League prelims and finals as well CIF-SS prelims are over with now, which means it’s championship time in track and field.
County athletes will compete for CIF-SS championships Saturday at Cerritos College.
In Division 1, three members of the Huntington Beach girls team will try their hand at bringing home a CIF championship.
Oilers sophomore Cassie Durgy owns the second fastest time in the county in the girls 800 meters with a 2:12.54. She ran the third fastest qualifying time at the Division 1 prelims, completing her run in 2:14.65.
“I think she’s excited to just focus on the 800,” Huntington Beach coach Kareen Shackelford said. “Her goal is to qualify for CIF Masters next week … she knows she can’t be chasing a set time, she just wants to run the best race she can.”
Durgy will be up against steep competition such as Etiwanda freshman Jacquelyn Hill and Long Beach Poly sophomore Janice Lane, who had the two fastest times in qualifying.
Two of Durgy’s teammates will be competing against each other in girls high jump. Susannah Oleson and Taylor Eddleman rank second and sixth in the county, respectively, with clearances of 5-6 and 5-4.
They both qualified for finals with marks of 5-4, and are now in the mix for a CIF title with El Toro’s Michelle De Dmon.
“(High jump) is anybody’s game,” Shackelford said. “For Taylor, this has been her goal, she’s ecstatic to make it this year. This is what she’s been training for.
“Susannah has been hungry since last week. She wants to jump higher.”
In Division 3, Orange Lutheran’s Myles Hawkins will compete in three events. Hawkins qualified for the high jump, long jump and triple jump with marks of 6-4, 21-11 and 44-10.00. Each of those feats was good for top three in qualifying.
Hawkins is rounding into peak form after battling a hamstring strain for most of the year, according to Lancers coach Clim Moore.
“He wants to qualify in all three events. He has big expectations,” Moore said. “He wants to go beyond 23 feet in the long jump, and he really thinks he can get seven feet in high jump and in the 50s in the triple jump.”
Irvine’s Rai Ahmed-Green will participate in both the girls 200 and 400-meter runs. Ahmed-Green ranks second in the county in the 400 with a time of 56.15.
Woodbridge’s Gabe Warner stands at second and first in the county in the 200 and 400, respectively. He’ll be competing in both those events at the Division 2 level.
Warner’s fastest time in the 200 this season is 21.65, while his best time in the 400 is 48.06. He’ll be competing against Mater Dei’s Curtis Godin and Mission Viejo’s Logan Obbards in the 200.
Contact the writer: amorales@ocregister.com
