Both 4 x 400 meter San Benito High School varsity relay track
teams had good showings at the prestigious West Valley Relays on
Saturday. The two teams saved their best for last as the girls took
second and the boys took first.
Both 4 x 400 meter San Benito High School varsity relay track teams had good showings at the prestigious West Valley Relays on Saturday. The two teams saved their best for last as the girls took second and the boys took first.
“Both of those times are the fastest times that we have ever run this early in the season,” said Baler coach Jennifer Logue. “We are really excited. Having such a good early-season times gives them that much better chance of making it to state. The four people we have on each of those teams are not really in shape yet. I know they can run faster.”
The girls 4 x 400 meter team, consisting of Amanda Boyd, Abby Ceja, Michelle Sanchez and Jamie O’brian, ran a 4:09.81. All four runners were under 64 seconds.
The same foursome placed sixth in the sprint medley.
Sanchez, who came out for track this year, was racing just her second ever 4 x 400 race.
“It is almost like the farther she goes – up to a point – the faster she gets,” Logue said. “She is a very talented athlete like all four of the girls on the team are.”
The boys foursome of Chad Tungate, Jonathan Rivera, Jesse Rice and Tamar Elbanhawy won the gold in the 4 x 400 with a time of 3:29.21 – each runner finished in 53 seconds or less.
For the second week in a row, they beat Palma and North Monterey County, two strong opponents in this event.
Rivera also placed fourth in the 1500 meter with a time of 4:09.27, just a fourth of a second above coach Cuco Chavez’s school record of 4:09.0.
Rivera placed sixth in the 800 meter and anchored the sprint medley team, which finished in seventh place.
Ryan Sesody was fifth in the pole vault with a 12-foot vault.
Chris Uribe had an 11-foot jump in the same event, and Todd Merrigan was right behind. Merrigan also took seventh in the high jump.
The 4 x 100 boys relay team finished with a fifth. Siljef Tabancay placed eighth in the 400 meter hurdles, and John DiSalvo placed ninth. The boys placed sixth overall in the meet.
Amanda Boyd placed sixth in the girls long jump with a personal best of 16′ 2 1/2″, and Danielle Andrewson was sixth in the triple jump. Mary Von Urff threw a 30’7″ – her best of the year. The girls 4 x 100 relay was seventh.
Both teams will compete on Live Oak’s new track this coming Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in the first dual meet of the year.
Rivera and Live Oak’s Billy Wong are expected to give each other a good race especially in the 1600-meter race.
“Live Oak has a lot more people than they used,” Logue said. “They have some pretty good athletes. They will be tougher than they have been in the past.”
Next weekend a few Hollister track athletes and the relay teams are invited to compete in the Stanford Invitational – a meet where the top athletes from several states compete.
