Woodbridge's Babcock breaks national record in 1,600 again

NORWALK- The final chapter of a storied high school career ended with the greatest 1,600-meters performance in high school federation history.

Woodbridge senior Christine Babcock blazed to a high school record of 4:33.82 in the event Saturday to win her third consecutive state title at the 90th annual CIF State Track and Field Championships at Cerritos College.

“That record is something that my coach and I wanted,” Babcock said. “I feel blessed to be out here and to have stayed healthy this long.”

She joins former University High star Polly Plummer and Vista High's Kira Jorgensen as the only female runners to win three consecutive 1,600 state titles.

“Our No. 1 goal for Christine was to win the state for the third time,” Warriors coach George Varvas said.

“We focused on that more than all the records.”

In front of an announced crowd of 10,712 at Falcon Stadium, Babcock got off to a blazing start, taking the lead from the opening gun and pushing the pace.

She finished her first lap in 65.07 seconds, which she thought might have been “a bit too fast.”

As she continued to separate herself from the field, the crowd began to stand as Babcock finished her second lap at 2:16.05.

She opened nearly a 200-meter lead during the third lap, which she finished in a time of 3:27.05, and a strong final lap brought her home in record time.

Contact the writer: jeichelberger@ocregister.com