Esperanza’s Bousquet Is Disqualified in 1,600

Ryan Bousquet’s bid to become the first Orange County runner to win a state title in the 1,600 meters came to a sudden end Friday when he was disqualified from his preliminary heat after it was alleged he interfered with another competitor.

The Esperanza senior was the top-seeded runner in the event and had the state’s second-fastest time this season. One official near the starting line at Cerritos College raised a yellow flag after witnessing Bousquet use his forearm to knock North Bakersfield’s Erik Webb onto the infield, but Bousquet claimed it was caused by another runner on the outside who cut into him.

“My coach told me to stay right on the first lane line,” Bousquet said. “Then a guy on the outside tried to cut in front of me at the half-mile mark and I surged ahead to avoid him, but I bumped the inside guy onto the infield.”

Bousquet went on to win the heat, but as he was leaving the warm-up area, another runner told him he was disqualified.

“I’m not saying Ryan didn’t foul, because I think he did,” said Rich Medellin, who coaches the Esperanza distance runners. “But it’s like the kid on the playground who gets punched and then punches back. The second kid always gets caught.”

Esperanza Coach Al Britt filed a written appeal immediately after the race, but it was denied about 45 minutes later, when meet officials found a starter who backed up the initial claim.

“This was a judgment call,” Britt said of Bousquet’s disqualification. “The judge obviously didn’t see anybody on the outside, even though they were three abreast.”

Clarence Moore of Cypress had the top mark among the 16 county athletes who advanced to today’s finals. Moore qualified second in the triple jump with a wind-aided leap of 48 feet 9 1/2 inches, the third-best wind-aided mark in county history.

Newport Harbor’s Trevor Jones moved closer to his goal of sweeping the hurdle events. Jones, the state leader in the 300 hurdles, earned top qualifying honors in that event with a time of 37.36 seconds, just a few hours after qualifying second in the 110 hurdles (14.28).

Esperanza’s Travis Pendleton landed an inch short of his season-long goal of throwing 200 feet in the discus, but the senior’s 199-11 throw added another nine inches to his state-leading mark. Tony Miranda of San Franciso Sacred Heart qualified second (194-3).

Corona del Mar’s Liz Morse, who has the third-fastest time in the nation this season in the 800, was another top qualifier (2:11.23).

Newport Harbor’s Amber Steen qualified in the 1,600 (5:01.66), which was run without national leader Alejandra Barrientos of Felton San Lorenzo Valley, scratched because of a leg injury. Steen is also entered in today’s 3,200, which is not run at the prelims.

The magic number in the girls’ high jump was 5-7. All nine qualifiers needed to clear that height to qualify and Costa Mesa freshman Sharon Day and Edison sophomore twins Bianca and Rachael Ziemann were among the qualifiers.

Mission Viejo junior Dana Bethel was the third qualifier in the long jump. Bethel, who was runner-up in the event last season, qualified at 18-5 1/2. Woodbridge freshman Michelle Sanford qualified seventh at 18-1 3/4, but later missed qualifying in the triple jump. Elzunia Lamb of Hollister San Benito, the state leader coming into the long jump, was the top qualifier at 19-5 1/4 and Shanita Bryant of Concord Ygnacio Valley was second (18-8).

Caroline Rebello, a senior at Marina, qualified in the pole vault by clearing 11-2 on her first attempt.

Marina’s Logan Odden, the state leader in the boys’ pole vault, was among a group of nine qualifiers who cleared 14-6. Santa Margarita’s Pat Luke also qualified.