St. Geme sparkles for Sea Kings

Bryce Alderton

Not much keeps Anne St. Geme hemmed in these days on the track.

The Corona del Mar High freshman made her own space at the CIF

Southern Section Division III girls track and field preliminaries,

wading through a cluster of runners at the beginning of the 800- and

1,600-meter races before racing toward the finish line and qualifying

in each event for the CIF finals May 24 at Cerritos College.

St. Geme won her heat in the 1,600 (5:11.5), taking

three-and-a-half seconds of her prelim time and finished third

overall while placing eighth in the 800 (2:20.99), beating her

previous time (2:21). The top nine in each event advance to CIF

finals.

“I had good competition, so that pushed me a little harder,” St.

Geme said after the 1,600. “I was boxed in more than once on the

third lap and had to wait until some people slipped back before I get

around them. I started feeling [fatigue] during the third lap. It is

hot out here.”

Costa Mesa senior Sharon Day qualified for the high jump (5 feet,

4 inches), while placing eighth in the 200 (25.83). The defending

state high jump champion who soared above 6-2 at the Trabuco Hills

Invitational earlier this year, then anchored Mesa’s 1,600 relay team which qualified for the finals with a 4:02.51. Rhondi Naff, Toshia

Bryant and Stacy Krikorian joined Day on the winning relay.

Mesa junior Christine Bjelland kept up a consistent pace to place

eighth in the 3,200 (11:29.99), right in front of CdM senior Becky

Cummins (11:32.91). Both advance to next week’s CIF finals.

Estancia’s Diana Rosete clocked an 11:46.96 to place 15th in the

3,200.

Bjelland ran the 1,600 in 5:18.90, good for 12th, while freshman

Jasmin Day, Sharon’s sister, qualified for the finals in the high

jump at 5-2.

CdM’s 1,600 relay team of Melissa Swigert, Kelly Morgan, Sara

Claster and Lindsey Manning claimed fourth place (4:02.27) to advance

to the CIF finals. Swigert, Manning, Morgan and Kinzie Kramer clocked

a 52.03 in the 400 relay while Cassey Brick, Bryant, Rachel Ronquillo

and Krikorian finished in 52.67.

Swigert placed 11th in the 400 (59.85) while Morgan ran in 1:00.39

to place 13th. Estancia’s Ludi Valdez placed 24th in 1:02.37 and Naff finished 30th with a 103.11.

Claster ran to 14th in the 800 (2:24.20) while Jasmin Day finished

in 2:32.13.

Bryant placed 36th in the 100 (13:53) and Valdez took 25th with a

50.88 in the 300 hurdles. Brick placed 29th with a 51.97.

Naff and Brick went 15-6 1/2 and 15-0 1/2 in the long jump,

respectively, and Bryant ran the 200 in 27.61. Naff also placed 20th

in the triple jump (33-4 1/4) and CdM’s Jennifer Way leaped 31-1 to

finish 30th.