Boyd gets a big win over rival Jones; both boys’ and girls’
teams win
Hollister – Junior standout Amanda Boyd still hasn’t figured out exactly what events she’ll compete in this track season, according to her coach, but she certainly has one event pretty well figured out.
Competing against rival Cobbie Jones of Live Oak, the San Benito High speedster ripped off an impressive victory over her Acorn opponent in the mile run in the Tri-County Athletic League dual meet opener for both teams at Hollister Thursday. Boyd ran a 5:22 in the event, and out-kicked the talented Jones (5:28) down the backstretch of the four-lap race to win.
Baler coach Jennifer Logue said Boyd’s win in the event, which is relatively new to her, had to feel particularly sweet coming against Jones, who beat her for the Central Coast Section cross-country title in the fall.
“(Amanda is) very competitive and she wants to be the best, so whenever she beats the best athletes she’s happy,” Logue said.
Boyd, who also anchored the Baler girls’ winning 4X400 relay team, didn’t compete in either the half-mile or the two-mile as she contemplates which event to concentrate her efforts on, Logue said.
Boyd’s performance was just one of several outstanding early season efforts by both the San Benito girls and boys teams against a largely undermanned Live Oak team. (Morgan Hill’s new high school, Sobrato, also competed at the dual meet in the frosh-soph competition.)
The Baler varsity girls won the team competition by a 103-32 score, while the Baler varsity boys won 102-34.
Standouts for the Baler girls included senior Jamie O’Brian, who cruised to big wins in the 100 hurdles (18.3) and 330 hurdles (50.7), as well as the 100-meter dash (13.3), and senior Dani Andrewson, who won the long jump (14-6 3/4) and high jump (4-10). O’Brian is making a strong bid to return to CCS in several events, and Andrewson is also one of the section’s top athletes.
The Boyd-O’Brian-Andrewson trio will be counted on heavily for the San Benito girls, who are attempting to win the TCAL title again after streak of seven straight league championships snapped last season.
Meanwhile, the Baler boys had their share of impressive performances, including Jesse Rice’s triple win. Rice won the 440 (52.5), the 220 (23.8) and anchored the winning 4X400 relay team. Rice cruised to wins in the 440 and 220, finishing just ahead of teammate Chad Tungate in both events, then showed off his talent by powering past Live Oak distance standout Billy Wong in the anchor leg of the 4X400. Rice and Wong took the final baton exchange in a dead heat but Rice took off down the backstretch and won by 20 yards.
Rice is also aiming for a strong postseason after making the state meet in the 440 last season.
San Benito coach Iran White said he was pleased with what he saw from Rice and the rest of the Baler boys this early in the season.
“Jesse ran a pretty good 440 considering how cold it was,” White said. “We haven’t had too many chances to compete so far this season, but the kids came out to compete. They’ve been chomping at the bit to get out here. We were pretty strong all the way around.”
Other top Baler boys included Nick Kostielney in the shot (42-3) and the discus (109-1), Kyle Bambrick in the mile (4:51.4), and Siljef Tabancay in the 330 hurdles (43.1), among others.
The San Benito boys team is seeking its fourth straight league title this season.
