Megan Thompson lost before the first Newbury Park High girls’ track practice.

Practice continues deep into the postseason because she became a winner in a less-than-desired event.

Thompson assured herself of at least one more week of practice for the event by winning her heat with a personal-best time of 57.87 seconds in the girls’ 400-meter run Saturday at the CIF-Southern Section Division II Prelims at Moorpark High.

She qualified for the Divisional Finals next Saturday at Cerritos College.

Per agreement with twin sister Morgan, the two would switch primary events for the 2010 season.

That meant a dreaded move from the 100 to the 400 for Megan.

“I don’t like training for it,” said Thompson. “It means more technique, form and cardio.”

The top nine finishers in each event advanced.

Among Ventura County athletes moving to the next stage include defending girls’ 100 champion Valexsia Droughn of Rio Mesa, nationally ranked girls’ discus thrower Alex Morgan of Ventura, Thousand Oaks girls’ record holders Lydia French (high jump) and Caitlin Turner (800), state boys’ 100 leader Jamison Jordan of Rio Mesa and defending girls’ shot put champion Kristen Wilson of Ventura.

Notably absent was 2009 state finalist Heyden Wooff of Camarillo from the boys’ 3,200. Wooff, who had one of the top sophomore times in the nation last year, has had a limited spring meet schedule because of a back injury. He won the Pacific View League title last week.

Rio Mesa, one of the Division II boys’ team favorites, had a scare amid questions of a possible passing zone violation involving its nationally ranked boys’ 4x100 relay team. Officials ruled it was a safe pass and the quartet had the fastest time of 41.38.

For the Division II boys’ final, Rio Mesa has qualifiers in four individual and two relay events.

Although not totally embracing the event, Thompson has kept track of the section’s best throughout the spring on the website Dyestatcal.com.

“That is my home page,” said Thompson. “I go to it five times a day.”

Caitlin Turner shaved more than a second off the 25-year-old Thousand Oaks school record in the girls’ 800 with a qualifying time of 2:13.32. That performance, the eighth fastest in county history, moved Turner to No. 10 on the state season list.

“My coach told me that I should go for the record today,” said Turner, who had a three-second improvement.

“I knew that there was a fast runner in my heat (Jennifer Owen of West Ranch). I drafted off of her.”

Owen won by 0.02 seconds.

Don’t tell Morgan that it was only a qualifying event.

Although the nationally ranked Ventura senior had thrown far enough on her first event to advance, the fact that Jasmine Burrell of North Torrance had moved into first in the final round changed everything.

“My whole focus was to qualify and go all out next week,” said Morgan.

“But when I heard what she had done, it came down to I didn’t want to lose. I want to get it out there further. I attacked on the last one.”

Morgan won with a throw of 157 feet.

Droughn posted the day’s fastest times in the girls’ 100 (11.78) and 200 (24.32). Both season-best performances moved her to the top 11 in the state.

Jordan had a wind-aided 10.50, the third fastest time in the state for all conditions, as the top qualifier in the boys’ 100. He reinforced his standing as one of the state’s best 200 sprinters with a wind-legal time of 21.34, only .01 off his season-best time from last week.

French joined Rio Mesa’s Raegan Nizdil and Kayla Lindquist as qualifiers in the girls’ high jump at 5-3.

County boys’ 3,200 champion Kevin Joerger of Thousand Oaks was among qualifiers with a time of 9:23.36.

Shannon Byrne of Newbury Park had a personal-best of 5:07.18 to qualify in the girls’ 1,600.

Buena set a school record time of 42.56 to advance in the boys’ 4x100 relay.