It has been a wonderful week or so for Hollister High boys track
and field coach Randy Logue.
It has been a wonderful week or so for Hollister High boys track and field coach Randy Logue.
Last Monday, Logue was officially hired at athletic director for the school. At Saturday’s Central Coast Section semifinals at San Jose City College, he was witness to the scratches and no-shows by some top Bellarmine Prep sprinters, who cited graduation day functions.
The Bells, three-time defending champs, were the odds-on favorite to win the crown once more when the CCS track and field finals take place this Friday at SJCC.
Not now.
“It’s wide open,” said Logue. “We have a chance to win it, along with Carmel and Los Gatos. Salinas, with its strength in the relays, can win it, too. We’re pumped, that’s for sure. I have a gut feeling there was some internal strife in what happened with Bellarmine. There is more than what was reported.”
Logue feels the Balers can score in eight events with tripler jumper Steve Bianchi – who qualified second at 45-11 1/5 behind a final leap by Paly’s Tolu Wusu – having the best chance to win. Thomas Fernandez also qualified for the Balers in the TJ with a mark of 43-10 3/4.
Logue feels Eric Tungate has a chance to be near the top in the 300-meter hurdles.
Tungate qualified in a heap of runners, clocking 40.30.
“All those guys are within a half second of each other,” said Logue.
Logue also likes Danny Brooks chances in the high jump. Brooks jumped 6-4, tying him with two other jumpers. Fermin Smith of Prospect qualified with the top mark at 6-8. Brooks just missed his first and third attempts at 6-6, according to Logue.
“If Danny can make 6-6 on his first try, he can put pressure on the guy from Prospect,” said Logue. “If he makes 6-4 on his first attempt, he’ll make it to state. Anything can to put the top mark out early.”
Clay Peer qualified in the shot put at 51-7. Nik Kay of Los Gatos was the top qualifier at 56-4.
“Clay can throw better,” said Logue. “Kay is the given favorite, but if Clay can throw in the 53’s, he can take third or even second.”
The Baler boys qualified both relays, with the 4X100 breaking the school record at 43.85. That team consisted of Armando Larez, Bianchi, Willie Sanchez and Brooks. The 4X400 relay qualified by winning Heat 1 at 3:28.99.
“The 4X400 relay has its work cut out for it on Friday,” said Logue. “They were in a slow heat and weren’t pushed. Other teams are running in the 3:22’s.”
The Balers Jonathan Rivera qualified in the 1,600 at 4:29.27.
“Jonathan didn’t look comfortable,” said Logue. “The pace was too fast for him at the beginning. He was in a fast heat.”
Failing to qualify were Johny DiSalvo (16.16) in the 110-meter hurdles; Jesse Rice (51.84) in the 400-meter dash; Larez (11.46) in the 100-meters and in the triple jump at 41-11 3/4; Bianchi, who finished the high jump with a mark of 5-10; Fernandez (20-4) and Lee Osborne (20-8) in the long jump; and Chris Stephens (136-3) in the discus.
Still, Logue feels the Balers have enough horses to pull off the first CCS track and field title in school history.
“It has been a dream of mine,” said Logue. “It is within our reach.”
Girls
Not everything went the Baler girls way at Saturday’s CCS semis at SJCC. The 4X400 relay was disqualified for a dubious false start by Amanda Boyd, who runs the first leg.
“She flinched, but it was a borderline call,” said Baler girls track and field coach Jennifer Logue. “They were holding the runners in the blocks a long time, all day long. For 15 minutes after we were disqualified, coaches were coming up to me and telling me they didn’t see anything wrong.”
The 4X100 relay team failed to qualify even though it PR’d by a second at 50.42.
“I didn’t expect the 4X100 to qualify,” said Jennifer. “There were so many fast times out there.”
Jamie O’brian, who had high hopes in the 200-meters, got off to a slow start and finished with a time of 26.13, which was out of the top nine qualifiers by .07.
“That was too bad for Jamie,” said Jennifer. “That surprised me. But, now she can concentrate on the 400 without having to think about the relays or the 200.”
O’brian, despite another slow start, qualified in the 400 at 58.07.
The Balers had one leading qualifier in an event. That was Naomi Ruiz, who dwarfed the competition in the discus with a toss of 133-1. The nearest competitor was Erin Becker of Independence at 122-10.
Kory Case qualified in the 300-meter hurdles with a swift time of 46.66, a season PR.
“She has a chance to place,” said Logue.
Sarah Groman qualified in the high jump with a mark of 5-2, tying her with five other jumpers. Three jumpers went 5-4.
The Balers Stephanie Starritt vaulted 10-6 in the pole vault to qualify in a pack. Kisten Loftin of Aptos and Taylor Franklin of Woodside Priory vaulted 11-6 to lead all qualifiers.
“Stephanie can take second, or even win it,” said Jennifer. “If she goes 11-0, she’ll get to state.”
Hollister sophomore Dani Andrewson, who is enjoying a fine season, qualified in the triple jump at 34-5 1/4.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” said Jennifer.
Ali Schmidt had an outstanding run in the 1,600 meters, but was just outside the top 12 qualifiers in a time of 5:25.95. Schmidt, the first alternate, might be able to run on Friday if a runner drops the event.
Other non-qualifiers for the Balers included Tiffany Davies (5:54.58) in the 1,600 and in the 3,200 (13:03.6); Case (17.62) in the 100-meter hurdles; Teralynn Hill in the 3,200 (13:02); Groman in the long jump (16-6) and in the triple jump (33-11 1/2); Nadine Ceja in the long jump at 14-10 1/2; Jamie Flores in the triple jump (33-6 3/4); and Ruiz in the shot put (33-7).
“I was happy overall,” said Jennifer Logue. “We’re not going to win it, but I think we can take at least fifth.”
Field events commence at 4 p.m. with running events beginning at 6 p.m.
