SALINAS—As Amy Quinones crossed the finish line, she was on the verge of collapsing.
That happens sometimes when an athlete turns in a career-defining performance. So it was for Quinones, who finished in eighth place in the Division I race of the Central Coast Section Cross-Country Championships last Saturday at Toro Park.
The San Benito High senior’s performance earned her the last individual berth to the CIF State Championships at Fresno’s Woodward Park on Nov. 29.
“I can’t believe I made it to state,” said Quinones, who needed help from Jose Ruiz to reach the athletes’ recovery tent that is situated 15 yards past the finish line. “It was something I thought about all season, and to be able to accomplish your goal is an amazing feeling.”
San Benito finished a solid sixth overall, with Quinones leading the way with a personal-record of 18 minutes, 49 seconds on the 3.0-mile course, smashing her previous PR by a whopping 20 seconds.
The team’s other top senior, Gabby Alvarez, was the team’s fourth finisher and 44th overall in 20:58. Although the girls missed out on state by three spots, those around the program see a state-bound team in the near future—and with good reason. Yes, the Balers will lose Quinones—a terrific runner and leader—but the team will return its second- and third-place finishers from Saturday in the dynamite freshmen duo of Kira Emma (20:39) and Samantha Cortez (20:50), who finished 34th and 39th, respectively.
In addition, the Balers return junior Katherine Monteon (51st in 21:01) and sophomore Brianna Martin (70th in 22:09), who was the team’s fifth- and sixth-placers on Saturday.
Of course, the team has a couple of girls from the junior varsity squad who could turn heads next year, along with the possibility of another strong incoming freshmen class.
In the moments after the race, Quinones noticed some of the team’s underclassmen were feeling down since the team couldn’t make it to state. Quinones, however, would have none of it.
“Everyone on the team ran great,” she said. “I told the freshmen that I wasn’t running their times when I was a freshman, and they have so much more to come out of their abilities. I can’t wait to see what they do in the following years.”
Quinones hopes more of her teammates follow in her footsteps, just as she did in taking the baton from former Balers standout Vanessa Estrada, who is one of the greatest athletes in school history and is now running at Northern Arizona University.
Like Estrada, Quinones often saved her best for the most important meets. Quinones’ previous best was on Nov. 1 at Toro Park, where she repeated as the individual Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division champion, finishing in 19:09. One has to marvel at Quinones’ performance, which literally left her dazed and confused afterward.
Short of passing out, Quinones literally left it all out on the course, no surprise considering she smashed her old PR by 20 seconds.
“That was the most pain I’ve ever felt after a race,” she said. “I just wanted to go out there and show everyone I could do it. I want to thank our coaches and (former) coach (Jess) Morales for getting me into the proper mental state and where I needed to be.”
Starting the night before the race, all Quinones could think about was making it to state. Having raced at Toro Park for four years, Quinones knew the course inside-out. More importantly, Quinones knew if she wanted to make it to state, she would have to suffer.
And suffer she did.
