Ask Hollister High head girls track and field coach Jennifer
Logue how many consecutive Monterey Bay League titles the Balers
have won and she’ll give you a quick answer – five.
Ask Hollister High head girls track and field coach Jennifer Logue how many consecutive Monterey Bay League titles the Balers have won and she’ll give you a quick answer – five.
Is this 2003 Baler team the best team ever at Hollister High as rumors have persisted? If the answer is yes, then winning the first Tri-County Athletic League title should be a breeze. Right?
“I don’t make predictions,” said Logue. “Salinas has some good distance runners. But we don’t have to worry about North County or Monterey, two strong teams.”
There really isn’t a weak link in the Baler girls’ arsenal. They should have every event covered with at least one solid performer. And Logue is raving about a freshman named Amanda Boyd, who’s clocking 60- and 61-second splits in the 400-yard dash. Boyd, a versatile athlete, can help in the long jump, too.
“She’s the best all-around freshman I’ve had,” said Logue.
Sophomore Jamie O’Brian is off to a strong start in the 100 and 200 and is looking good in the relays. Other relay performers are Vanessa Gowett, Kathleen McCullough and Stephanie Starritt in the 4×100. Kory Case joins Gowett, Boyd and O’Brian in the 4×400, but that can be changed, according to Logue.
Sophomore Jamie Flores is a dynamic athlete, as are sophomore Dani Andrewson and junior Kristin Para, from whom Logue expects big things in the high jump.
Senior Sarah Groman, who has a personal best of 5-4 in the high jump, returns to be a catalyst in the high jump, long jump and triple jump.
Meanwhile, Starritt’s strength is in the pole vault. She has already equaled her personal best of 10-6 and is close to 11 feet. She should contend for the CCS title this year.
“Stephanie is really hungry this year,” said vault coach Julio Trinidad. “She’s a great athlete. Getting 11 feet is like getting over the hump. If she can get 11 feet, 12 feet will come a lot easier.”
Junior Lee Ann Morales is the top 800 runner, while Tiffany Davies is coming on strong. Morales will also run the mile. Allison Schmidt was a three-time MBL champ in the two-mile and shouldn’t have much problem winning her fourth straight two-mile title, something that’s not commonly done. Schmidt has a personal best of 11:37.
“I’ll probably have to run in the low 11s to place at CCS,” said Schmidt. “Those girls are so fast.”
Case is the top hurdler, specializing in the 330 and might make a run at the CCS title.
Naomi Ruiz has hurled the discus 120 feet-plus in the early part of this season. That is an outstanding mark and Logue expects Ruiz to get better as the year goes on.
“We don’t have much depth in the weights,” said Logue. “But Naomi is solid there.”
Last year’s CCS participants will be at the West Valley Relays this Saturday, while the rest of the varsity will be at the Don Franklin Invitational in Turlock.
2003 Track & field schedule
March 15 – Don Franklin/West Valley Relays
March 27 – Live Oak*
March 28-29 – at Stanford Invitational
April 3 – at Gilroy*
April 5 – at Young Farmers (King City)
April 10 – at Palma/Notre Dame*
April 12 – Avis Kelley Invitational (Gilroy)/Arcadia Invitational
April 26 – at Pacific Grove Rotary/CCS Top 8
May 1 – Salinas*
May 8 – at North Salinas*
May 17 – T-CAL Championships at Hartnell College
May 24 – CCS semifinals at San Jose City College
May 30 – CCS finals at San Jose City College
*Tri-County Athletic League dual meets
