Three O.C. Athletes Have Top Marks

University’s Sepehr Sharifi and Esperanza’s Courtney Pugmire and Kelly O’Conner enter today’s State Meet preliminaries at Cerritos College with the top marks in their respective events.

Sharifi leads all discus throwers with his toss of 185 feet. Pugmire has the leading times in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter events, and O’Conner is tops among triple-jump participants with a leap of 39-7 1/2.

Field events begin at 3 p.m. today and running events start at 5 p.m. The top nine athletes in each event qualify for Saturday’s 77th finals at Cerritos College.

The top five finishers in each event from last Friday’s Masters Meet advanced to the State competition. Orange County girls swept all the spots in the triple jump, advancing Darnesha Griffith (Trabuco Hills), Mandy Clayton (Newport Harbor), Kerry O’Bric (Edison), Erica Dickson (Mission Viejo) and O’Conner.

The boys’ 800 meters will feature Brandon Pacheco (Brethren Christian), Jess Strutzel (Huntington Beach) and Brian O’Bannon (Ocean View). Pacheco, who will also run the 1,600, finished second in the Masters 800, followed by Strutzel (third) and O’Bannon (fifth).

Brethren Christian junior Steve Michels is among the state leaders in the pole vault, and Tara Oettinger (Foothill) will try to defend her State title in the long jump. Mission Viejo freshman Ashley Bethel, also entered in the 100-meter hurdles, and Erin Stovall (Woodbridge) also will compete in the long jump.

Dana Hills sprinter Bryan Harrison, a sophomore who has run a 10.42 second wind-aided 100-meter dash and a 21.10 in the 200 with a legal wind, will compete in both races.