Hollister High’s Naomi Ruiz and Jamie O’Brian doubled at the
rainy Carmel Classic Saturday, while Steve Bianchi doubled for the
Baler boys at Carmel to highlight a strong team performance by both
track and field contingents.
Hollister High’s Naomi Ruiz and Jamie O’Brian doubled at the rainy Carmel Classic Saturday, while Steve Bianchi doubled for the Baler boys at Carmel to highlight a strong team performance by both track and field contingents.
The Baler girls were second in the team standings with 56 points, while the Baler boys were third with 50 points. Los Altos won the girls division with 65 points, while host Carmel took the boys (77) with Salinas second with 60.
Ruiz won in the weights, taking the discus at 121-01 and the shot at 34-09. O’brian sizzled in the 400-meters with a time of 60.14 and improved her 200-meter time with a 26.43. It was one of the first times O’Brian has run the 400-meters, which makes her time, the fourth fastest in the Central Coast Section, that more impressive.
Bianchi captured the triple jump with a mark of 41-09, while teammate Thomas Fernandez was second at 41-01. Bianchi added a win in the high jump at 5-10 with Baler Danny Brooks second at the same height. Fernandez placed seventh in the high jump with a leap of 5-6.
The girls high jump was canceled due to dangerous conditions, which eliminated the Balers’ Sarah Groman and Dani Andrewson from scoring points in the team standings. The pole vault was also canceled, which kept the Balers Stephanie Starritt from scoring points, as well. Also canceled was the 4X400 relay for both divisions.
Andrewson, who suffered a pulled quad in the Balers’ meet with Notre Dame on Thursday, responded well Saturday with a 32-02 in the triple jump for third place. Groman’s 31-08 was fifth. Andrewson was 11th in the long jump at 14-10.5.
Clay Peer kept up his fine pace in the shot put, taking second at 45-01.75. Other top finishers were the Baler girls 4X100 relay team, which was second at 52.0. Justin Tungate was third in the 300-meter hurdles at 42.37.
Lee Osborne, who pulled a hamstring on Thursday, ran the 100-meters in 11.79, the 13th best time. Brooks ran an 11.85 for 15th. Osborne entered the long jump and leapt 16-07.5 for 14th. Chris Pratt ran a strong 400-meters, placing seventh in a time of 53.88.
Kory Case was eighth in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.01 and ninth in the 300-meter hurdles at 51.30.
Hollister had some good marks at the Avis Kelley Meet in Gilroy on Saturday. Lee Ann Morales, who has been battling a leg injury, ran a time of 2:35.6 in the 880-yard run. Morales’ time was good enough for first place.
“That’s a great time considering she was running in a driving rain,” said Baler boys coach Randy Logue.
Jessie Grace, a sophomore, was third in the varsity shot put, while Brian Bui won the frosh/soph long jump.
The Balers won’t be conducting formal practices this week due to Easter break. Next up is the Top 8 meet in Los Gatos for the Balers’ elite performers, while the rest go to the Pacific Grove Rotary meet.
“My main focus is Salinas on May 1,” said Logue.
That meet is in Hollister and should be the biggest dual meet of the season for both Baler boys and girls.
