Courtney Allen, boys’ 4×400 narrowly miss cut to compete in
finals
It was Courtney Allen’s goal all season long to simply qualify
to the CIF Track and Field State Championships.
And she did that.
Courtney Allen, boys’ 4×400 narrowly miss cut to compete in finals
It was Courtney Allen’s goal all season long to simply qualify to the CIF Track and Field State Championships.
And she did that.
But finally at state for the very first time in her four-year career last Friday at Buchanan High School in Clovis, Allen’s never-enough attitude, which has led to a stellar spring season – four Tri-County Athletic League titles and a Central Coast Section title in the 1,600-meter event – took over.
“I thought I did pretty good (at state), but I thought I could have done better,” said Allen, who finished 18th overall and 10th in her heat in the 1,600 last Friday after clocking a 5:00.73. The boys’ 4×400 relay team of Justin Williams, Jason Roascio, Nik Soza and Ryan Shorey finished fifth in their heat, but missed the finals cut with a 3:22.75.
“The goal was just to make it to state and then all the other things just came along with it,” Allen added. “But you can always do better.”
With just two heats during Friday’s 1,600, Allen was placed into what turned out to be the faster heat as seven of the 13 competitors advanced to Saturday’s finals.
“I was really proud of her because she went in there and did what she normally does,” distance coach Jess Morales said. “She was aggressive and she was in the race for three laps.
“But that fourth lap … it was a real surge.”
Unfortunately for the Balers – at least from a competitive standpoint – four of the five state qualifiers graduated from San Benito last Friday morning, prompting one very long day.
Allen said she was tired with her 5:32 p.m. race time, but few could compare to the boys’ 4×400 relay, which didn’t start until around 10:30 p.m., boys coach Iran White said.
“Even so, we still got 13th place,” White said. “Not bad for state.”
Recording a 3:22.75 at the state prelims – slightly off from the school-record 3:21.74 it set at CCS finals – the San Benito foursome finished fifth in what was the fastest of the four heats.
“We were too far behind the leaders but too far in front of the others to be pushing up,” senior Ryan Shorey said. “It really was no-man’s land.”
In the end, San Benito’s time missed the finals cut by a little more than three seconds.
