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Dixon, Smith go the distance
by John Tawa
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Mira Costa senior Cosette Smith is hot on the heels of Peninsula's Breanne Sandberg (#9) and Chadwick's Kristin Cohoon during Friday's 1600-meter race at the CIF Master's Meet at Cerritos College. Smith placed fifth in the event, just behind Sandberg, to qualify for the State meet for the second year in a row. Costa freshman Lynn Dixon also qualified in the event with a spectacular second-place finish. Photo by John Tawa. |
Mira Costa running sensations Lynn Dixon and Cosette Smith gave record-setting performances in the same race at Friday's CIF Master's Meet to qualify for the State meet this weekend at Cerritos College in Norwalk.
Running against an elite field featuring the nine best 1600-meter runners in the CIF Southern Section, Dixon continued her impressive rise to the top of the Southern California running scene. She finished one stride behind superstar Anita Siraki in an astounding time of 4:50.05, setting a Southern Section freshman record and breaking Laura Cattivera's school record in the process. The second-place finish capped an amazing three-week stretch in which she captured Bay League titles in the 800 and 1600, won a CIF Div. I preliminary heat and twice ran second to Siraki at the CIF Div. I finals May 20 and again at Friday's Master's Meet.
Friday's run was Dixon's most impressive. Siraki, who beat Dixon handily one week before, had to run a personal best 4:49.71 to hold off the diminutive freshman.
"I was surprised I was so close," said Dixon, her ever-present smile as large as ever. "Last week, [Siraki] took off on me."
A few seconds behind her teammate, Smith was caught up in her own pitched battle for fourth place with Peninsula track and cross-country rival Breanne Sandberg. Sandberg held off Smith, who will run next year at Cal-Santa Barbara, but both qualified for State by finishing in the top five. Smith's time of 4:57.22 was more than three seconds faster than her personal record, set the weekend before at the CIF Finals.
"To have a personal record under five minutes and by three seconds, I was shocked," Smith said.
Overcast conditions and cooler temperatures helped bring the times down, Dixon said.
"It seemed we were going fast, but not that fast," she said.
The performances by Dixon and Smith mark the first time two Costa athletes have qualified for the State meet in the same year in at least 20 years.
Smith, who qualified last year in the 1600 but did not advance past the State Prelims, set qualifying for the finals and running a smart race as her goals.
"I think I'm capable of running faster," she said. "I feel a lot stronger than last year."
Dixon, who wanted to qualify for State because she didn't during the fall cross-country season, thinks she can go under 4:50. That could place her in the top three or better, although meet qualifiers include five of the top seven racers from last year, including Alejandra Barrientos, who won the event last year in 4:45.02.
The State Prelims get underway Friday at Cerritos College. The first 1600 preliminary race is scheduled for 5:24 p.m. The finals are slated for Saturday. ER