Trinidad
&
amp; Boyd face a tough call as team takes on Salinas; present
vs. future serves as backdrop
Bitter league rivals. Scholarships. Championships. Stanford.
The present vs. the future.
These are some of the words swirling around to make for a fascinating sub-plot as the San Benito track and field team gets ready to take on Salinas in a critical Tri-County Athletic League dual meet this afternoon.
The undefeated Lady ‘Balers enter the meet with their sights set on a league crown. But standing in their way is a Salinas program that has set down all comers for years – a team that has defeated San Benito for as long as girls coach Julio Trinidad can remember.
Trinidad knows he needs all hands on deck to take down the Cowboys, but therein lies the issue.
San Benito star runner Amanda Boyd – the team’s leading point scorer – is among six Haybalers scheduled to compete at the Stanford Invitational this weekend. Boyd’s ability to post her usual totals may be required for the Lady ‘Balers to prevail, but with college coaches eager to see her perform in Palo Alto on Friday night, she hopes to be in peak form.
“I’m all for the team,” said Boyd yesterday, “but … I don’t want to be sore at all for Friday. It’s so important for me.”
Boyd is set to run the 3000-meter race at Stanford on Friday night and follow up with the one mile on Saturday.
With suitors from Northern Arizona University telling her, “‘You need to be safe on what you do [at Salinas] because that’s barely any recovery time,'” Boyd faces a near-impossible predicament.
The 2005 State qualifier would traditionally compete in the 1600-meter race, the 3200, the 800 and the 4×400-meter relay, but she is hoping a lighter workload is in the cards today. Boyd enters the meet with the intent to compete in the 800, the 4×400 relay and, interestingly, the 400.
“I’ll get the points anywhere I can,” said Boyd.
Asked how much he intends to use his star, Trinidad said, “It’s still one of those play-it-by-ears. It’s individual, but it’s still a team effort.
“Right now … we’re trying to see if we can ease her out of the two mile [3200] to rest her for the 3000 on Friday night.”
San Benito’s girls coach has had his eyes trained on defeating Salinas since accepting his position this season.
“It’s a hidden, bitter rivalry that everyone knows about, but no one talks about,” said Trinidad. “They’re a bigtime program and we’re a bigtime program.”
The San Benito boys team expects to have a bit of an easier time with Salinas, but ‘Balers head coach Iran White has five of his athletes heading to Stanford as well. Todd Merrigan, Rigo Vasquez, Josh Schroder, Josh Liem and Jeff Weltz all hope to contribute to their team’s success at Salinas – all the while trying to remain in tip-top shape for the weekend’s competition.
But with Boyd the only Lady ‘Baler headed to Palo Alto – and the key cog of the team, no less – it is the girls team and its coach that face the toughest decisions.
White didn’t envy his colleague’s position.
“It’s difficult, definitely,” said White. “I know Julio is going to try to keep [Boyd] as fresh as possible, but he doesn’t want to lose that dual meet. It’s the girls’ biggest dual meet of the year.”
Boyd remains hopeful that everyone will come out a winner, and that her fellow distance runners use the Salinas meet as their coming out party.
“That’s where the other distance girls can step up,” said Boyd. “I know they can handle Salinas.”
Should darkness become an issue, these factors may all become a moot point. Salinas’ facility doesn’t have lights, leaving the possibility open that the 3200 may be canceled.
No matter what happens today, Boyd said the biggest team goal remains the TCAL Championships.
“It all boils down to what happens at the championships,” said Boyd. “Who has the last laugh?”
