High School Roundup: Record times for track athletes

Laguna Beach High athletes turned in both record and personal-best times Saturday at the CIF Southern Section Track and Field Division 4 finals at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Coco Putnam set a new school-record time in the girls’ 300-meter hurdles with a time of 46.22 seconds. The freshman placed sixth, overall, in the event.

The girls’ 4x400 relay team, Janie Crawford, Putnam, sophomore Natalie Kimball and junior Brielle Budroe, finished fifth with a time of 4:00.60 which Coach Steve Lalim said was the second-fastest time in program history and less than one second off the school record. That record time of 3:59.79 was set by the team of Erin Branson, Lisa Murphy, Kristin Kilbourne and Rennie Durand at the 1980 CIF Southern Section AA Championships at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

Crawford, a sophomore, also ran a 5:18.63 and placed sixth in the girls’ 1,600-meter run.

“I thought all the girls ran great,” Lalim said. “They all placed in the top six, earning a medal. I’m extremely proud. We had a great season.”

In the boys’ competition, Laguna senior Spencer Anderson finished seventh in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.30.

Drake Martinez had qualified for the finals in the boys’ 200-meter run but Laguna boys’ coach Scott Wittkop said the senior did not compete Saturday.

“It was a great way for Spencer to finish his career,” Wittkop said. “He made it to CIF finals and raced his personal-best time.”

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CIF Boys’ Tennis

Laguna singles players, Orange Coast League champion Teague Hamilton and league runner-up Morgan Lebby, were to compete Thursday at the CIF Individuals Tennis Sectionals at Corona del Mar High. Results from Thursday’s opening action weren’t available at press time.

The singles players and doubles teams advancing from the five sectional tournaments move on to the Round of 32 Thursday at Whittier Narrows Tennis Center in South El Monte.

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Softball

The Breakers were eliminated from postseason play on May 16 at Montebello Schurr, as the host Spartans scored a 25-0 victory in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 5 playoffs.

Senior Kennedi Gherardini doubled and junior Jordan Hartman singled for the Breakers who end their season 12-17.

Laguna was the third-place representative to the playoffs from the Orange Coast League.

Schurr, champion of the Almont League, was eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday following a 10-9 loss to Barstow.

“We played tough against the veteran team,” first-year Laguna Coach Victoria Batistelli said. “The excitement of our first CIF berth in school history is just the beginning of what this Laguna Beach team is capable of for the next several years, and I am confident we will have another postseason opportunity next year.”

The 2013 Breakers had made program history on May 14 when they defeated Riverside Woodcrest Christian, 11-4, in a division wild-card game. It was the first playoff win in program history.