Mt. San Antonio Relays : Rivals Arreola and Chapel--Separate but Equal Results

WALNUT — Darcy Arreola and Laura Chapel did not continue their rivalry directly Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio Relays, but each still managed pressure the other.

Though they were not competing head-to-head Saturday, both Arreola and Chapel ran season bests.

Arreola won the 800 meters in a hand-timed 2 minutes, 10.0 seconds. The Grossmont High School senior’s time was the fastest in the nation this year, and eclipsed Chapel’s best (2:11.91), which was the second best in the nation before the race.

Chapel won the 1,500 in 4:28.96, missing the national best by 67 hundredths of a second. Arreola’s best in the 1,500 is a second slower.

Arreola and Chapel have developed into friendly rivals during the last three years, and even warmed down together Saturday. But both said that what one does affects the other.

“The losses to Laura make me run a lot harder,” said Arreola, who has lost to Chapel the last three times they have met. “If she wasn’t beating me now . . . I wouldn’t be training as hard now. She makes me run and train hard.”

“I’m happy for her,” Chapel said, “but her times make me run harder. My workouts have been geared toward the mile . . . but I’m going to have to do more speed work on the track because of her times.”

It was apparent Arreola would run a fast time after the first lap. Her split time was 63 seconds.

Arreola gradually extended her lead over second-place finisher Kris Kochel of Ventura during the second lap and won by five seconds.

“It really felt good, it was a perfect day,” said Arreola, whose previous best was 2:12.5. “I felt like I could run 2:10. All I want to do now is better my times from last year.”

At this time last year, Arreola’s best was 2:13 in the 800. She went on to run 2:09 and finish second in the state meet. Chapel was third in the state meet 800.

Arreola said she watched Chapel’s race as she waited for the 800 to start.

Chapel, a senior from University City, got boxed in and nearly fell in the first 50. Chapel took a step onto the infield and threw her arm out in front of her to keep her balance.

Ironically, the runner that almost caused Chapel to trip nearly held on to beat her.

Chapel and Maria Carmen Diaz of Crea, Mexico, who won the 3,000 meters Friday night, took the lead from Tracey Williams of El Monte Mountain View with 500 meters left. Chapel tried to pass Diaz with 300 and 150 to go, but Diaz held on both times. Finally, Chapel went by with 100 meters left and beat Diaz by two seconds.

“Diaz didn’t touch me,” Chapel

said of the incident. “She cut in fast and I stumbled.

“I was right where I wanted to be. I was going for time and my splits were what I wanted. With or without Darcy, it was a good race.”

The rivalry will not be renewed until the San Diego Section meet May 29. Both plan to run the 800 and 1,600.

Tracy Crawford of Southwest, the county leader (41-feet 8 1/2-inches), won the girls’ shotput. Her throw of 42-11 was the second-best ever by a San Diego County girl.

Brian Boggess of El Capitan threw 59-7 on his first throw to win the boys’ shotput. The mark is the second best in the state this year.

Mount Miguel’s Ashley Rhodes won her heat in the 100 with a county-best time of 12.08

Lori Parker, who set a national best and a San Diego Section record (162-0) last Saturday, won the discus with a throw of 151-0. Crawford was third at 143-1.

Two county bests were set in the 1,600-meter relay. The Morse boys’ team topped its county-best (3:20.95), finishing second in their heat with a time of 3:19.17. The unheralded Hilltop girls ran a 4:03.8, nearly a second faster than San Pasqual’s previous best.