‘Baler boys, girls each finish first overall at Quicksilver
Classic in San Jose
SAN JOSE
The 4×400 relay – usually the last event at any meet or invite – has a way of separating the competition, the victors from the defeated.
But at the 5th Annual Don Bell Quicksilver Classic Saturday at Leland High School, the day’s final event also acted as a microcosm of sorts for the entire invitational itself.
The Lady ‘Balers foursome of Melisah Cortez, Kelsey Russell, Rachel Shimabukuro and Courtney Allen won by nearly 10 seconds, and nearly 100 meters, over the nearest competition Saturday.
It was a quick, easy and convincing final relay event, and the final team standings reflected similar results.
“We expect to do whatever it is we’re expected to do,” said Allen, who sprinted the anchor leg of the 4×400 and improved upon a sizable lead the Lady ‘Balers held for much of the race.
With expectations kicked aside, San Benito delivered when it easily defeated runner-up Los Gatos 66-49, as well as some 23 other teams in attendance.
“Every practice and every meet counts,” said Russell, who also finished fifth in the 100 meters at 13.19. “It only helps you get better later on.”
The ‘Baler boys, meanwhile, also cruised to a 4×400 relay victory, a precursor to the team’s repeat win at the Quicksilver Classic. Having edged Monterey 73.5 to 73 last year, San Benito trumped second-place Mount Pleasant Saturday 62-51.5, as well as 25 other teams.
“We gave it everything we got,” said Jason Roascio, who ran the third leg of the 4×400 and also took ninth in the 200 (23.53).
Despite the 17-point win, though, Lady ‘Balers head coach Laurie Cottrell was unaware of her team’s comfortable lead after manning the long jump event all day Saturday.
“But we placed in almost every event,” Cottrell said afterward. “I wasn’t expecting to take a trophy home today.
“When the girls ran up to me (with the trophy), I was like, ‘No way.'”
The Lady ‘Balers finished fourth overall at last year’s invite, posting just 48 points to stave off fifth-place Santa Cruz (41). But this year San Benito came in with much more firepower to the top-32 invitational.
Allen (11:44.37) and Shimabukuro (11:53.98) went 1-2 in the 3,200, freshman Melissa Castro was tops in the high jump (5-02) and Natalie Becker was runner-up in the pole vault (8-0) to pace San Benito, among other competitors.
The 4×100 relay was also second at 52.03, while the 4×400 (4:12.52) team defeated runner-up Sobrato (4:21.33) by approximately 8.81 seconds, a PR time this season.
And it was Russell who took a narrow five-foot lead on the third leg of the 4×400 and opened up an 80-meter cushion.
“I felt good but after that, I’m tired,” Russell said.
“I couldn’t tell where [my nearest competitor] was anyway. I just ran fast because I didn’t want to lose the lead.”
Ryan Shorey wasn’t going to lose his lead on the final leg of the 4×400 relay event either. Although he’s competed in long-distance races recently, Shorey made his official return to the 400 meters Saturday after suffering a hamstring injury from earlier this season.
On the home stretch, after sprinters Justin Williams, Mitchell Cook and Roascio garnered a lead, Shorey held off a Sobrato sprinter, then reported no leg pain.
“… I knew I had a little bit left,” he said. “I didn’t push it as hard as I could.
“It felt great.”
That’s good news to head coach Iran White and the ‘Balers, who continue to win despite the setbacks.
“It’s always nice to win, but we came here to get some competition,” White said. “We’ll take the victory, but we’ve just got to get healthy.”
Nik Soza, however, was said to have pulled up in the 4×100 relay event with an apparent hamstring injury. San Benito grabbed third place (44.97) in the event, nonetheless.
“We’re still winning,” White added, “but we’ve got to find a way to get healthy.”
Although the ‘Balers couldn’t quite reach the point total of last season, as their 4×400 relay was the lone first-place finish, they did have plenty of depth in order to repeat at Don Bell. Shorey was second in the 800 (1:59.90), Eddie Guzman was third in the 3,200 (10:11.74), Sam Stephens’ throw of 45-0 in the shot put was far enough for third, while Frankie Martinez’ 140-02 placed him runner-up in the discus.
Saturday’s windy conditions held many runners out of personal-record times however, but this weekend’s Bill Kearney Invitational at Hartnell College is already circled on San Benito’s schedule.
Mitchell Cook, who has been battling shin splints of late, ran a 53-flat on his 4×400 split last Saturday and is already eyeing this weekend’s invitational.
“I’ve improved by a second since the beginning of the season,” Cook said. “I’ll hopefully break 53 next week with a little less wind.”
DON BELL QUICKSILVER CLASSIC
GIRLS
TEAM (TOP 5 ONLY)
1, San Benito, 66; 2, Los Gatos, 49; 3, Mount Pleasant, 42; 4, Santa Cruz, 32; 5, Prospect, 30.
INDIVIDUAL (SAN BENITO ONLY)
100 – 1, A. Gradiska, Pinewood, 11.92; 5, K. Russell, SB, 13.19; 11, S. Coelho, 13.45; 29, J. Cook, SB, 14.38. 200 – 1, A. Gradiska, Pinewood, 24.75; 9, M. Cortez, SB, 27.45; 34, N. Gutierrez, SB, 31.22; 36, A. Boone, SB, 31.60. 400 – 1, D. Wickliffe, Wilcox, 59.79; 8, M. Cortez, SB, 1:02.37; 25, N. Gutierrez, SB, 1:09.13; 29, L. Shorey, SB, 1:10.26; 31, T. Haynish, SB, 1:10.30. 800 – 1, E. Sanders, Santa Cruz, 2:21.20; 11, R. Shimabukuro, SB, 2:30.49; 38, L. Shorey, SB, 2:49.40. 1,600 – 1, K. Castro, Los Gatos, 5:24.00; 11, M. Duarte, SB, 5:47.03. 3,200 – 1, C. Allen, SB, 11:44.37; 2, R. Shimabukuro, SB, 11:53.98; 18, L. Shorey, SB, 14:31.73. 100 Hurdles – 1, S. Walker, Mount Pleasant, 15.21; 9, A. Banuelos, SB, 17.35; 16, E. Dungy, SB, 18.38; 21, D. Maroney, SB, 20.26. 300 Hurdles – 1, E. Gordon, Santa Clara, 45.43; 7, M. Castro, SB, 50.52; 15, A. Banuelos, SB, 55.48; 16, T. Haynish, SB, 57.70; 17, B. Casas, SB, 58.24. 4×100 – 1, Los Gatos, 51.93; 2, San Benito, 52.03. 4×400 – 1, San Benito, 4:12.52. High Jump – 1, M. Castro, SB, 5-02; 5. E. Dungy, SB, 4-08; 7, L. Adamek, SB, 4-06; 11, T. Haynish, SB, 4-04. Pole Vault – 1, C. L’Heureux, Santa Clara, 9-07; 2, N. Becker, SB, 8-0; 5, S. Coelho, SB, 8-0; 6, J. Cook, SB, 7-06; Long Jump – 1, M. Rogers, Prospect, 17-05; 5, C. Allen, SB, 15-11; 14, Hu. Moheyuddin, 14-06; 30, C. Emilio, SB, 11-10; 35, Hi. Moheyuddin, SB, 9-08. Triple Jump – 1, G. Tinetti, Santa Cruz, 36-02 ¼; 12, Hu. Moheyuddin, SB, 30-07; 17, L. Adamek, SB, 29-09 ¾; 23, D. Maroney, SB, 27-04. Shot Put – 1, C. Amaechi, Lincoln SF, 40-08; 4, K. Alnas, SB, 31-10; 6, T. Bugarin, SB, 30-05; 11, M. Scott, SB, 27-05; 15, B. Olguin, SB, 26-08; 21, C. Gutierrez, SB, 22-09. Discus – 1, K. Guzman, Los Gatos, 113-09; 11, N. Becker, SB, 82-10; 12, T. Bugarin, SB, 82-02; 13, K. Alnas, SB, 82-01; 24, M. Scott, SB, 61-07; 27, B. Olguin, SB, 59-10; 29, C. Gutierrez, SB, 54-04.
BOYS
TEAM (TOP 5 ONLY)
1, San Benito, 62; 2, Mount Pleasant, 51.50; 3, Sobrato, 36; 4, Westmoor, 31; 5, Oak Grove, 29.
INDIVIDUAL (SAN BENITO ONLY)
100 – 1, Z. Sanders, Santa Cruz, 10.94; 14, J. Williams, SB, 11.64; 25, M. Cook, SB, 11.93; 37, E. Valencia, SB, 12.34; 47, B. Mazzone, SB, 13.40. 200 – 1, D. Zamora, Santa Clara, 22.63; 9, J. Roascio, SB, 23.53; 19, M. Cook, SB, 24.35; 33, B. Mazzone, SB, 27.34. 400 – 1, W. Nguyen, Milpitas, 50.78; 6, N. Soza, SB, 53.22; 7, F. Davila, SB, 53.50; 15, J. Chase, SB, 55.40. 800 – 1, B. Lynch, Santa Cruz, 1:58.35; 2, R. Shorey, SB, 1:59.90; 18, F. Davila, SB, 2:09.19; 31, J. Rendon, 2:16.73; 32, J. Chase, SB, 2:16.74. 1,600 – 1, M. Young, St. Francis CCC, 4:37.93; 7, E. Guzman, SB, 4:48.18; 9, D. Kret, SB, 4:48.57; 19, J. Castillo, SB, 4:57.01; 22, O. Vasquez, SB, 4:59.86; 24, J. Aguilar, SB, 5:00.61; 32, S. Hernandez, SB, 5:08.85; 36, J. Rendon, SB, 5:11.42. 3,200 – 1, M. Lee, Hillsdale, 9:59.84; 3, E. Guzman, SB, 10:11.74; 5, F. Rivera, SB, 10:18.22; 13, O. Vasquez, SB, 10:38.01; 14, J. Castillo, SB, 10:39.10; 21, S. Hernandez, SB, 11:15.39; 22, J. Aguilar, SB, 11:30.54. 110 Hurdles – 1, J.P. Williams, Westmoor, 15.32; 5, E. McFadden, SB, 15.65; 9, S. Medina, SB, 16.95. 300 Hurdles – 1, C. Cusella, Los Gatos, 40.44; 4, E. McFadden, SB, 42.15; 6, J. Williams, SB, 43.09; 7, S. Medina, SB, 43.82; 17, L. Haro, SB, 49.27; 21, J. Fernandez, SB, 51.31. 4×100 – 1, Mount Pleasant, 44.31; 3, San Benito, 44.97; 8, San Benito B, 48.07. 4×400 – 1, San Benito, 3:32.63; 8, San Benito B, 3:42.89. High Jump – 1, M. Sanchez, Mount Pleasant, 6-0; 4, S. Medina, 5-06. Pole Vault – 1, D. Gutierrez, Aptos, 14-0; 6, J. Godbout, SB, 11-0; 9, E. Valencia, SB, 10-0. Long Jump – 1, N. Pfeiffer, Pacific Grove, 20-09; 12, E. McFadden, SB, 18-05 ½; 16, L. Haro, SB, 17-08; 16, B. Lenoir, 17-08; 21, J. Fernandez, 16-10; 22, D. Coates, SB, 16-08 ½. Triple Jump – 1, V. Chunn, Mount Pleasant, 42-10; 15, B. Lenoir, SB, 36-07 ½; 16, D. Coates, SB, 36-03 ¼; 18, J. Fernandez, SB, 35-07. Shot Put – 1, B. Nava, Mount Pleasant, 50-02; 3, S. Stephens, 45-0; 9, F. Martinez, SB, 42-08; 28, R. Pinedo, SB, 31-02. Discus – 1, D. White, Oak Grove, 154-09; 2, F. Martinez, 140-02; 5, S. Stephens, SB, 121-01; 15, R. Pinedo, SB, 109-07.
