Boys’ Track and Field

* The Proven: The best thing about last year’s postseason duel in the 3,200 meters between Villa Park’s Augie Escobar and Ventura’s Josh Spiker, in which they produced the second- and third-fastest times in the nation, is they were only juniors. This season’s battle should only get more intense as Escobar attempts to become the first Orange County runner to win a state title in a distance event since Edison’s Jon Butler in 1981. Escobar is not the only county athlete who has a good chance of bringing home a state championship, however. Esperanza’s Travis Pendleton won his second consecutive Southern Section Division I title and took third in state in the discus last season, making him the top returner in that event. Katella’s Tony Lozano, third in the 800, is also the state’s top returner in the half mile. Esperanza’s Ryan Bousquet, sixth in the 1,600, and Newport Harbor’s Trevor Jones, seventh in the 300 hurdles, have the second-best returning marks in their events. Marina pole vaulter Logan Odden cleared 16 feet at the L.A. Invitational Saturday, only the second county high schooler to clear that height indoors.

* The Promising: Mater Dei’s Junior Palacios had the county’s leading mark in the long jump as a sophomore (22-11 3/4), but had to sit out last season due to a groin injury. Claude Melvin was the Orange County and Southern Section Division II champion in the 100 and 200 meters at Brea Olinda last season, but when he transferred to Cerritos Gahr last month, it left the event wide open. One of the early favorites to become the county’s top speedster is Edison junior Darryl Poston, who won his 50-meter heat at the L.A. Invitational Saturday in 5.96 seconds, just off Melvin’s time of 5.92. Another surprising performance was turned in by Tustin junior Alonso Smith, who won his 880-yard heat with the second-fastest overall time (2:01.9).

* Preseason top 10 (championship format): 1. Santa Margarita--Talent in every event; 2. Esperanza--Deep in throws and distance; 3. Edison--Should dominate sprints and relays; 4. Mission Viejo--A bevy of quarter-milers; 5. El Toro--Consistently on top; 6. Newport Harbor--Boasts one of state’s top hurdlers; 7. Katella--Lozano, Mejia among state’s best; 8. Tustin--Young and fast; 9. Marina--Odden leads strong group of vaulters; 10. Woodbridge--Size helps.

* Key Dates: March 3-4, Earl Engman Relays at Santa Ana College, Orange HS, Santa Ana HS; 11, Irvine Invitational; 17-18, Jack Bighead Relays at UC Irvine, Katella HS; 25, Southern Counties at Huntington Beach HS; April 1, Trabuco Hills Invitational; 8, Arcadia Invitational at Citrus College; 15 Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, Orange County Championships at Trabuco Hills HS; May 4-5, league finals; 12-13 Southern Section prelims at Mt. SAC, Veterans’ Stadium; 20, Southern Section finals at Cerritos College; 26, Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College; June 2-3, state finals at Cerritos College.

* League Favorites: Century--Villa Park; Empire--Katella; Freeway--Troy; Garden Grove--Pacifica; Golden West--Tustin; Olympic--Orange Lutheran; Orange--Brea Olinda; Pacific Coast--Corona del Mar; Sea View--Newport Harbor; Serra--Santa Margarita; South Coast--Mission Viejo; Sunset--Esperanza.

* Fast Fact: An Orange County boys’ team didn’t win a Southern Section title for the first time in three years last season, but Santa Margarita dropped a notch into Division III, making the Eagles one of the early favorites, along with Los Angeles Loyola.