Team has strong sprinters and jumpers this year
The San Benito High track and field team isn’t as strong this
year in pole vaulting or the distance events but that doesn’t mean
that the annual goals have changed.
Team has strong sprinters and jumpers this year
The San Benito High track and field team isn’t as strong this year in pole vaulting or the distance events but that doesn’t mean that the annual goals have changed.
“We definitely want to win league,” track and field coach Iran White said. “It’s not going to be easy; there are some very powerful teams in league. But we’re definitely putting in the effort. If we lose, it will definitely be because someone beat us. After league, our eyes are on CCS (Central Coast Section championship). It’s really early right now, so we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out, but those are the goals.”
This year the Baler boys’ team is vying for its seventh league title in a row while the girls’ squad is looking to repeat as league champions.
“Every year you lose some and you gain some, and some kids get a lot stronger,” White said. “This year we are a lot stronger in the sprints and stronger in the jumps.”
One of the athletes who will help the Baler boys’ squad in the speed department is junior Ryan Shorey, who specializes in the 200- and 400-meter events.
“He works really hard and has a lot of talent. When you put that combination together it’s always a good thing,” White said.
A year ago Shorey finished sixth overall in the Section championships in the 400m race. And this year he’s looking even stronger.
At last Saturday’s West Valley Relays Shorey ran two 400-meter splits on the Balers’ medley relay teams and posted times of 49.86 and 49.13, respectively. What impressed White most was the fact that Shorey was able to improve his time in events that took place less than 40 minutes apart.
“That tells me he’s in great shape,” he said. “And it’s so early in the season right now that it tells me there is a lot more to come.”
When it comes to the throwing events all eyes this season will be on Sam Stephens, a junior shot put and discus thrower, who is expected to qualify for the CCS meet at the end of the regular season.
“He is on his way to being CCS caliber,” White said. “He’s really strong and he works hard on his technique. As he masters his technique, he’ll be able to bring out a lot more of his skills. He’s got a lot of untapped potential – and he’s a hard worker so that potential will come out.”
In the early going this season Stephens has been able to toss the heavy shot put ball just beyond the 40-foot mark and had hurled the discus through the air in the 130- foot range.
Senior Jamil Taylor is expected to be a major asset to the boys’ squad this year in the jumping events, and is currently the school’s No. 1 high jumper. He is also a strong long jumper and competes on both the 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams. He also occasionally runs the 200m race.
“He’s a great athlete,” White said.
In last Saturday’s meet at West Valley, Taylor easily cleared the 6-foot mark on the high jump before his calf nicked the pole coming down and knocked it over, negating his solid effort.
“He was probably five or six inches over the bar before his calf hit it,” White said. “If he can get his technique down and jump around 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7, that is enough to win CCS some years.”
At the West Valley meet White also opted to run Taylor in the 4×400 relay event – and the Balers wound up winning the event in record fashion.
“We posted a 3:26 – three second faster than we ran all year,” White said. “We are now the top ranked 4×400 team in CCS. And that is the fastest that we’ve ever run it this early in the season.”
On the girls’ team the top athlete to watch is junior Courtney Allen, the team’s MVP a season ago.
This year Allen has a strong chance to capture a CCS title in both the 1600m and 3200m events.
“She’s one of the top distance runners in the section,” White said. “I really think we’re going to have a good year.”
The Balers next meet takes place on tomorrow at the St. Francis High School Invitational in Mountain View. The Balers next league meet takes place at Salinas High School on Thursday, April 3.
