By Ed Piper
In a duel down the backstretch in front of the visitors stands at Mt. Carmel High, Viking sprinter Payton Smith won the 400-meter dash in a surge-and-be-surged match as the one-lap sprint neared the finish line at the CIF Finals Sat., May 20.
The La Jolla junior, with her hair in two braids with red bows, had to exert her will in one of her finest races so far in her running career. Her winning time, 54.87 seconds, surpassed that of her nearest finisher, Nicoletta Burkhardt of Steele Canyon, whose time was 55.13--0.26 of a second after.
Both sprinters' times will put them in the State CIF meet next week in Fresno. On paper, Smith's triumph puts her at the top of the Division 3 listing. Burkhardt's qualified in a different division, Division One.
Payton's participation in the girls' 4x100-meter relay in the first running event of the morning also ensured La Jolla's inclusion in the state meet, a second place in Division 3 by Reese Martin, Olivia Smith, Elena Farrar, and Smith, the anchor runner. The first three are all sophomores.
A phenomenal race in the 1600 saw Viking freshman Chiara Dailey move from third, to second, to first in the leading pack over the final three laps to grind out a scintillating time of 4:42.69 before the appreciative crowd.
Her schoolmate, veteran Daphne Mayer, placed fourth in Division 3 in the same event at 5:17.75. Mayer is a junior.
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