Two days after a strong performance in a duel meet victory over
Gilroy, the San Benito track and field team had several athletes
makes statements at Friday’s Top 8 Meet at Los Gatos.
Two days after a strong performance in a duel meet victory over Gilroy, the San Benito track and field team had several athletes makes statements at Friday’s Top 8 Meet at Los Gatos.
Sophomore Ryan Shorey delivered one of the more impressive efforts. Competing at the frosh/soph level, Shorey took first in the 200 and 400 meters and was the frosh/soph Athlete of the Meet.
He set a personal record in the 200 with a time of 23.18 – 4/10 of a second better than his previous best – and also scored a time of 51.04 in the 400.
“He won these races by at least 10 meters,” San Benito boys coach Iran White said. “We’re pretty proud of that.”
Rigo Vasquez delivered a PR in the mile at 4:21, good enough for fourth place. He also ran in the 2-mile, but was experiencing some shin pain and finished in 9:59.
Vasquez’s shin pain forced him out of the 4×400 relay, an event where the ‘Balers were already shorthanded with Shorey competing in frosh/soph instead of varsity as he usually does.
Nevertheless, San Benito’s quartet of Jake Jackson, Nick Soza, Silas Devries and Chris Peterson delivered a time of 3:32 – one second off the ‘Balers season-best score.
Soza, a sophomore who was competing in the event for only the fourth time, provided a big spark with a split of 53 seconds.
“He really stepped it up,” White said of Soza.
The frosh/soph 4×400 relay, which was benefiting from having Shorey compete, was also strong with a time of 3:38. Shorey ran the anchor leg for the team that included Jacob Funk, Ian Bambrick and Andrew Lenoir.
The girls 4×400 relay team of Jessica Rux, Courtney Allen, Sandy Meza and Lauren Villasenor, also had a terrific day, setting a PR at 4:08. Villasenor delivered an impressive anchor leg of 59 seconds.
“If she can hit that in the open 400, she’ll demolish the competition,” girls coach Julio Trinidad said.
Josh Schroeder wasn’t quite up to the level of Los Gatos’ Nico Weiler in the pole vault, but still delivered a solid 15-6 performance to take third. Weiler, competing at his home track, set a meet record by clearing 16-8. St. Francis’ Casey Roache was second.
“That’s not as great as we would like him to, but he gave the other two a run for their money,” said Trinidad, who also coaches the vaulters.
Morgan O’Laughlin had an off day in the discus, failing to pass the 100-foot mark.
“We’re hoping she comes around and tries to take that anger and frustration into the next meet,” Trinidad said.
Sam Stevens had a solid meet in the boys frosh/soph throws, taking fifth in the shot put and seventh in the discus.
