SB tracksters see where they stack up at Top 8 track classic
LOS GATOS
It took just about all day, approximately five hours, to be exact, before the San Benito High girls 4×400 relay team knew if they’d even be running.
An alternate at the Top 8 Track and Field Classic in Los Gatos, the Lady ‘Balers were told it was likely another team would scratch, but no guarantees, leaving a will-they-or-won’t-they scenario as the elite meet pressed on and the temperatures dropped.
But after both Valley Christian and Burlingame scratched, San Benito stepped in and posted very un-alternate like times when they took fourth in their heat, ninth overall, and improved upon last week’s 4:11.41 at the Bill Kearney Invitational, the foursome’s top time of the season.
The team, made up of Melisah Cortez, Kelsey Russell, Rachel Shimabukuro and Courtney Allen, clocked a 4:10.66 at Top 8.
“We were an alternate team and we weren’t even supposed to be in this race,” said Shimabukuro, who ran the third leg of Friday’s event. “It challenged us more because it gave us more competition.
“Knowing that the girls are all good, it gave us the mindset that we’re going to do our best, we’ll try our best, and it doesn’t matter where we place. We were alternates.”
Few tracksters were allowed that laid-back approach at Top 8, which carried a cream-of-the-crop exclusivity to it, essentially being a preview meet for the upcoming Central Coast Section Championships.
However, while Top 8 put a premium on butterflies and nerves for some, it also provided others with the right competition needed to post personal-record times.
Shimabukuro, for instance, recorded an 11:33.27 in the 3,200, some 27 seconds faster than her previous best time.
“I blame that on the competition,” she said.
Haybaler Ryan Shorey was eyeing a PR in the 400, possibly even a sub-50 time, but couldn’t improve upon his season best of 50.49 and instead finished in 51.02.
Despite getting out to a rough start – Shorey noticeably flinched before the gunshot start – he said his time was more mental than it was physical.
“I felt slow coming out, especially right out of the blocks,” he said. “I was trying to get the gun.
“The first 100 I felt really slow. Being in Lane 1 and seeing how far everyone was in front of me, I think I pushed it a little more.”
The ‘Balers competed Thursday as well in a TCAL dual meet against Palma and Notre Dame – San Benito beat Palma 75-61, while the Lady ‘Balers topped the Spirits 79-57 – and even started speed work last week, leading to more intense practices as the regular season winds down.
Even with that said, though, it appeared difficult for athletes not to give it their all at Top 8.
“I was pushed,” Jason Roascio said. “I was running as hard as I could.”
The San Benito sophomore competed in the frosh/soph portion of Friday’s festivities, and posted a 23.62 in the 200 as well as a 52.09 in the 400, good enough for second place.
“I think this meet just shows where I stand and I can only get better from it,” Roascio said.
Senior Courtney Allen was pleased to see where she stacked up as well, not to mention the physical push she received from the elite competition. The UNLV-bound harrier clocked a 5:07.58 in the 1,600, good enough for third place, as well as a sixth-place time of 2:19.96 in the 800.
“It was good. I’m glad I got to run against them,” Allen said of the competition. “In terms of being pushed, definitely. If I’m the one pushing myself, I’m not gonna run fast because there is no one to push me.”
Allen said her time in the 1,600 puts her “in the mix” for CCS, while the 800, which carries a much faster pace, will need to be improved upon.
“You can’t worry about where the competition is behind you because if you slow down in the 800, you have to make it up in the end of the race,” Allen said. “It is difficult.”
BOYS VARSITY
TEAM (TOP 10 OF 35)
1, Serra, 44.33; 2, St. Francis (Mountain View), 38; 3, Carmel, 32; 4, Mitty, 31; 5, Valley Christian, 24; 5, Salinas, 24; 7, Bellarmine, 21; 8, Gilroy, 20; 9, Riordan, 18; 10, St. Ignatius, 16; 33, San Benito, 2.
INDIVIDUAL (SAN BENITO ONLY)
Discus – 1, D. White, Oak Grove, 157-0; 6, F. Martinez, San Benito, 145-03; 10, S. Stephens, San Benito, 131-06. Long Jump – 1, A. Thompson, Mitty, 22-09; 13, E. McFadden, San Benito, 19-03 ½. Shot Put – 1, A. Pohohau, Wilcox, 49-0 ½; 12, S. Stephens, San Benito, 42-09; 16, F. Martinez, San Benito, 42-11. 4×100 – 1, St. Francis (Mountain View), 42.75; 9, San Benito, 44.87. 1,600 – 1, R. Hunt, Aptos, 4:18.88; 19, F. Martinez, San Benito, 4:49.33. 110 Hurdles – 1, P. Guenther, Gilroy, 14.61; 9, E. McFadden, San Benito, 15.74. 400 – 1, H. Morrison, Carmel, 49.80; 6, R. Shorey, San Benito, 51.02. 800 – 1, H. Morrison, Carmel, 1:58.09; 15, N. Soza, San Benito, 2:02.93. 200 – 1, D. Clark, Serra, 22.12; 11, J. Williams, San Benito, 23.34. 3,200 – 1, L. Wolfsmith, Sobrato, 9:15.46; 21, F. Rivera, San Benito, 10:01.18. 4×400 – 1, Mitty, 3:26.19; 9, San Benito, 3:29.71
BOYS FROSH/SOPH
TEAM (TOP 10 OF 32)
1, Gilroy, 66; 2, Mountain View, 40; 3, Serra, 38; 4, San Benito, 37; 5, Valley Christian, 33; 6, Bellarmine, 32; 7, Oak Grove, 24; 8, Mitty, 23; 9, Jefferson, 20; 10, St. Ignatius, 17.
INDIVIDUAL (SAN BENITO ONLY)
High Jump – 1, J. Soares, Gilroy, 5-10; 3, S. Medina, San Benito, 5-08. Pole Vault – 1, A. Meldrum, Sobrato, 12-0; 7, E. Valencia, San Benito, 10-0. 1,600 – 1, S. Davis, Valley Christian, 4:32.88; 4, E. Guzman, San Benito, 4:43.31; 8, D. Kret, San Benito, 4:47.39. 65 Hurdles – 1, C. Hiserman, St. Francis (Watsonville), 9.39; 4, S. Medina, San Benito, 10.02. 400 – 1, A. Kpachavi, Woodside Priory, 51.90; 2, J. Roascio, San Benito, 52.09. 800 – 1, C. Waschura, Woodside, 2:00.12; 4, D. Kret, San Benito, 2:01.99. 200 – 1, J. Travis, Gilroy, 23.11; 5, J. Roascio, San Benito, 23.62. 3,200 – 1, S. Mandac, Westmoor, 9:52.38; 6, E. Guzman, San Benito, 10:09.96. 4×400 – 1, Jefferson, 3:36.96; 2, San Benito, 3:37.68
GIRLS VARSITY
TEAM (TOP 10 OF 39)
1, Valley Christian, 32; 2, Mountain View, 30; 3, Leland, 29; 4, Mitty, 28; 5, Leigh, 25; 6, Monta Vista, 24; 7, Aptos, 22; 7, Santa Cruz, 22; 9, Santa Teresa, 20; 10, St. Ignatius, 18; 10, Pinewood, 18; 10, Saratoga, 18; 10, Santa Clara, 18; 10, St. Francis (Mountain View), 18; 27, San Benito, 7.
INDIVIDUAL (SAN BENITO ONLY)
Pole Vault – 1, C. L’Heureux, Santa Clara, 10-0; 8, N. Becker, San Benito, 8-06; 11, S. Coelho, San Benito, 8-0. 1,600 – 1, M. Reynolds, Mountain View, 5:01.87; 3, Courtney Allen, San Benito, 5:07.58. 800 – 1, E. Sanders, Santa Cruz, 2:16.86; 6, C. Allen, San Benito, 2:19.96. 3,200 – 1, K. Daly, St. Ignatius, 11:04.93; 12, R. Shimabukuro, San Benito, 11:33.27. 4×400 – 1, Wilcox, 4:04.47; 9, San Benito, 4:10.66.
