From a competitive perspective, Josh Schroder doesn’t like Los
Gatos’ Nico Weiler
– the only man standing in the way of the San Benito senior
being the Central Coast Section pole vault champion.
Gilroy – From a competitive perspective, Josh Schroder doesn’t like Los Gatos’ Nico Weiler – the only man standing in the way of the San Benito senior being the Central Coast Section pole vault champion.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy watching him vault. And when the foreign exchange student from Germany cleared 17-6 Friday at the CCS finals, Schroder was one of the first to congratulate him.
While Schroder was a foot and half back at 15-0, it was still enough to earn him a return trip to the CIF State Championships.
“I’m a little relieved,” said Schroder, who admitted to having concerns during warm-ups and spent extra time doing sprints across the infield to get his legs going. “I still want to get back to 15-6. Hopefully, I can next week.”
The fact that there is a next week was the important step for Schroder and the fifth-ranked vaulter in the state was happy to take second place to the state leader Weiler.
“I’m just happy I made it,” Schroder said.
Morgan O’Laughlin was the ‘Baler who came the closest to joining Schroder at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium next week. Her throw in the discus of 112-7 placed her fourth, one away from the coveted top three finish needed for state qualification. Had she been able to match her PR of 118-11, the senior who is headed the Bentley College on a volleyball scholarship, would’ve extended her season by another week.
“I started doing discus my sophomore year because a friend told me I should do track,” O’Laughlin said. “I just pursued it, but I never thought I could go this far.”
Having started for the CCS champion volleyball team and reached the CCS finals in track, it was a strange feeling for O’Laughlin to realize she had completed her final high school sporting event.
“It’s definitely weird,” she said. “I’ve worn this jersey for four years now. I think I represented the ‘Balers well.”
Rigo Vasquez made a late push in the 1,600 meters and appeared to have grabbed a sixth-place finish, which would’ve earned him a spot on the medal stand. But when he went out to receive his medal, he was informed of his disqualification for running too many steps inside the line.
Sophomore Ryan Shorey moved up a spot from his seeding and took sixth in the 400 meters at 50.65 and junior Lila Yoldi moved up two spots to take fifth in the shot put at 38-2 1/2. Sophomore Courtney Allen was a late entry into the girls 1,600 field as an alternate and finished 11th.
