Flores Advances to SoCal Finals in Women's 800m and 1500m

by Cerwin D Haynes

As anticipated, sophomore Marbella Flores qualified for the SoCal Finals next week in the women's 800m and 1500m races. She grabbed auto-qualifying times in both races at today's SoCal Championship Prelims.

In the 800m, Flores finished with a time of 2:22.16, third in her heat and good for seventh overall on the day. In the 1500m, she placed fourth in her heat with a time of 4:55.75 and eight overall. She also earned B-standards in both races and an A-standard in the 1500m. 

"The goal is to qualify," said head coach Milton Browne . "So she did what she was supposed to do."

"You want to run your race, but not go all out in the Prelims," he explained, "Keep your juice for next week's Finals."

Flores is now set to challenge for SoCal supremacy in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m next Friday.

HUSKY BITS

• Freshman Carol Diaz also ran in today's 1500m prelim. Running in the same heat as Flores, she placed 12th with a time of 5:35.42. Although she did not qualify for next week's Finals, Coach Browne has liked what she's shown overall this year. "She's in the same position Marbella was last year," said Browne, believing that she's in position to make the kind of improvement Flores did in between her freshman and sophomore campaigns.

UP NEXT:

Flores goes for SoCal gold next Friday in the aforementioned races while also looking to punch her ticket to the State Championships at Saddleback in two weeks.