Girls Track and Field: Allen shines in victory

Steve Virgen

CORONA DEL MAR - Corona del Mar High junior Julie Allen has got a

game face that is far from the norm.

Allen, a star distance runner who transferred from Fountain Valley,

ran against her former school in a nonleague meet Wednesday, and was all

smiles, as usual, before breaking the CdM record in the 1,600-meters,

finishing in 4:59.1.

The former record was set by Kelly Campbell in 1996 in 4:59.8.

Allen’s victory helped the girls track and field team score a 109-26

victory over the visiting Barons.

“I was treating it like any other race,” said Allen who used a steady

pace to break away from the pack after two laps. “I tried to be relaxed

and loose. I was just excited to run against all my friends.”

Fountain Valley sophomore Bethany Pickless took a strong start with a

fast pace for the lead through the first two laps. But, she could not

hold off Allen.

“I thought I had Julie there for a little while,” said Pickless who

noted she was full of adrenaline at the start of the race. “This morning

I was bouncing off the walls (thinking of the race). I wish I could have

ran this morning.”

Allen also came away with a victory in the 1,600 in 11:11.2.

When asked if she thought she could have finished faster, Allen said,

“Yes. I feel that there’s a lot more there. It’s the beginning of the

season.”

Said CdM Coach Bill Sumner, “There’s going to be more records

(broken).”

The Sea Kings took top honors in each track event. Fountain Valley

earned first place in only the throws, shot put and discus.

Corona’s Jenny Cummins was first in the 200 (27.4), the 800 (2:21.8)

and ran the anchor in the 1,600 relay (4:23.6) with her sister, Becky,

and Lindsay Yourman and Katherine Morse.

CdM junior Krisserin Canary led a sweep in the pole vault with a

9-foot-6 effort as Carina Weber and Vanessa Chulapatrcheevin took second

and third, respectively.

Canary, the defending Pacific Coast League pole vault champion, also

led the Sea Kings to victory in the 400 relay. Jen Way, Jillian Ukropina

and Jaycee Mahler ran easily after Fountain Valley finished the race

before the third exchange and was disqualified.

Mahler, a senior, won the 100 and 300 intermediate hurdle races, while

Allison Brawner took the high jump (5-0) and long jump (13-9).

Jessica Palermo earned first place in the triple jump (29-40) for the

Sea Kings.