Esperanza Plays to Its Strength

The Esperanza track and field teams stuck with their game plans at the Irvine Invitational Saturday.

The Aztecs benefited from depth and speed in the boys’ and girls’ competitions, but it was their muscle that created the biggest mismatch at the 25-team meet.

The Esperanza boys scored one-third of their points in the weight divisions and Ryan Bousquet had victories in the 800 and 3,200 meters to lead the Aztecs to a nine-point victory over Santa Margarita.

The Aztec girls were equally dominant in the throwing events, taking first and second in the discus and second in the shotput, which helped them finish 25 points ahead of second-place Woodbridge.

The Esperanza girls also won the 400 and 1,600 relays and scored in the top three in six other events.

“It’s a good kickoff meet for us,” said Al Britt, in his 20th season coaching the Aztecs. “There’s usually a nice group of county teams here, but no way is everyone at full strength. I think some of our kids were pretty pleased given the fact they haven’t trained for a very long time.”

The Santa Margarita boys were left short-handed when Scott Langford pulled a hamstring on the last leg of the 400 relay and had to drop out, leaving the Eagles scoreless in an event they were in position to win. Langford’s injury also weakened Santa Margarita in the 100 and 200 meters.

Allen Shumate of Tustin won the 100 in 11.44 seconds and the 200 in 22.62, which helped the Tillers finish third in the team standings. Katella’s Kenny Vinh finished first in the 110 hurdles (14.78) and 300 hurdles (39.79), helping the Knights take fourth.

Other top performers include Garrett Milner of San Clemente, who broke a three-year-old meet record by nearly a second in the 1,600 meters (4 minutes 24.19 seconds), and Santa Margarita’s Pat Luke, who set a meet record by one inch in the pole vault (14 feet 10 inches).

Santa Margarita senior Christy Von Der Ahe set a meet record by seven inches and improved her own school record by an inch in the girls’ pole vault (10-7).

Newport Harbor’s Amber Steen missed the meet record by 0.24 in the 1,600, winning in 5:04.26. Steen came back several hours later to win the 3,200 in 11:03.75.

Steen’s victories, along with first-place finishes from April Ross in the high jump (5-4) and Krista Dill in the shotput (41-10 1/2), helped the Sailors finish fourth.

Jenny Cummins helped Corona del Mar to a fifth-place finish with come-from-behind victories in the 400 (59.18) and 800 (2:23.84).

San Clemente sophomore Marquita Taylor swept the 100 (12.84) and 200 (25.78), and Woodbridge freshman Michelle Sanford won the long jump (18-0) and triple jump (37-0) and was third in the 100 (12.95).

In the Santa Ana City boys’ invitational:

Santa Ana Valley 77, Santa Ana 64, Century 63, Saddleback 42--Century’s Antonio Thomas, who won the 100 meters (11.16) and long jump (21-10 1/2), was named male athlete of the meet.

In the Santa Ana City girls’ invitational:

Santa Ana Valley 96, Santa Ana 84, Saddleback 15, Century 8--Santa Ana Valley’s Crystal Davis won the 100 meters (12.5) and 200 meters (25.7) and anchored the winning 400 and 1,600 relay teams for the Falcons. Davis was named female athlete of the meet.