Jesse Rice, Amanda Boyd, Chuck Thompson, Todd Merrigan and
others compete in Los Gatos
At the CCS Top 8 Meet at Los Gatos on Friday, Mother Nature took mercy on no one.
Particularly, it was the wind she sent to wreak havoc on the section’s best in track.
Windy, chilly weather made for some interesting conditions at the meet, but San Benito still had good showings.
Senior Jesse Rice started his day with a fifth–place 24.00 finish in the 200m. He fared better in the 400m, where he was runner–up to Santa Clara’s Scott Robinson. Rice’s time was 49.57 was then edged out in the 400m and took second with a time of 49.57, just .2 seconds off his personal best.
“The first 100, I was really weak so I truied to make up for it in the next 200, which messed me up in the home stretch,” Rice said. “Minus that first 100 meters, I was pretty happy.”
Rice also anchored the 1600m relay team, which took fourth with a time of 3:32.43.
Junior distance runner Amanda Boyd also had a strong individual showing for the ‘Balers, despite running with what the wind made feel like “20 pounds on my back.”
Boyd ran to a second place finish in the 3200m, with a time of 11:21.50, and fifth in the 1600m, with a time of 5:15.07.
In the 3200m run, eventual winner Ciara Viehweg of St. Ignatius, the No. 1 seed who came into the race with a seed time that was 25 seconds faster than the second seed, stayed well ahead of the pack. However, Boyd was at the front of that pack.
“I had no one to draft off of (in the 2–mile). In the mile, I was boxed in,” Boyd said. “I thought, ‘These girls are using me as a shield!'”
(My time was) not great, but I looked at everyone else’s times and they were a little slow too because of the bad conditions.”
The ‘Baler pole vaulters also had a successful meet. Todd Merrigan took third with a 15–00.00 vault, which breaks NFL Cade McNown’s school record. Taking sixth was Matt Wynne with a 14–06.00 and seventh went to sophomore Josh Schrader who vaulted 14–00.00.
Also placing for San Benito were Chuck Thompson (4th, 100m, 11.54)and Slijef Tabancay (110m high hurdles, 300m intermediate hurdles).
The 400m relay team also competed, but was disqualified in its qualifying heat and did not make the finals.
At the frosh–soph level, Rigo Vasquez won the 3200m with a 10:01.97.
