Great expectations

Steve Virgen

Just wait until next year.

That doesn’t have to be said any longer for the Costa Mesa High

girls track and field team. The Mustangs, even though they produced a

successful season last year, found themselves looking toward the

following season with higher expectations.

The time has come to meet those expectations. Seniors Sharon Day

and Beverly Aina, as well as junior Christine Bjelland are Costa

Mesa’s three returning CIF qualifiers and are set to qualify again in

their respective events.

Day, who will play soccer and compete in track and field at Cal

Poly San Luis Obispo next year, will attempt to successfully defend

her state championship in the high jump. Her closest competitors from

last year, Chaunte Howard of J.W. North and Kaylene Wagner of Dos

Pueblos, graduated last spring and Day is poised to win her fourth

straight section high jump title and close out what has been a

remarkable prep career with a state championship.

“She’s such a competitor,” Mesa’s first-year coach Glenn Mitchell

said. “I just love watching her.”

Day took fourth place in the National Scholastic Indoor

Championships, with a 5-foot-9 3/4 high jump at the Armory Track and

Field Center in New York last weekend. Day’s goal is to reach and

then surpass 6 feet, and her chances of doing so have improved

because Mesa has added depth this season.

Senior Rhondi Naff, who starred for the school’s girls basketball

team, will most likely compete in the high jump, as will Day’s

younger sister, Jasmine, a freshman.

“We want to have Rhondi and Jazzy jump on the weekday meets,”

Mitchell said. “And, let Sharon have fun during the week. She won’t

have to jump until a Saturday invitational, or whenever we really

need it.”

Sharon Day won three individual titles in the Pacific Coast League

(200, 400 and high hump) and will attempt to be a triple winner again

in the Golden West League.

Bjelland was expected to take over the PCL in the distance races

with the departure of Corona del Mar’s Julie Allen, but Bjelland will

instead turn her focus to the Golden West League. Bjelland had a

coming out of sorts last year and was set to establish herself this

past cross country season. But she was plagued by a season-ending hip

injury.

“Christine is working really hard,” Mitchell said. “She’s at about

the same level as last year. She’s been working so hard. I hope to

see her get to the same level as last year and then move on from

there.”

Just as Sharon Day, Bjelland will also be joined by her younger

sister, Tracy, a freshman, who will compete in the hurdles.

The Mustangs will actually more have more help than they expected.

The Day sisters recently helped the Costa Mesa girls soccer team

win its first share of a CIF championship. A few members from that

soccer squad will be on the track and field team, including junior

Stacy Krikorian, who returns, and junior Rachel Hughes, junior Rachel

Ronquillo, sophomore Kindra Bailey and sophomore Jenny Sparks.

Mitchell is still figuring where to put the girls, yet Sparks

could most likely compete in the sprints.

In the throws, shot put and discus, Aina will be the lone

competitor for the Mustangs, but she’s sure to rack up points.

Junior Vicki Pham will be a key contributor in the hurdles, while

junior Cassey Brick will allow the Mustangs to contend in both

relays, in which Sharon Day enjoys to be the anchor.

“She’s a tough girl,” Mitchell said of Brick, who played for the

basketball team in the winter.

“I think she’s going to do some great things for us.”

The distance events will be covered by Christine Bjelland and

she’ll gain support from freshmen Hanh Nguyen and Ana Rodriguez, whom

continue to improve.