Newport Harbor’s Natalie McCarty sweeps the hurdles at O.C. championships
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Natalie McCarty has competed at a high level in numerous events in her time with the Newport Harbor track and field program, but she did something Saturday she had yet to accomplish.
The two-time titlist at the Orange County track and field championships added to her first-place medal count at the meet, winning both the 100- and 300-meter hurdles at Mission Viejo High.
McCarty’s day began with a dramatic, come-from-behind win in the 100 hurdles. She completed the race in 15.55 seconds, just ahead of Mater Dei senior Kendall Jordan (15.60), who clipped the penultimate hurdle and knocked down the last.
“I knew it was going to be a close race,” McCarty said. “I knew I had some good competition, so I knew my form had to be good. Little technique things made it closer than I wanted it to be, but I was able to finish strong and get them at the end, so that’s all that matters.”
Nearly five hours later, McCarty cruised to victory in the 300 hurdles in 44.52 seconds, nearly mirroring her seasonal-best time in the event.
“I’m grateful,” McCarty, a junior, said of sweeping the hurdles at the county championships. “It’s awesome that I had this competition pushing me to do better. It feels good. There are always things I can improve on.”
Expectations have followed McCarty from the jump, literally. When she debuted for the Sailors at Santa Margarita’s Eagle Invitational in 2023, she posted a clearance of 5 feet, 6 inches in the high jump. That mark got her into the Arcadia Invitational, and she won the county title in the event the next week.
As a sophomore, McCarty won the 300 hurdles in the county championships, before going on to win both hurdles events in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 finals. She helped the Sailors finish as the division’s runner-up in the CIF finals.
Newport Harbor added another event winner, as Marley McCullough set the pace in the 3,200 with a winning time of 10:55.70. Last season, McCullough produced her personal record in the event, finishing as the runner-up with a time of 10:29.47.
The Orange County track and field championships came early this year, three weeks earlier than usual, which impacted where athletes were within the planning of their workouts.
While many hope to peak toward the end of the season, new personal bests are always welcomed. That was the case for Huntington Beach senior Alia Pasternak, who improved her lifetime-best mark in the triple jump by a full foot.
Pasternak leapt to a mark of 36 feet, 11½ inches, giving her the school record in the event, which had belonged to Tammy Chick (36-2). Huntington Beach coach Kareen Shackelford said Pasternak broke a 38-year-old record.
“I’m so happy,” Pasternak said. “I started tearing up a little bit after because it’s just been a lot, really frustrating, up-and-down seasons. I know when I was hurt, it was really frustrating for me, especially because I knew I could do more.
“Yes, I made it to CIF, but I knew it wasn’t my best mark. I actually don’t think I made it for triple jump CIF my sophomore year. I was just short of it, so just going from that to qualifying last year, and to now having like 37 [feet], I’m just ecstatic. I did tear up a little bit on the side before I went again. I’m just so happy right now.”
The Oilers have seen two other program records fall this year. Junior Sydney McGill’s 15.41 seconds in the 100 hurdles at the Laguna Beach Trophy Invitational, and junior Rachel Carlton’s 25.29 seconds in the 200-meter sprint at the Mater Dei Invitational have set new wind-legal program standards.
Huntington Beach placed second behind Mater Dei, 81.5-40, in the girls’ team standings. Corona del Mar placed fifth with 32 points, with junior Estheleen Charalabidis factoring heavily into those points with three top-three finishes in the 100 and 200 sprints, as well as the 400 relay.
Rounding out the local winners was Pacifica Christian junior Lila Glidewell, who finished first in the girls’ rated 1,600 meters with a new personal record of 5:30.18.
“I was settlling behind people because my coaches told me to wait behind them, but overall, I felt like I had more in me at the end of the race,” Glidewell said. “I thought if I were in the seeded [heat] and it was not [about] winning, more about a PR (personal record), I would have gotten a better PR, just to have people to chase.”
Sage Hill, which tied for ninth place, was the lone local program to finish among the top 10 in the boys’ team standings.
Senior Jake Pirnazar dropped two wind-legal lifetime-best performances in the sprints, blistering down the track in 10.57 seconds in the 100 and 21.47 seconds in the 200. He placed second to Santa Margarita senior Leo Francis in both races.
Earlier in the day, Pirnazar also anchored the Lightning’s 400 relay team, which placed second to Mater Dei in the event. His brother Adam Pirnazar, Preston Simpson and James Karahalios made up the rest of the relay team, which completed the race in a school-record time of 42.26 seconds.
“I’m really happy about how my 200 went,” said Jake Pirnazar, who also holds the Sage Hill school record in the 100. “Even though our [400 relay], our hand-offs were really sub-par, I’m really happy with the time we put up today. In the 100, I’m a little disappointed. I got second to Leo Francis by [five thousandths of a second]. We both ran 10:57, and he inched me out at the last second. Today, my top speed just wasn’t where I want it to be, but in the upcoming weeks, I hope to face him off again.”
Ocean View senior Jack Paavola took a step forward, too, setting new personal records in finishing second in the discus throw (162-6) and fifth in the shot put (49-6).
BOYS’ TRACK AND FIELD
Orange County Championships
At Mission Viejo High
Team Results
1. Santa Margarita 64; 2. Mater Dei 51; 3. Tesoro 39; 4. Los Alamitos 32; 5. Yorba Linda 28; 6. Orange Lutheran 27; 7. Beckman 26; 8. Aliso Niguel 25; 9T. Woodbridge 24; 9T. Northwood 24; 9T. Sage Hill 24
Individuals
100 — 1. Francis (Santa Margarita) 10.565; 2. J. Pirnazar (Sage Hill) 10.570; 3. Bragg (Los Alamitos) 10.59; 4. Bland (Orange Lutheran) 10.69; 5. Hopkins (Mater Dei) 10.79
200 — 1. Francis (Santa Margarita) 21.17; 2. J. Pirnazar (Sage Hill) 21.47; 3. Serrambana (Marina) 21.61; 4. Woodruff (Mater Dei) 21.83; 5. Bland (Orange Lutheran) 22.17
400 — 1. Watson (Samueli Academy) 49.06; 2. Donvito (Los Alamitos) 49.57; 3. Diaz (Northwood) 49.83; 4. Martinez (San Clemente) 49.93; 5. Ellis (Northwood) 50.51
800 — 1. Dos Santos (San Clemente) 1:55.94; 2. Radieddine (Aliso Niguel) 1:56.76; 3. Yesenosky (Pacifica) 1:57.37; 4. Montijo (Servite) 1:57.68; 5. Garcia (Mater Dei) 1:57.91
1,600 Seeded — 1. Antonio (Woodbridge) 4:13.84; 2. Douglass (Corona del Mar) 4:15.51; 3. Barrera (Beckman) 4:16.53; 4. Horrocks (Beckman) 4:19.94; 5. Shaw (Northwood) 4:20.47
1,600 Rated — 1. Young (University) 4:30.85; 2. Tobin (University) 4:32.23; 3. Guillen (Mater Dei) 4:33.06; 4. Morris (Aliso Niguel) 4:33.58; 5. Blattner (Aliso Niguel) 4:33.88
3,200 — 1. Maldonado (Yorba Linda) 9:19.94; 2. Kathiravan (Woodbridge) 9:22.42; 3. Feaster (Beckman) 9:30.88; 4. Zavala (Woodbridge) 9:35.50; 5. Habbestad (Yorba Linda) 9:36.40
110 HH — 1. Brown (Tesoro) 14.64; 2. Swanson (Santa Margarita) 15.111; 3. Giacchetto (Orange Lutheran) 15.119; 4. Peterson (Tesoro) 15.37; 5. Nguyen-Spitzberg (Costa Mesa) 15.38
300 IH — 1. Brown (Tesoro) 38.75; 2. Gary (Beckman) 39.54; 3. Swanson (Santa Margarita) 40.30; 4. Hidalgo (Northwood) 40.95; 5. Nguyen-Spitzberg (Costa Mesa) 41.02
400 relay — 1. Mater Dei 41.44; 2. Sage Hill 42.26; 3. Orange Lutheran 42.76; 4. Tesoro 42.78; 5. Marina 42.90
1,600 relay — 1. Santa Margarita 3:25.27; 2. Aliso Niguel 3:26.52; 3. Cypress 3:31.98; 4. Fullerton 3:33.76; 5. Orange Lutheran 3:33.77
3,200 relay — 1. Beckman 8:09.87; 2. Valencia 8:26.50; 3. Capistrano Valley 8:26.61; 4. Segerstrom 8:27.72; 5. Canyon 8:28.08
HJ — 1. Masters (Yorba Linda) 6-0; 2. Turner (Capistrano Valley) 6-0J; 3. Allende (Newport Harbor) 6-0J; 4. Wandji (Tesoro) 5-10; 5. Huntington (San Clemente) 5-10J
LJ — 1. Francis (Santa Margarita) 23-7; 2. Gorski (Mater Dei) 23-2; 3. McDonald (Mater Dei) 21-3¼; 4. Eggelston (Corona del Mar) 21-2¼; 5. Barmettler (San Juan Hills) 21-0
TJ — 1. Cobbs (Fullerton) 48-2; 2. Barmettler (San Juan Hills) 44-5¾; 3. Jones (Fairmont Prep) 44-4; 4. Ocampo (Capistrano Valley) 43-6½ ; 5. Santos (Northwood) 43-0
PV — 1. Higgins (Trabuco Hills) 14-6; 2T. Le (Fountain Valley) 14-0; 2T. Furr (Santa Margarita) 14-0; 4. Amescua (Los Alamitos) 14-0; 5. Whitesides (Aliso Niguel) 13-6
SP — 1. Meyer (Esperanza) 50-11; 2. Elliott (Los Alamitos) 50-6; 3. Mendoza (Huntington Beach) 50-4; 4. Legaspi (Canyon) 49-11; 5. Paavola (Ocean View) 49-6
DT — 1. Topui (Mater Dei) 166-7; 2. Paavola (Ocean View) 162-6½; 3. Mendoza (Huntington Beach) 154-5; 4. Vanskiver (Servite) 154-4; 5. Elliott (Los Alamitos) 149-4
GIRLS’ TRACK AND FIELD
Orange County Championships
At Mission Viejo High
Team Results
1. Mater Dei 81.5; 2. Huntington Beach 40; 3T. Yorba Linda 37; 3T. JSerra 37; 5. Corona del Mar 32; 6. Newport Harbor 30; 7T. Canyon 27; 7T. Aliso Niguel 27; 9. Orange Lutheran 23; 10. Los Alamitos 22
Individuals
100 — 1. Murray (Mater Dei) 12.09; 2. Acosta (Mater Dei) 12.15; 3. Charalabidis (Corona del Mar) 12.18; 4. Murillo (Canyon) 12.42; 5. Alvarado (Mater Dei) 12.42
200 — 1. Acosta (Mater Dei) 24.95; 2. Charalabidis (Corona del Mar) 25.07; 3. Murray (Mater Dei) 25.28; 4. Carlton (Huntington Beach) 25.82; 5. Hernandez (Northwood) 25.84
400 — 1. Woolforde (JSerra) 57.88; 2. Hernandez (Northwood) 58.41; 3. Nestorov (Corona del Mar) 58.78; 4. Smyth (Santa Margarita) 59.57; 5. Sooter (Sunny Hills) 1:00.29
800 — 1. Wroblewski (Yorba Linda) 2:18.90; 2. Dye (San Juan Hills) 2:20.39; 3. Contreras (Segerstrom) 2:24.01; 4. Roque (Fountain Valley) 2:27.32; 5. Garcia (Tesoro) 2:27.48
1,600 Seeded — 1. Wroblewski (Yorba Linda) 4:59.74; 2. Heath (Capistrano Valley) 5:03.81; 3. Thomas (Santa Margarita) 5:09.50; 4. Santillan Silva (Century) 5:11.42; 5. Fearn (Woodbridge) 5:12.64
1,600 Rated — 1. Glidewell (Pacifica Christian) 5:30.18; 2. Fletcher (Aliso Niguel) 5:32.81; 3. Alexander (Esperanza) 5:34.21; 4. Sanchez (Santa Ana) 5:36.04; 5. Gonzalez (Santa Ana) 5:36.76
3,200 — 1. McCullough (Newport Harbor) 10:55.70; 2. Reed (Yorba Linda) 11:06.22; 3. Santiago (Rosary) 11:38.43; 4. Noria (Mater Dei) 11:41.26; 5. Steinman (Corona del Mar) 11:44.46
100 HH — 1. McCarty (Newport Harbor) 15.55; 2. Jordan (Mater Dei) 15.60; 3. McGill (Huntington Beach) 15.67; 4. Kays (Mission Viejo) 15.92; 5. Witte (Mater Dei) 16.04
300 IH — 1. McCarty (Newport Harbor) 44.52; 2. Kays (Mission Viejo) 45.49; 3. Jordan (Mater Dei) 46.93; 4. McGill (Huntington Beach) 47.12; 5. Woolforde (JSerra) 47.34
400 relay — 1. Mater Dei 47.42; 2. Corona del Mar 48.81; 3. Los Alamitos 49.40; 4. Orange Lutheran 49.95; 5. Canyon 50.22
1,600 relay — 1. Orange Lutheran 4:02.92; 2. Yorba Linda 4:03.71; 3. Mater Dei 4:08.46; 4. Mission Viejo 4:08.76; 5. Beckman 4:27.12
3,200 relay — 1. Capistrano Valley 9:38.49; 2. Los Alamitos 9:45.78; 3. Beckman 10:15.05; 4. Segerstrom 10:20.75; 5. Villa Park 10:27.50
HJ — 1. Teven (Brea Olinda) 5-4; 2. Burton (Dana Hills) 5-2; 3. Hogan (Crean Lutheran) 5-2J; 4. Sokolowski (Cypress) 5-0; 5T. Witte (Mater Dei) 5-0; 5T. Timoshuk (Troy) 5-0
LJ — 1. Onuigbo (Troy) 17-4¾; 2. Forde (Woodbridge) 17-4½; 3. Cazale (Calvary Chapel) 17-3¼; 4. Pasternak (Huntington Beach) 16-10½; 5. Hewitt (Crean Lutheran) 16-10
TJ — 1. Cazale (Calvary Chapel) 38-1½; 2. Pasternak (Huntington Beach) 36-11½; 3. Liao (Rosary) 35-10½; 4. Cannon (Tesoro) 35-5; 5. Benedict (Huntington Beach) 35-3½
PV — 1. Bettinger (Los Alamitos) 12-4; 2. Harden (Dana Hills) 12-4J; 3. Reuter (JSerra) 11-6; 4. Rusin (JSerra) 11-0; 5. Layk (JSerra) 10-6
SP — 1. Massey (Aliso Niguel) 50-7; 2. Gallacher (Canyon) 36-6; 3. Reichard (Portola) 36-1; 4. Stearns (Troy) 35-½; 5. Karasawa (Marina) 34-9
DT — 1. Massey (Aliso Niguel) 153-9; 2. Reichard (Portola) 129-11; 3. Gallacher (Canyon) 125-6½; 4. Beary (JSerra) 122-2; 5. Rushing (Huntington Beach) 112-5½
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