SOPHIA HARTWELL, Pacifica’s super-soph track star, stood out in the long jump and triple jump in an Empire League meet at Valencia (Photo by Crystal Hartwell).

It’s not all bat games in the spring. Track and field is also underway.

Pacifica Mariners’ sophomore standout, Sophia Hartwell, set a personal best and new Pacifica all time school record in the long jump event with a mark of 18′ 6.5″ on Thursday, March 15 at the first league meet of the season hosted by Valencia High School. Hartwell hit her personal best by over two feet to break the previous Pacifica school record of 17′ 6″.

Hartwell is on pace to break the current Empire league record of 18′ 10.5″ set by Lily Ebanks in 2015. The 2017 Empire League MVP is one to watch having made it all the way to the CIF-SS Division 3’s only freshman. This rising sophomore can also deliver in the triple jump and set a new personal best of 37′ 5.5″ at the dual meet as well. Hartwell is just inches shy of breaking the current school record for the triple jump which is 37′ 7″ set by Elizabeth Cotociu in 2014.

Baseball, softball head into league action

Without much cooperation from the weather, baseball and softball for high school teams serving the Garden Grove-Westminster-Stanton area are getting into league play.

Some teams have started conference action, some haven’t, but here’s a look at how overall standings look as of Monday morning. Local teams are in bold face.

BASEBALL

• Empire: Pacifica 6-4, Kennedy 4-3-1, Cypress 4-4-1, Tustin 4-5, Valencia 4-5, Western 1-6.
• Garden Grove: Bolsa Grande 6-1, Rancho Alamitos 6-2, Garden Grove 3-4, Santiago 0-2, Los Amigos 0-6.
• Golden West: Santa Ana 5-3, Orange 5-5, Ocean View 5-5, Segerstrom 6-7, Loara 4-5, Westminster 2-7.
• Sunset League: Huntington Beach 9-2, Fountain Valley 6-3, Marina 5-4, Edison 6-6, Los Alamitos 4-4, Newport Harbor 4-4.

SOFTBALL

• Empire: Kennedy 5-1, Cypress 6-2, Pacifica 6-3, Tustin 2-3, Valencia 2-7, Western 0-1.
• Garden Grove: La Quinta 3-3-1, Los Amigos 2-3-1, Rancho Alamitos 4-7, Santiago 3-6, Bolsa Grande 2-4, Garden Grove 1-5.
• Golden West: Westminster 5-2, Ocean View 4-4, Loara 3-4, Segerstrom 3-3, Loara 3-4, Orange 2-9.
• Sunset: Los Alamitos 8-0, Edison 4-1, Marina 5-2, Huntington Beach 5-3, Fountain Valley 4-6, Newport Harbor 2-9.