The continual pursuit of excellence helped define the historical accomplishments of both JSerra senior Katherine Delaney and Woodbridge senior Gabrielle Scott throughout the 2011 track and field season.
Both athletes produced unforgettable years that rewrote the county record books, yet each was never satisfied and remained focused on finding ways to continue improvement through hard work, focus and dedication.
For their season-long achievements, Delaney and Scott have been honored as the Orange County Register girls track and field co-athletes of the year.
Delaney, who was recognized as the Register’s cross country runner of the year in the fall, found similar success on the track this spring. The Cal-bound senior established herself as one of the nation’s top 1,600 runners when she won the Orange County Championship title in 4:50.98.
After winning the Trinity League 1,600 and 800 titles, Delaney embarked on a dominant run through CIF competition. She set a 1,600 record at the CIF-SS Division 4 finals, winning in a time of 4:46.82, which was also the best time among runners in all divisions.
The following week, Delaney produced a lifetime best 4:42.95 to win the Masters Meet title. That time is the third best time in the state and is the sixth best in the United States.
She also moved into fifth place on the county’s all-time list, joining the iconic group of Polly Plummer (4:33.65), Christine Babcock (4:33.82), Annie St. Geme (4:39.94) and Mary Decker (4:40.4) as the only runners in county history to run a 1,600 race in sub-4:43.
Delaney finished the year by placing fourth in the 1,600 at the CIF State Meet.
“I feel like I’ve helped set a standard for the runners of Orange County to live up to,” said Delaney, who also finished the season with the county’s third fastest 800 time (2:10.76).
Known as one of the county’s most versatile sprint athlete throughout her first three years with the Warriors, Scott only enhanced that reputation this spring with several impressive performances that put her on par with the state’s elite.
She won a memorable early-season battle with Delaney in the 800 at the Trabuco Hills Invitational in a lifetime best 2:10.60 (the second best time among all county runners), before taking home the coveted 400 title the next week at the Arcadia Invitational.
Scott then won then her fourth consecutive 400 title at the Orange County Championships, (breaking her meet record in the process) and added a 200 title.
After taking home both the 200 and 400 titles at the Pacific Coast League finals, Scott claimed her third consecutive 400 title at the CIF-SS Division 3 Finals.
Though she placed third in the 400 at the CIF-SS Masters Meet, Scott made O.C. history with a lifetime best 53.98. In the process, she joined former Westminster runner Arlise Emerson as the only runners in county history to run sub-54 second 400 races.
Scott capped her season with a third-place finish in the 400 at the CIF State Meet and is 12th in the U.S. She is also the only county runner to be ranked in the county’s top two in three different events.
In addition to being second all-time in county history the 400, Scott is fourth all-time in the 200.
“It’s been great to represent Woodbridge,” said Scott, who will attend Harvard next fall. “I felt that I left my stamp on the county as a 400 runner and help put the school’s sprint program on the map.”
