Like most years during the spring on the dirt track at Andy Hardin Field, expectations are soaring high for the Balers track and field teams. With seniors such as Vanessa Estrada, Savanna Wilson and Maura Forbush, it’s hard not to think that way.
“They are the best of the best,” SBHS girls head coach Bob Rawles said. “I fully expect them to be champions.”
The much younger boys team expects to compete with Palma all year long atop the Monterey Bay League standings. Like the girls, they will rely on a strong long-distance running team highlighted by RJ Collins, Ricky Esqueda and Steven Velarde. After barely missing out on a league title to Palma a year ago, the team is ready to surpass their rival, SBHS head coach Iran White said.
“You know, it’s kind of interesting,” White said. “I would say half the team is at least new. A lot of these kids knew nothing about that until we started talking about it. They’ve all been working hard together and that sort of grows on all of them. That sense of importance and urgency. It grows through all of us.”
With a strong mix of seniors and younger classmen, the boys squad is looking even beyond this spring and into next year, where they will be a senior heavy team.
“We have a lot of really good juniors that are going to be back these year and for the all that we expect and hope to win this year, next year is when we really expect to do some great things,” White said. “We don’t really pound those expectations but from a coaching standpoint you get these kids when they are freshman and you start steering them. The picture becomes more and more clear. This year that group of juniors I can … sort of see the end result and at least apple pie high in the sky hopes.”
And because of those strengths, both teams expect to be there at the end of the Central Coast Section standings.
“We aren’t looking ahead but … we know it can be a special year,” Rawles said.
On the boys side, this year could be a precursor to next, White said.
“We will have some legitimate strengths to this team at the CCS level next year and even this year,” he said.
The Balers continued that early season success over the weekend at the Garlic Classic at Christopher High School.
Simone Cooper won the triple jump and Wilson won the long jump to lead San Benito High’s girls track and field team to the title in the Garlic Classic hosted by Christopher on Saturday at Gilroy High.
Cooper, a senior, won the triple jump with a mark of 34 feet, 7 inches. Wilson, a senior, claimed the long jump with a leap of 16-4 1/2.
San Benito won with 74 points. Piedmont Hills was second with 70, followed by Christopher (51).
San Benito’s boys took second with 42 points, as Palma won with 72 1/2. The Balers won the boys distance medley in 10 minutes, 52.12 seconds.
