El Toro’s Parks Has Field Day to Lead Chargers to Team Title

MISSION VIEJO — El Toro’s Elliott Parks tripled up at the Sea View League track and field finals Friday at Trabuco Hills High.

The junior won the long, triple and high jumps en route to leading the Chargers to the boys’ team title with 175 points. Santa Margarita was second with 122.

Parks, the county champion in the long jump, opened the day with a 22-foot, 2-inch leap to win the event.

The high jump followed, as the county runner-up in the event matched his lifetime best and broke the meet record, clearing 6-10.

“I was really going for 7 feet today,” said Parks, who won the event by clearing 6-4.

Parks rounded out his victories with a 44-6 1/2 in the triple jump.

“I didn’t really practice that much in the long and triple this week,” Parks said. “I did a lot better than I thought I would in the triple.”

Another surprise was Dan Whittington’s victory in the 1,600-meter run. Whittington, a senior, held off El Toro senior Ed Pollick to win the race in a county-leading time of 4 minutes 22.1 seconds. Pollick was timed in 4:22.5.

Santa Margarita senior Matt Blasdel won the 400 meters (49.94) and 300 intermediate hurdles (38.44) and finished second in the 110 high hurdles (14.88). El Toro’s Mike Smith won in 14.82.

Santa Margarita senior Tim Fitzgerald anchored the winning 400 relay (42.7) and won the 100 (10.6) and 200 (22.31).

Santa Margarita junior Katie Nuanes won the 1,600 meters (5:02.0) and the 800 (2:16.71), but Woodbridge held off her team for the title, 137 to 122.

Heaven Yoshino of Woodbridge won the 400 (58.69) and the 300 intermediate hurdles (45.04). Jackie Dix won the 100 (12.4) and 200 (25.76) for the Warriors.

M.E. Clayton of Newport Harbor was also a double winner, taking the girls’ long jump (16-9) and triple jump (36-1).