Girls’ Player of the Week : Injuries Can’t Slow Down Mission Viejo’s Sheri Bertell

Sheri Bertell of Mission Viejo High School had not competed in a track and field meet for three weeks before she entered the Orange County girls’ championships last Saturday.

Judging from her results, it hardly showed. She won the 100- and 200-meter races and was named sprinter of the meet.

But when her first race--the 100 meters--started, Bertell wasn’t thinking about winning. She was worrying about just finishing.

“I was dead last out of the blocks,” Bertell said. “My friend came up to me (after the race) and said ‘I can’t believe you caught them.’ ”

Bertell, The Times’ player of the week, didn’t just catch them, she passed them. She set a meet record of 11.98 seconds in the 100, won the 200 in 24.62.

Her times in both events represent personal bests and broke her school records that she has held since her freshman year.

“I’ve been injured for three-to-four weeks and I’m not really in shape,” Bertell said. I was really surprised (with the victories).”

Bertell’s family doctor told her she might have a buildup of lactic acid in her leg muscles, which can occur from heavy exercising. The result is a breakdown in the normal chemical balance in muscle fibers. Symptoms usually are a burning sensation and muscle cramping.

Against Arcadia High on April 2, she suffered a muscle pull after running a leg of the mile relay.

“When she sat out for a week, she started developing the problems,” said Fred Almond, Mission Viejo’s track and field coach. “(Lactic acid) builds up when you push yourself hard and you don’t get a chance to work it out of your body.”

Said Bertell: “I’m really sore and my body’s just tired. It’s frustrating and I never feel stretched.”

Despite the difficulty, Bertell believes the pain will subside soon with a prescribed diet of extra water and vegetables. She will run in the South Coast League preliminaries today at Mission Viejo.

“I just try to ignore the pain--I’m not going to let the team down,” said Bertell, also a star on the school’s soccer team.

“Her role on our team is central,” Almond said. “The girls look up to her and she’s been the best sprinter in Orange County if you look at her times over the past four years.”

Bertell said she would have run the last few weeks but Almond wouldn’t let her.

“The coach kept me out, I’m really hard-headed about that (wanting to compete),” Bertell said.

TOP PERFORMERS

Lisa Fager of Mater Dei won the triple jump (39-4) and the high jump (5-4) at the Orange County championships.

Allison Franke, a junior from Canyon, was named the field athlete of Orange County championships by winning the long jump (17 feet 6 inches) and the discus (148).

Sita Jones of La Habra was named the distance athlete of the county championships by winning the 3,000 meters.

Emily Leckey of Trabuco Hills threw a no-hitter Friday in a 13-0 victory over St. Margaret’s.

Margo Melendrez of Laguna Hills pitched three shutouts last week: a one-hitter against Laguna Beach on Monday, a two-hitter against Trabuco Hills on Wednesday and a two-hitter against Orange Thursday.

Julie Muche (4-2) of Marina threw a no-hitter as the Vikings defeated Edison, 1-0, Friday in a nine-inning game.

Freshman Shareen Patton no-hit Corona del Mar to lead University in its 20-0 victory Tuesday.

Sheri Bertell

Mission Viejo High

Position: Sprinter.

Height, Class: 5-8, Sr.

Last Week: Won the 100 in 11.98 seconds and the 200 in 24.62 in the Orange County Girls’ Track and Field Championships at Rancho Santiago College Saturday.

Season: Set the Mission Viejo High School 100- and 200-meter records before being injured for four weeks and returning for Saturday’s meet in which she broke her records in both events.