Sanford, Steen Qualify in Style

Simply qualifying for the state track and finals next weekend in Sacramento wasn’t enough for Michelle Sanford and Amber Steen. They wanted to go farther, and faster.

Sanford, a Woodbridge High sophomore, set an Orange County record in the girls’ triple jump Friday night at the Southern Section Masters meet at Cerritos College, finishing second with a mark of 41 feet 1 1/2 inches. Sanford surpassed the previous record of 40-11 3/4, which she shared with Esperanza’s Kelly O’Connor, the event’s 1995 and ’96 state champion.

Steen, a senior at Newport Harbor, posted the fastest time in the nation this season in the girls’ 1,600 meters, winning in 4 minutes 43.75 seconds.

“Today, I just wanted to win,” said Steen, who finished third in the same race last season. “I didn’t care if it was 4:47, 4:39 or 4:43.”

Steen followed Glendale Hoover’s Anita Siraki through the first lap in 1:11.8 and the halfway point in 2:24.5. Siraki said she hoped to reach the halfway point closer to 2:20, but was hampered by the winds.

Steen took the lead from Siraki on the final backstretch, winning by exactly one second. It was Steen’s second victory over Siraki this season. She also came from behind to beat her at the Azusa Pacific Distance Carnival in March.

Steen came back to finish second in the 3,200 in 10:26.45, another personal best.

Sanford, the defending state champion in the long jump, also won that event with a wind-aided mark of 19-8, overtaking Mission Viejo’s Dana Bethel on the final jump of the competition. Sanford said she hopes to become the first girl to win a state title in the long jump and triple jump during the same meet since Juliana Yendork of Walnut High in 1991.

Bethel leaped a season-best 19-6 1/2 on her first attempt, benefiting from a 5.3 meter-per-second tailwind, and held the lead for the next four rounds.

Bethel also took second in the 100 hurdles, despite getting a bump in the back from Riverside North sophomore Ashlee Brown, who tripped over the second-to-last hurdle and put her hands on Bethel’s back as she was falling to the ground. Bethel crossed the line in a wind-aided 14.10, qualifying for her fourth consecutive state finals in the event. Long Beach Wilson’s Lashinda Demus won the race in 13.93.

Mario Bassani of Irvine won the 400 in 47.01, the fastest time in the state this season, third-fastest in county history and the fastest in the county since 1985. Bassani also advanced in the 200, despite a slip coming out of the blocks that left him in fifth in 21.55.

Edison’s Darryl Poston took third in the 200 in 21.48 and teammate Denny Flanagan took fourth in the 110 hurdles in a wind-aided 14.29. Aaron Corbett also advanced in the pole vault for the Chargers.

Trabuco Hills junior Matt Bruno won the 100 in a wind-aided 10.61, beating Seth Amoo of Palmdale Highland (10.62) at the tape. Tustin’s Denny Casupanan, who got into the Southern Section finals as an alternate, qualified for state with a fifth-place finish in 10.76.

Santa Margarita’s 1,600 relay team finished second in 3:15.70, the county’s fastest time in the event in eight years.

Josh Yelsey of Corona del Mar overtook Newport Harbor’s Chris McMillen to finish second in the boys’ 1,600 in 4:14.62. McMillen was third in 4:15.62, earning a trip to the state finals as well.

Alonso Smith dropped the 1,600 to focus on the 800, where he finished second in 1:53.41.

Alex Marbley also qualified in the high jump for Tustin, but barely. He missed on his first two attempts at 6-5 1/2 before clearing that state qualifying standard. The top five finishers in each event advanced to state, as well as those who met a qualifying mark.

San Clemente senior Hunter Orahood also qualified in the high jump. Orahood is a member of the Triton volleyball team and only sparingly practiced with the track and field team this season.

Fountain Valley’s B.J. Vandrovec added three inches to his personal best in the pole vault, clearing 15-3 and qualifying third.

Esperanza’s Maribeth Buche and Julie Handy advanced in their individual events, then teamed with Annie Briggs and Shalice Pugmire to qualify in the 1,600 relay in 3:52.68.

Buche finished fourth in the 800 in 2:13.37 and Handy was third in the 300 hurdles in a personal best 43.35.

Other girls’ state qualifiers included Magnolia’s Vao Faoa in the discus, Katella’s Cortney Stafford in the triple jump, Corona del Mar’s Diana Hossfeld and Marina’s Vanessa Kelly in the 1,600.