Jeff Tully
BURBANK -- Although she is just a junior, Burroughs High track and
field runner Carolyn Brown has become an old pro at qualifying for the
CIF Southern Section Division II finals.
With a fine performance Saturday at the Southern Section preliminaries
at Long Beach City College, Brown secured her third straight trip to the
finals by finishing first in her heat in the 800 meters in 2 minutes
15.30 seconds.
Brown will join teammate Mike Ortega, Burbank's Kyle Ivie and
Bellarmine-Jefferson's Camille Napolitano at Saturday's finals at
Cerritos College.
"No matter how many times you get there, you always get a little
nervous. It doesn't matter who you are, there is always some nerves
involved," Burroughs co-Coach John Peebles said of Brown."
In an uncharacteristic performance, Brown ran by herself and wasn't
really challenged in the race. Normally, Brown likes to hang back a bit
and put on a kick at the end of the race.
"We know the winners of each heat automatically qualified for the
finals, so that was the plan," Peebles said.
Last season, Brown qualifird for the CIF State Track and Field
Championships in the 800, the first Burroughs female to make the elite
meet. As a freshman, Brown won the division title in the 800.
The Indians also received a nice effort in the pole vault from Mike
Ortega, who is just a sophomore.
Ortega -- son of former Burbank distance standout Fred Ortega --
qualified ninth with a 12 foot 9 inch effort. It was a personal record
for Ortega, who's previous best was 12-6.
Ortega cleared 12-0 and 12-9 on his first attempts, and missed all
three of his chances at 13-6. Two other vaulters cleared 12-6, but Ortega advanced over them due to his early clearances at the previous heights.
Ortega will be gunning for the Indian soph/frosh record of 13-1 set in
1985 by David Liberson.
For Ivie, he ran a smart race, finishing second in his heat of the
1,600 in 4:21.09.
It was a four-person race, with Ivie sitting in the third or fourth
position for most of the way. The pace quickened on the last lap and Ivie
stayed with the pace to finish second.
"That was a good race for Kyle," Burbank Coach Darin Wolf said. "I
know he really wanted to make it to the finals."
For Bell-Jeff's only qualifier -- Napolitano -- she finished seventh
in the Division IV shot put with a 34-6 effort at Mount San Antonio
College in Walnut.
Napolitano, who has been battling tendinitis in her throwing shoulder,
actually threw farther in warmups.
