San Benito’s Allen, Shorey and Schmidt, as well as 4×400 and
4×100 relays seek top-3 spots
This time, San Benito’s Courtney Allen has a chance to prepare, at least.
Allen, a junior at San Benito, will be one of nine Haybalers competing at this Friday’s Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships at Gilroy High. Although it will be a return trip for the long-distance runner, the odds were certainly stacked against her at last year’s final.
Allen, who will compete in the 1,600-meter event, fell short of qualifying last year but was instead listed as an alternate.
The day of the CCS finals, though, approximately 30 minutes before the one-mile event began, Allen found out that she was a late entry into the 1,600 meters.
“I didn’t even have time to warm up,” she said.
The uncertain life of an alternate will certainly not be experienced by Allen this year, however, after she clocked a qualifying-time of 5:22.14 at last weekend’s CCS Semifinals.
Provided the chance to prepare and train, Allen, who finished 11th last year as an alternate, has been focusing on the 1,600-meter race for a few weeks now.
Coming into the CCS Semifinals, she qualified for not only the 1,600, but the 3,200 as well. She decided to simply focus on one race, though, and opted not to compete in the 3,200.
“I think it’ll help a lot because you don’t have to worry about running two races or saving anything for the other race,” Allen said. “And I like the 1,600 better than the two-mile – less circles.”
With only the top three in each event advancing to the state meet, Allen is preparing to stay near San Lorenzo Valley’s Taylor Johnson, who finished first at the semifinals in 5:00.26, or second-place finisher Marissa Ferrante of Aptos (5:10.41).
Long distance coach Jess Morales had Allen work on hill repeats this week in order to boost her endurance.
“I always do that about two weeks before CCS to get their tolerance back up,” Morales said. “I think she’s been lacking in that because it’s that third lap that gets her.
“But she looks good now. She’s more of a leader than she is a follower, so we’re gonna have her stay with the leaders.”
So much of what happens on the track is based on what your opponent does, and the boys 4×100 relay team is seeking to be tested in Gilroy.
The foursome of Mitchell Cook, Chris Koroluk, Justin Williams and Ryan Shorey won their heat at the semifinals last weekend in 43.60. Although it was the slowest of any of the qualifying times, the team wasn’t pushed at all after Serra – which was the top-ranked relay team in the CCS coming into the meet – was disqualified for a false start.
“We didn’t run as well as we should have,” Koroluk said. The 4×100’s best time this season is 43.48. “We were just out in front of everybody. We weren’t really pushed.”
Going up against the cream of the track and field crop, where another false start is unlikely, the 4×100 team will certainly be tested against top teams like St. Ignatius (42.86), St. Francis (42.87), Monterey (42.93), Palo Alto (43.31), Bellarmine (43.38), Gilroy (43.40), and Mount Pleasant and Mitty (43.52).
“We always try our hardest,” boys coach Iran White said, “but there is an extra gear that you can’t get to unless you’re pushed there.”
Seeking a school-record time of 43.34, San Benito is also searching for four strong legs. Said Shorey, “We still haven’t had a race where everyone has run their best time at the same time.”
Added Cook, “It’s now or never.”
Shorey will be San Benito’s busiest man Friday, as he’ll not only compete in the 4×100, but also the 400 meters and the 4×400 relay team, along with teammates Nik Soza, Silas De Vries and Ian Bambrick.
The 4×400’s 3:26.55 was second only to Riordan (3:25.52) at the semifinals, but the foursome is looking to break the school record of 3:24.48.
“We’ve got to just leave it all on the field,” Soza said. The team’s season-best time is 3:25.55.
White feels either relay has a chance of a state-qualifying time, and although it sounds cliche, he said, it’s simply about who wants it more.
San Benito senior Austin Schmidt will also compete in multiple events after he recorded a 40.12 in the 300-meter hurdles and a 21-09 in the long jump.
“I think he’s got a pretty good shot in both,” White said. Schmidt was fourth in the long jump at prelims – missing third place by a half-inch.
“We’ll see if he can step it up,” White added, “but I think he can.”
Field events begin at 4 p.m., at Gilroy High’s Garcia-Elder Sports Complex, while running events will commence at 6 p.m.
