Balers get some solid performances at CCS finals
San Benito High School senior Josh Schroder is the only member
of the Balers track and field team who is still competing.
Schroder’s successful clearance of the 15-foot-high
pole-vaulting bar in last Friday’s Central Coast Section track and
field finals at Gilroy High propelled the senior athlete into the
top three at CCS
– the magic number for qualification into the California
Interscholastic Federation state meet at Sacramento City College,
which takes place both today and tomorrow.
Balers get some solid performances at CCS finals
San Benito High School senior Josh Schroder is the only member of the Balers track and field team who is still competing.
Schroder’s successful clearance of the 15-foot-high pole-vaulting bar in last Friday’s Central Coast Section track and field finals at Gilroy High propelled the senior athlete into the top three at CCS – the magic number for qualification into the California Interscholastic Federation state meet at Sacramento City College, which takes place both today and tomorrow.
“This is his second year making state,” San Benito High coach Iran White said. “It’s good to see that he’s finishing his career as a Baler on a high note.”
Schroder, who was ranked No. 1 in the state in the event at the start of the season, finished second in the section finals. He is expected to make his first pole-vaulting attempt in the state meet at 2 p.m. today.
Currently, he is ranked fifth at the state level, but he will need to go a lot higher to have any chance at winning the title as the CCS results would indicate. At the section finals, Los Gatos High’s Nico Weiler, a German foreign exchange student, cleared the bar at 17 feet, 6 1/2″ – 2-1/2-feet more than Schroder’s mark.
Although Schroder was the only Baler to qualify for the state meet, a handful of others had solid performances in the finals.
Morgan O’Laughlin, a senior, finished fourth in the discus with a throw of 112 feet, 7 inches. Junior Lila Yoldi was able to hurl the heavy shot put 38 feet, 2 1/2 inches to grab fifth in the section meet, and reset the school record that she had already held in the process.
Another Baler who was able to break his own school record was sophomore runner Ryan Shorey. Shorey’s time of 50.65 in the 400-meter race bested San Benito High’s top freshman/sophomore in that event.
One of the biggest disappointments of the day came in the 1,600 meter race where Baler senior Rigo Vasquez finished in sixth place – not good enough to make the state meet but good enough to make the podium – only to learn shortly afterwards that he would be disqualified.
“He was bumped in the lane and took five steps off of the track, which isn’t allowed,” White said. “He wasn’t too upset, but he wasn’t too happy either.”
Bellarmine won the boys’ team competition and the girls’ team title was captured by Mt. Pleasant High School.
Despite the disappointment in only sending one athlete to Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, White was pleased with the way the 2007 season wound up. In addition to seeing the Baler boys’ team capture a league title for the sixth year in a row, the girls’ squad also was able to claim stake in the league title this year.
“It was a great season,” White said. “We overcame a lot of adversity, fought hard and wound up reaping the rewards at the end. This year was a great testament to what hard work and believing in yourself can do.”
