Track and Field: Yelsey takes second in 1,600 finals

Being 6-foot-2 has its advantages. Just ask Corona del Mar High

track and field standout Josh Yelsey.

The senior used a late burst of energy and a perfect stretch at the

finish line to place second with a time of 4:14.09 in the 1,600-meter run

at the CIF state finals Saturday night at Sacramento City College.

Big Bear phenom Ryan Hall had little trouble winning the race, but the

excitement for Yelsey came in the final 300 meters.

Yelsey, making his first-ever trip to the state finals, was in fifth

place after two laps and fourth after three laps before making his move.

“I caught a guy with about 300 meters to go and I saw the guy in front

of me (West Hills’s Ben Aragon) and he looked like he was hurting a

little bit, so I went for it,” Yelsey said. “I really went after him with

about 100 meters to go and I caught him with 20 to go. I kept telling

myself to keep going and I managed to outstretch him at the finish line.”

Yelsey’s teammate, junior Julie Allen showed both mental and physical

toughness with a third-place performance in the 3,200.

Allen, a three-time state finalist in the 3,200, maintained some gas

in the tank and used a strong final lap (1:13) to finish with a 10:39.3,

surpassing her personal-best time by over four seconds and her Masters

Meet time by over 11 seconds.

“It was a big day for her,” Sumner said. “We worked on sitting back

and saving some energy for the end. She took it in the last lap, when

you’re supposed to take it.”

Costa Mesa sophomore high jumper Sharon Day improved two places from

last year’s finals by placing third with a mark of 5-feet-8.

“I’m very proud of what she accomplished this year,” Sharon’s father

and jumping coach Eugene Day said. “She cleared 5-8 easy, so we were

figured 5-10 was going to be a breeze. But she didn’t rotate on her first

jump and didn’t have enough height on her second jump. She was way over

the bar on her third jump, but she sat down on it and just barely knocked

it over.”

J.W. North’s Chante Howard won the event (5-10), while Edison’s

Rachael Ziemann took second (5-8).

Unfortunately for Newport Harbor standout Amber Steen, the injury bug

bit her at the wrong time.

Battling an injury to her right foot, the nine-time Sea View League

and three-time Southern Section champion hung tough in the 1,600 before

placing third in 4:51.73, behind two-time champion Alejandra Barrientos

from San Lorenzo High and Sara Bei from Santa Rosa-based Montgomery. She

took herself out of the 3,200 finals due to her injury.

“She’s been having problems with her foot most of this week,” Coach

Eric Tweit said. “She wasn’t able to run too much and it really started

to bother her during the race. The race was still pretty tight with about

250 meters to go, but when the other runners made their push, she

couldn’t go with them. It’s a tough way to end a great career.”

Steen’s teammate, Chris McMillen placed ninth in the 1,600 finals in

4:24.15.

“You’d like to run your personal-best in the finals, but it just

didn’t happen for Chris tonight,” Coach Bim Barry said. “I’m proud of

Chris for everything he’s accomplished, including what he did tonight.

Most runners are home watching this on television, so to make it this far

is great.”