“The technique probably wasn’t the best,” said the UCLA-bound Koressel, who won CIF for the first time by vaulting six inches higher than last year’s Division II winner, Brooke Arthur of Mater Dei. “It’s all good. I’m really excited about winning CIF … I’m obviously going to concentrate a little bit harder [this] weekend.”
Koressel was just one of several locals to finish top nine in their events (top 12 in the distance running and field events), qualifying them for Friday’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, also at Cerritos College. The top five at Masters advance to the CIF State meet.
For Fountain Valley High junior Kyle Middlebrooks, divisional finals were the continuation of a breakout track season. Fast out of the blocks, he held on to win the Division I 100-meter dash in a wind-aided 10.51 seconds. Middlebrooks also finished fifth in the 200 (21.68), although he didn’t qualify for Masters in the latter event.
“It’s really exciting,” said Middlebrooks, a standout running back for the Barons who recently received his first Pac-10 football offer from Washington State. “I’m pretty happy with it, taking CIF and making the next round. Last year I didn’t make it, so it was a good race. Masters is going to be fun. The 100 is going to be a real fast race.”
Edison High junior Matt McElroy nearly won an event as well, but he was edged by six-hundredths of a second at the end of the Division II 3,200-meter race by Heyden Woof of Camarillo. Woof ran 9:04.72, and McElroy 9:04.78. McElroy will also be seeded second to Woof at Masters.
He also finished fourth in the 1,600, qualifying for Masters in what Coach Derek Harrison said was a personal-best time of 4:15.60.
