Steen Sets Meet Mark in 3,200

Amber Steen of Newport Harbor set a meet record in the 3,200 meters and Darryl Poston of Edison made the best of a second chance in the 200 meters at the Southern Section Division II track and field preliminaries Friday evening at Mt. San Antonio College.

Steen’s time of 10 minutes 27.20 seconds was the second fastest in county history and bettered the girls’ meet record of 10:32.89 setby Reyna Cervantes of Montebello in 1989. Steen also won a heat of the 1,600 in 4:57.87.

Lori Mann of Santa Margarita set up a showdown with Steen at next week’s finals by winning her heats in the 1,600 (5:02.46) and 3,200 (10:45.10).

Poston was a late addition to the field. He aggravated a groin injury at last week’s Sunset League meet and didn’t run the 200. But he was allowed to run in the prelims because Marina’s Turill Engleman, who finished third at the Sunset finals in the 200, relinquished his spot.

Matt Bruno of Trabuco Hills won the heat with a time of 21.60, besting Poston’s 21.97.

Chuckie Linman of Edison and Scott Langford of Santa Margarita won heats in the boys’ 100. Michelle Sanford of Woodbridge won her heat of the 100 in 12.33 and had the top qualifying mark in the long jump (19-7) and triple jump (38-7).

Denny Flanagan of Edison, Sean Zeitler of Santa Margarita and Dan Moyer of Newport Harbor won heats of the boys’ 300 intermediate hurdles. Flanagan also won his heat in the 110 hurdles.

Tustin’s Alonso Smith had the top qualifying times in the 800 (1:53.27) and 1,600 (4:21.70).