Esperanza Track Coach Figures Aztecs Should Add Another 3-A Title

Al Britt, the Esperanza boys’ track and field coach, has done the math again and again and each time the Aztecs come up winners in the Southern Section divisional finals, which begin at 2 p.m. today at Cerritos College.

If his figuring is correct, Esperanza will score 55 points and win its third consecutive 3-A championship. He has Thousand Oaks, Esperanza’s nearest challenger, with 42 to 45 points.

“We’d have to do a number of things incorrect (not to win),” Britt said. “We’d really have to blow it. It never comes out exactly (the way you figure it, but) I would think we’d have a bit of an edge.”

Esperanza’s senior-dominated team is led by shotputter/discus-thrower Mark Parlin and sprinter Roshawn Sims.

Parlin has posted section bests of 65 feet 4 1/4 inches in the shotput and 194-2 in the discus. His discus throw is the second-best in the state, behind a 210-1 toss by Jeff Buckley of Bakersfield.

Sims has run a section-leading 48.12 seconds in the 400 meters. He also will run the 200 meters, and the 400- and 1,600-meter relays today.

Esperanza is the only county school with a clear-cut chance for a team title, but there are a number of other athletes to watch, among them:

--Kevin Carlson of Katella, the defending State champion, is the favorite in the 3-A high jump.

--Tim Martin of San Clemente was the fastest qualifier in the 100 and the second-fastest in the 200 at last week’s 4-A preliminaries, running 10.76 and 21.72 seconds. But he will face a stiff test from Ricky Carrigan of Compton in both races.

--Shelley Taylor of Edison, the national leader, will be the favorite in the girls’ 3-A 1,600 meters. Taylor ran a 4:53.00 at the Arcadia Invitational April 13.

--Beth Byron of Villa Park and Melissa McDonald of Mater Dei will be the favorites in the 3-A and 2-A high jumps, respectively. Each has cleared 5-8 this season.