Girls’ Track and Field

* The Proven: Corona del Mar senior Liz Morse finished third in the state in the 800 meters last spring, but should benefit from the graduation of four-time state champion Lindsay Hyatt of Placer and Katie Hotchkiss of Fremont Mission San Jose, a state runner-up in the 1,600 as a junior and in the 800 as a senior. Morse ran the nation’s fastest 800 (2:10.96) of the indoor high school season at Saturday’s L.A. Invitational. Mission Viejo junior Dana Bethel, second in the state in the long jump last season, jumped 18-6 1/4 Saturday at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, Idaho, equaling the indoor county record set by her sister, Ashley, in 1996. Dana Bethel was also second in the state in the 100 hurdles last season. The sister combo of Edison sophomores Bianca and Rachael Ziemann may also start sneaking up on the record books. Bianca finished second in the state in the high jump last season (5-8) and Rachael was sixth (5-6); each is shooting for 5-10 this season. Before they graduate, the Ziemanns could challenge the county record of 6-0 set by Anaheim’s Yleana Carrasco in 1985. Marina’s Caroline Rebello also set an indoor county record in the pole vault (11-6) at the L.A. Invitational.

* The Promising: Esperanza sophomore Shalice Pugmire, the sister of 1995 Times’ Orange County girls’ track athlete of the year Courtney Pugmire, has a personal best of 2:19.16 in the 800 meters, the fifth-leading mark among county runners last season. Katella junior Cortney Stafford quietly posted one of the top five marks in the high jump (5-6) and triple jump (37-9) last season.

* Preseason top 10 (championship format): 1. Santa Margarita--Shanklin’s run is over, but there’s plenty left to follow; 2. Esperanza--All-powerful except in the jumps; 3. Mission Viejo--Bethel worth close to 40 points alone; 4. Woodbridge--Especially dangerous in dual-meet competition; 5. Brea Olinda--Always deep and athletic; 6. Edison--Ziemanns are 1-2 in high jump; 7. Newport Harbor--Steen, Dill and Ross are scoring trio; 8. Corona del Mar--Morse & Co. will gobble up points in middle distances; 9. Santa Ana Valley--Tops in sprints and relays; 10. Marina--Rebello and Kelly among best in county.

* Key Dates: March 3-4, Earl Engman Relays at Santa Ana College, Orange HS, Santa Ana HS; 11, Irvine Invitational; 17-18, Jack Bighead Relays at UC Irvine, Katella HS; 25, Southern Counties at Huntington Beach HS; April 1, Trabuco Hills Invitational; 8, Arcadia Invitational at Citrus College; 15, Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, Orange County Championships at Trabuco Hills HS; May 4-5, league finals; 12-13 Southern Section prelims at Mt. SAC, Veterans Stadium; 20, Southern Section finals at Cerritos College; 26, Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College; June 2-3, state meet at Cerritos College.

* League Favorites: Century--El Modena; Empire--Katella; Freeway--Troy; Garden Grove--Pacifica; Golden West--Tustin; Olympic--Orange Lutheran; Orange--Brea Olinda; Pacific Coast--Corona del Mar; Sea View--Woodbridge; Serra--Santa Margarita; South Coast--Mission Viejo; Sunset--Esperanza.

* Fast Facts: The only year when more than one county athlete has won an individual state title was 1992, when Edison’s Shelley Taylor won the 1,600 meters and Esperanza’s Kristy Kierulff won the high jump. Mission Viejo will be trying for its 18th consecutive league title.