The San Benito boys track team won by almost 20 points against
Salinas, and the Haybaler girls team lost by four points in a meet
held at Hartnell College on Thursday.
The San Benito boys track team won by almost 20 points against Salinas, and the Haybaler girls team lost by four points in a meet held at Hartnell College on Thursday.
The boys score was 77-59, and the girls score was 70-66. Both boys and girls JV teams lost. It was the first loss for the Salinas boys team this season in a dual meet.
“When we run, we run as a team.” said Baler boys’ head coach Iran White. “When we win, we win as a team. When we coach, we coach as a team.”
The boys were carried by Jonathan Rivera, who won three events, Jesse Rice, who won two, and Jessie Grace, who won both the shot put and discus throw.
“Lots of kids stepped it up,” White said. “And lots of the kids are peaking at just the right time. It is quite fulfilling to be successful against Salinas after losing to them in the dual meet last year, particularly when we won today on their home track.”
In the space of about two hours, Rivera ran a total of 3 1/2 miles. First, he won the 1600 meters with a time of 4:29. He ran and won the 800 meters with a mark of 2:02 and won the 3200 meters with a time of 9:49. All three races were against Salinas runners who are ranked high in the Central Coast Section
Rice led the 400 meter runners to a sweep of that event – the only event swept by either Salinas or Hollister boys all day. Rice ran 51.3, Tamar Elbanhawy ran 51.8 and Chad Tungate completed the sweep with a personal record of 52.5 – an improvement of more than a second.
Rice also won the 200 with a come-from-behind victory against Salinas’ Matt Bradford, and Elbanhawy was third in the event.
In the 110-meter high hurdles, Siljef Tabancay won the event just ahead of teammate John DiSalvo. In the 300 intermediate hurdles, both ran under 41 seconds but lost to a Salinas athlete who had a personal record by more than two seconds.
It was the first time they have lost in a dual meet this year.
In the pole vault, Ryan Sesody and Todd Merrigan both jumped 12′ 6″, but were bested by a 13-foot Salinas jump.
The last boys event was the 4 by 400-meter relay. Tungate, Rice, Willie Sanchez and Elbanhawy set a new best time of the year with a 3:28.8. All four runners ran 52.5 or better.
The girls team was led by Abby Ceja, who doubled in the 100 meters and 200 meters. Danielle Andrewson won the triple jump and high jump.
Jamie O’brian won the 400-meter and the 300-meter low hurdles in a time of 47.7, besting Salinas’ Stephanie Christie. This time should place O’brian in the top ten in CCS, where she is also ranked in the 400 meters.
The girls 4 by 100-meter relay won with a 51.1 time. Mary Von Urff won the discus, throwing almost 100 feet, and late-season addition Johni Kiesewetter came in second. The two reversed the finish in the shot.
Ceja was followed to the finish line in the 100 meters by Kristen Para. Para also finished second in the high jump. Jennifer Anaya finished second in the 100-meter high hurdles and third in the 300-meter low hurdles.
The girls meet was decided by the 4 by 400-meter relay when Salinas pulled out a close victory in the last event. Both coaches were counting points to the very end, but nothing would change them. It was the first loss for the girls team all year.
The boy are now 4-0 going into the final dual meet next week against North Salinas, and the girls are 3-1. North Salinas is led by Ronnie Drummer, who placed second in the state in the 200 meters and is currently ranked sixth in the nation at 100 meters.
The meet will he held next Thursday on Hollister’s Andy Hardin Field track. “We expect the meet to be as tough if not tougher than the Salinas dual,” White said.
Both boys and girls teams will compete this weekend at the Alisal Invitational. The league finals are on May 15.
“I am very proud of the athletes, and the coaching staff ” referring to coaches Dave Kaplansky ( jumps ), Julio Trinidad ( pole vault ), Cuco Chavez ( sprints ) and Carlos Beltran ( hurdles ). “And, Coach Logue, besides being the girls head coach, also helps the boys with the discus and shot put, and does an exccptional job”. Coach White coaches the distance runners.
