Tustin Is in Top Form, Wins Division II Title

Tustin won four individual events Saturday and captured the Southern Section Division II boys’ team title at Cerritos College.

The Tillers scored 49 points. Edison and Santa Margarita tied for second with 38.

Alonso Smith won the 800 and 1,600 meters for the Tillers, Alex Marbley took first in the high jump and Denny Casupanan won the long jump. But it was Casupanan’s runner-up finish in the 100 that really put Tustin over the top.

Casupanan gained entry as an alternate after Edison’s Chuckie Linman scratched just hours before the race. Linman injured his hamstring at the section prelims last week and was unsure if he could compete.

Casupanan took advantage, leading the race for 60 meters before finishing second in 10.77 seconds, setting a school record and tacking eight points onto his team’s lead.

“That was a back-breaker,” Tustin Coach Tom Coffey said.

Just as impressive were Smith’s victories.

He won the 1,600 in 4:15.44, holding off Newport Harbor’s Chris McMillen (4:15.76), then came back to defend his title in the 800 with a time of 1:53.40.

Marbley, the state leader in the high jump, only needed to clear 6 feet 8 to win, but hopes to go higher next week.

“I got some new high jumping shoes and they felt heavy,” Marbley said. “I think I’m going to buy a new pair of running shoes for next week.”

Santa Margarita earned big points with victories by Sean Zeitler in the 300 hurdles (38.30) and the 1,600 relay (3:17.00).

Santa Margarita’s Scott Langford caught Edison’s Ryan Haasch at the finish line to finish third in the 400 relay in 42.53. Edison finished fourth in 42.55, earning the final qualifying spot into Masters.

Edison’s Darryl Poston defeated Trabuco Hills junior Matt Bruno in the 200, winning in 21.40. Bruno was second in 21.56. Bruno won the 100 in 10.63, the fifth-fastest time in county history.

In Division I, Irvine’s Mario Bassani won the 400 in 47.40, the fastest by a county runner since 1987 and the fastest of any division Saturday. Bassani came back to finish second in the 200 in a county-leading 21.26.

Hunter Orahood of San Clemente went 6-8 to win the high jump, a season best for the part-time jumper who also plays volleyball. Justin Nelson of Murrieta Valley also went 6-8, but finished second because he missed twice at 6-4.

Chris Ostoich gave St. Margaret’s its first individual section champion in school history, winning the Division IV pole vault with a mark of 13-6.

Whittier Christian’s Steve Holland finished second in the shotput at 54-10 1/2, grabbing the final qualifying spot. Holland is the county’s only qualifier in the event.

In Division III, Corona del Mar’s Josh Yelsey ran a county-leading time in the 1,600, finishing second to Big Bear’s Ryan Hall in 4:14.54. Hall won in 4:11.13.

Torin Beeler of Ocean View finished second in the long jump at 22-7 and fourth in the high jump at 6-4, and teammate Eric Van Aken finished third in the 200 in 22.20.

Edison’s Denny Flanagan finished second in the 110 hurdles in 14.50 and is the county’s lone qualifier in the event. Teammate Aaron Corbett finished second in the pole vault (14-6) and also advanced.

Mater Dei’s Damien Scott was second to Casupanan in the long jump (22-4 1/2), which was good enough to qualify for Masters.

Woodbridge’s Andy Spindler was third in the Division II pole vault and El Modena’s Dwayne McCabe was fourth, both at 14-6. Katella’s David Giang was the county’s fifth qualifier in the event, clearing 14-0

Valencia’s Juan Robles finished second in the 3,200 in 9:20.27, the county’s leading time this season, and earned the final qualifying spot.

Sonora’s Daniel Siapin finished third in the triple jump with the county’s leading mark of 45-4 3/4

Fountain Valley’s Nick Arciniaga was third in the 1,600 in Division I, but his time of 4:20.06 missed qualifying by just over a second.