Peare Scores Personal Best in Discus

MISSION VIEJO — Chad Peare of Trabuco Hills unleashed a big throw in his last attempt in the boys’ discus Saturday at the Trabuco Hills Track and Field Invitational.

But Peare, a senior, wasn’t about to whoop it up after throwing a personal best of 186 feet 6 inches.

“I’m not going to be totally enthused until I get to the 190s,” Peare said. “I will be calm until I hit 200. If I don’t hit it, you won’t see me jumping up and down.”

Peare impressed the spectators watching the event on the grassy knoll above the discus ring, though.

Peare’s mark is the best in the state this season. It betters his previous best of 183, set March 27 at the Pasadena Games, where he defeated his nearest competitor by more than 14 feet.

Peare clearly stood out against the competition Saturday. Tyson Lingenfelter of Upland came closest, placing second at 168-2. Tom Pellicer of Esperanza was third (160-8).

The discus started more than an hour later than scheduled and finished as the sun set. Peare said he wasn’t bothered by the low light near the end of the event, but he did wish there had been a wind to help the throwers. It was dead calm when the throws took place.

“I think I have 195 in me if the conditions were right,” Peare said. “It’s just a matter of getting a good wind and helping it through. It got kind of cold, because the meet was behind, but I had an hour to give me a lot of time to stretch and do what I had to do.”

Trabuco Hills Coach Jack Recla said he expects Peare and Lingenfelter to help each other inch toward the 200-foot barrier. Brian Blutreich of Capistrano Valley, a 1992 Olympian who was watching Saturday, set the county record of 210-8 in 1985.

“He was really ready for this,” Recla said of Peare. “It is a good competition when he throws against Tyson. It is going to be a great senior year for them. Both have threatened to break 200, and it is nice to see this kind of discus competition.”

Lingenfelter got some measure of revenge at the meet, winning the shot put at 63-5 3/4, the best mark in the state, over Peare (58-0 1/4). Lingenfelter said he wasn’t as comfortable in the discus.

“I think I pressed a little too hard, trying to go after Chad because he put it out (a good distance) early,” he said. “I chased after that.”

Kim Nelson of Canyon High said she knew she had a personal best in the girls’ 1,600, even before she heard her time was 5:06.17.

“It was good I had people pushing me the whole time,” said Nelson, a junior. “I just felt good today, felt it would be a good time.”

Nelson bided her time in the race, moving past race leader Barbara Boisvert of Loara with less than a lap left. Esperanza’s Carrie Caulkins finished second in the race in 5:09.68. Nelson’s previous best time for 1,600 meters was 5:24. Laguna Hills’ Heidi Sickler won the other race (5:08.17).

Katella’s Mike Love won the boys’ invitational heat of the 1,600 in 4:21.08. Foothill’s Tad Heath also looked strong in the 800 (1:56.49).

Mike Graham, a freshman from Mater Dei, won the boys’ invitational 100 heat in 11.19.