High School Track & Field: CdM’s Nostrand shines at Jim Scott Stadium

Parker Nostrand moved to Newport Beach from Colorado back in June, when he caught on quick to the big news at his new high school, Corona del Mar, where he would begin his senior year.

He heard about the controversial Prom Draft, where CdM boys used an NFL Draft method to ask girls to the end-of-the-school-year event. He just smiles when the topic comes up. At this point in his senior year, he isn’t having anything to do with any type of prom date.

“I didn’t even ask for a prom date this year because [the CIF State Meet final] is the day of our prom [June 6],” Nostrand said. “It just wouldn’t work out. I just need to focus on track as much as possible.”

Nostrand admitted he didn’t want look that far ahead to reaching the state meet’s final day, but he still felt excited about taking the first step toward that goal on Saturday. He qualified first in the 800-meter run, finishing in 1 minute, 56.28 seconds, the fastest time of the day at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries at Jim Scott Stadium.

Nostrand also helped the Sea Kings’ 4x400 relay team qualify ninth for next week’s finals at Cerritos College in 3:25.20. He anchored the quartet, that also included freshman Omar Adel, junior Sutton Barbato and junior Austin Baxter.

Costa Mesa senior Anuare Magana qualified fourth in the boys’ 3,200 in 9:22.25 and sixth in the 1,600 in 4:21.84.

CdM sophomore Raquel Powers qualified fifth in the girls’ 3,200 in 11:04.71.

Costa Mesa junior Paige LaBare qualified ninth in the girls’ 100 in 12.39.

Nostrand said he has enjoyed his senior year with the Sea Kings, meeting new friends while competing in cross country in the fall. His family moved here because of his parents’ work in the skin care industry, he said.

CdM Coach Bill Sumner has thoroughly appreciated Nostrand’s willingness to be a team player throughout the track and field season, competing in various events. Nostrand won the Pacific Coast League title in the 1,600 and finished second in the 800, his main event.

He finished 11th in the 800 at the Arcadia Invitational on April 11, where he established his personal record in 1:54.76. It is the fastest time at CdM in the past 25 years, Sumner said.

“His season just started today,” Sumner said. “Now he gets to focus on himself. He’s been a team player. He’s been doing all this stuff for the team and now he can concentrate more on himself.”

Sumner described Nostrand as one of the best athletes at CdM, a small school with plenty of top-notch athletes. Nostrand is just happy he made the move to CdM, as it is helping him in his quest to land an NCAA Division 1 scholarship. He said he has one offer already from UC Santa Barbara, where the coaches there want him to compete in cross country as well.

“Moving here was the best decision I could make,” Nostrand said. “Coach Sumner is amazing and he’s so helpful.”

Magana said he felt nervous about Saturday, thinking about the possibility of it being his final meet of his high school career.

He said he started his 1,600 race at a rigorous pace. He then fell behind on the final lap of the four-lap event.

Magana, the Orange Coast League champion in the 1,600 and 3,200, said he was disappointed with his time in the 1,600 because he was attempting for a personal record.

“I wanted to try to PR,” he said. “It was pretty tough in the wind. I led pretty much the whole time so I got those guys going.”

Magana was recently honored as one of six students in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District to receive the Superintendent Character Trait Awards. Superintendent Fred Navarro, the former Costa Mesa principal, went to his former school and shook Magana’s hand in his classroom. Magana was awarded for respect as the students are recognized for one of six traits derived by the Six Pillars of Character, a concept created by the Josephson Institute, a nonprofit that supports ethics in all areas of life, the Daily Pilot recently reported.

Also at the Division 3 prelim meet, Costa Mesa freshman twins Felicia and Tayla Crenshaw ended their remarkable seasons at the CIF prelims. Felicia Crenshaw ended hers with a personal-best in the discus, 100-11, for 18th.