker was joking when the Ventura runner proposed before the 3,200 meters that they run under nine minutes Friday night at the Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College.

Then Escobar got a glimpse of the digital clock after 1,600 meters and knew Spiker was for real.

Escobar caught up with Spiker and passed him on the second to last lap, winning the race in a nation-leading 8 minutes 56.23 seconds. Spiker finished second in 8:56.66, joining Escobar as the first Southern Section runners to break the nine-minute barrier since 1992. Escobar is the first county runner to run under nine minutes since 1985.

“My plan was the same as last time, just kick it, stay behind him and then open up on the last lap and a half,” said Escobar, who held off Spiker to win the Division II title last weekend. “I knew we went under 4:30 for the first mile, so I said, ‘Uh oh, we might [break nine minutes] right now.’ ”

Spiker covered the first mile in 4:26, but Escobar moved ahead in the sixth lap and completed seven laps in 7:54. Spiker made a move in the final stretch, but Escobar switched gears and maintained the lead.

“I thought I might be able to catch him,” Spiker said. “We worked on our kick last week, so I thought I might have something left, but I didn’t. Last week he passed me at the exact same spot on the seventh lap and this time my coaches said don’t let him get as far ahead, so I didn’t, but he still beat me on the kick.”

Loara’s Jose Herrera (9:10.47) and Newport Harbor’s Curt Herberts (9:16.04) also qualified for the state finals, which will begin Friday at Sacramento College.

Orange County had 14 boys and 14 girls finish among the top five and qualify for the state meet. Servite’s 1,600 relay team also advanced with a third-place finish (3:20.13).

Newport Harbor sophomore Amber Steen missed qualifying for the 1,600 by one position at the divisional finals last weekend, but when top qualifiers Anita Siraki of Glendale Hoover and Lauren Fleshman of Canyon Country Canyon scratched to concentrate on the 3,200, Steen got in as an alternate. Steen took advantage of the opportunity and posted the top qualifying time (5:01.83), which was also a personal best. Steen was in fourth place going into the final turn, but sped into the lead. Steen also qualified fifth in the 3,200 (11:00.32).

Corona del Mar junior Liz Morse ran a personal best with the top qualifying time in the 800 (2:11.28). Esperanza sophomore Maribeth Buche (2:14.29) and Santa Margarita freshman Sommer Owens (2:14.55) also qualified with personal bests. Owens also got into the event as an alternate when Fleshman scratched.

Mission Viejo sophomore Dana Bethel qualified in both the long jump and 100 high hurdles. Bethel had the top mark in the long jump when she went 19-1 1/2 on her final attempt to overtake Tiffany Jones of Rialto Eisenhower.

Bethel then hurried over to the hurdles, where she qualified with the fourth-fastest time (14.19).

Santa Ana Valley senior Raven Hebert held off Laguna Hills senior Ashley Furst to grab the last qualifying spot in the 400. Hebert’s time of 57.584 barely edged Furst’s time of 57.588.

University senior Allyson Marquand qualified third in the 3,200 (10:44.29), and Fountain Valley freshman Julie Allen qualified fourth (10:52.14).

Edison freshman twins Bianca and Rachael Ziemann each cleared 5-8 to advance in the high jump.

Foothill senior Tynisia Edwards qualified second in the triple jump (38-3 3/4) and Katella sophomore Cortney Stafford was fourth (37-9).

El Modena junior Samantha Meredith qualified fourth in the discus (133-5) and Esperanza junior Kristen Thompson was fifth (132-3).

The outstanding high school career of Santa Margarita’s Amanda Shanklin came to an end. Shanklin missed qualifying by one spot in the 300 hurdles (43.8). Shanklin was eighth in the 100 hurdles (14.68), seventh in the triple jump (37-2 1/2), and was part of the 1,600 relay team, which finished eighth in a county-leading 3:55.13.

Brea Olinda junior Claude Melvin qualified fourth in the 100 in a wind-aided 10.40. Melvin missed qualifying in the 200 by one position and the Wildcats’ 400 relay team also finished sixth in 42.18, which bettered its county-best time.

Newport Harbor junior Trevor Jones qualified third in the 300 hurdles (37.73), defeating Kennedy senior Ahmad Wright, who qualified fifth (37.98). Wright also qualified fifth in the 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 14.29, which was a personal best.

Marina senior Logan Odden qualified second in the pole vault (15-6) and Huntington Beach senior Jeff Ryan qualified third (15-0).

Buena Park’s Joe Thomas qualified fourth in the triple jump (46-6 3/4) and finished seventh in the long jump with a 22-8 1/2, which equaled his personal best.

Katella’s Antonio Lozano qualified fifth in the 800 in a county-leading 1:54.04, and Costa Mesa’s Bruce Hancock and Esperanza’s Ryan Bousquet advanced in the 1,600.