San Benito track athlete heads to state
Ryan Shorey’s father, Ray, stayed until the very end.
Few fans remained for the closing minutes of the Central Coast
Section Track and Field Championships last Friday at the
Garcia-Elder Sports Complex in Gilroy, but Ray Shorey called in
late for his graveyard shift.
San Benito track athlete heads to state
Ryan Shorey’s father, Ray, stayed until the very end.
Few fans remained for the closing minutes of the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships last Friday at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex in Gilroy, but Ray Shorey called in late for his graveyard shift.
It was a good thing he did.
Although his son Ryan’s 400-meter race took place two hours before the CCS meet officially ended, it wasn’t until the CCS meet officially ended that Ryan Shorey discover the good news.
Shorey, who set a personal-record time of 49.39 in the 400, finished in fourth place at the CCS finals, and sat one spot shy of a top three state-qualifying place.
“Really, I was not expecting to go because there are a bunch of great athletes in front of me,” said Shorey immediately following the 400 last Friday.
But when the final race had ended Friday, and the crowds were scurrying from the stands, a CCS official approached Shorey. As it turned out Monterey’s Joel Kemper, who finished first in 48.61, was dropping the 400, leaving a spot at state open for Shorey’s taking.
“I didn’t know what to say,” said Shorey after he found out the news. “I was speechless.”
Shorey, who will enter this Friday’s CIF State Track and Field Championships ranked 20th out of 27 in the 400 meters, will be San Benito’s lone representative at the year-end meet.
With a top state time of 47.31 held by Lincoln’s Nico Reaves, finishing near the top isn’t necessarily out of the question for Shorey. But the San Benito junior, who already has a goal of returning to state next year, will be heading to Cerritos College in Norwalk with the simple goal of setting yet another PR.
“I want to get a PR and compare myself to all the other people ranked at state, and just be able to push myself against the more elite runners in my heat,” Shorey said. “It’d be great to break 49 (seconds) … If I don’t break it, that’s just something to push for as a senior. But I’m not looking for any specific time, just a PR would be nice.”
Boys coach Iran White ran Shorey through a light workout this week in preparation for Friday’s state meet. Seeing first-hand how the pressure-packed event can influence its competitors, White feels that even if Shorey runs a similar time – although he thinks he’ll run faster than he did at CCS – he should place higher than 20th.
“The pressure really gets to kids,” White said. “He feels pressure like everyone else, but I think it doesn’t affect him the same way.”
Shorey came to San Benito High his freshman year with the 200- and 400-meter races specifically in mind. After running track at Spring Grove Middle School – he actually ran the 110 hurdles – Shorey’s mother, Maria, suggested the middle-distance races after noticing her son had a strong mix of speed and endurance.
“And so far, it’s been working out quite well,” said Shorey, whose father did hurdles and high jump and whose grandmother, Agneta Quist, was the fastest female on her track team growing up.
“It’s a competitive sport but it’s more relaxed than most other sports,” Shorey added. “You know everyone and it takes off a lot of the pressure. It makes it easier.”
Shorey will be joined by CCS competitors Tom Mezzera of St. Ignatius (ranked 13th at 48.68) and Marquis Caldwell of Lincoln (16th at 48.89) at state, not to mention his family, coach White and teammate Courtney Allen, a small entourage that will perhaps, hopefully, take the edge off.
Although, White points out that Shorey does his homework on the competition, so he’ll know who’s who even if the competition doesn’t.
“For him, it’s an opportunity to PR,” White said. “It’s a chance to run at state against some of the guys he’s been hearing about and run at their level.”
Although Shorey had been hovering around the 50-second mark all season, his 49.39 at CCS was a welcoming sign. In order to break the school record of 48.99, though, it may just be a case of using all of his energy.
After posting his best time of the season at Gilroy last week, Shorey exited the track and noted that he still had energy.
“It’s weird,” he said at the time. “I have to figure out a way to use up my energy on the race.”
Shorey, who competed in three different events at the CCS meet, feels he’s not pushing himself enough, and notes his acceleration out of the starting blocks is not ideal.
With just a single race to focus on, though, perhaps Shorey can expend all of his energy on the 400 meters, and make up the four-tenths differential that separates his personal best from the school record.
“I’m sure it’ll help,” said Shorey, who sat out for about five days earlier this season after twisting his right knee. “I don’t have to worry about holding back in any other race. I think this is the first time (in my high school career) where I’ll run in one event.”
Although Shorey just eclipsed 50 seconds for the first time last week, breaking the 49-second mark may be a lot to ask.
But if the waning minutes of last week’s CCS championships taught anyone anything, it’s that anything can happen at anytime.
“The limit for the season hasn’t been reached yet,” White said.
