The Top 8 Track and Field Classic is a little more than a month
old now. The exclusive Los Gatos meet, which acts as the final
precursor to the Central Coast Section Finals, acted as a bit of a
coming-out party for San Benito, which took runner-up behind
Bellarmine with 45.5 points.
It was supposed to set the tone for the final 35 days of the
season, too, all of which led up to the CCS Finals at Gilroy’s
Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
”
We wanted to let everyone know that we were a force to be
reckoned with, and that’s what we did,
”
San Benito head coach Iran White said of the Top 8 meet, in
which the Balers scored points in eight of the 11 events they
competed in.
”
But with the injuries, we kind of fell off a little bit in the
end, and that was unavoidable.
”
HOLLISTER
The Top 8 Track and Field Classic is a little more than a month old now. The exclusive Los Gatos meet, which acts as the final precursor to the Central Coast Section Finals, acted as a bit of a coming-out party for San Benito, which took runner-up behind Bellarmine with 45.5 points.
It was supposed to set the tone for the final 35 days of the season, too, all of which led up to the CCS Finals at Gilroy’s Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
“We wanted to let everyone know that we were a force to be reckoned with, and that’s what we did,” San Benito head coach Iran White said of the Top 8 meet, in which the Balers scored points in eight of the 11 events they competed in. “But with the injuries, we kind of fell off a little bit in the end, and that was unavoidable.”
While Top 8 showed how strong San Benito can actually be on a section level, it was also one of the last meets in which the Balers were at full strength. Injuries quickly set in shortly thereafter, most notably to junior Scott Medina, the team’s top hurdler, high jumper and member of the 4×400 relay team, and Jose Castillo, who was one of the team’s top middle- to long-distance harriers.
But for however much was lost, White believes the handful of athletes who qualified to Friday’s CCS Finals should still be able to mirror the team’s Top 8 performance from a month ago.
And even with all the injuries, White believes a repeat performance is realistic.
After all, Jason Roascio is ranked No. 1 in the 200 meters entering Friday’s final meet, and is ranked No. 2 in the 400 meters by a measly three one-hundredths of a second.
The 4×400 relay team, meanwhile, was ranked No. 1 for much of the regular season, and is currently ranked No. 3 overall in the CCS — short of Bellarmine’s 3:23.77 by less than a second.
And then there’s Frankie Martinez in the discus, who finished fourth in the CCS Finals last year and who didn’t even compete at Top 8 this year. The senior thrower recorded a 151-01 at the CCS Semis last weekend, and is currently ranked No. 3 in the section entering Friday’s final.
Senior Sophie Coelho will also compete at Friday’s CCS Finals after she recorded a 9-06 in the pole vault event, and will be the lone representative for the Lady Balers this weekend.
“We would like to go in and take first place in every event and get 40 points, make a big splash at CCS and let everyone know that we’re coming next year,” said White, referring to a point total that would likely place the Balers in a top-three standing at the CCS Finals.
“Now that’s easier said than done, but it’s all within their ability,” White added.
“They just all have to have a good day on the same day.”
For that to happen, the Balers have an ideal reference point they can use — their Top 8 performance from a month ago.
The biggest difference from that meet will be the makeup of the 4×400 relay team, though, which has gone through several changes in the last month due to the loss of Medina.
Jordan Belton will take the reigns for his injured teammate on Friday, joining forces with the usual three of Roascio, Felipe Davila and David Kret — a foursome that clocked the third-fastest time at the CCS Semis last weekend in 3:25.84, behind only the likes of Bellarmine (3:25.52) and Mountain View (3:25.68).
“I think we’re doing good,” Roascio said of the 4×400 team. “We just ran through a rough patch when all our guys we’re getting injured.”
“And we want to be No. 1 again,” added Davila, referring to last season’s first-place finish at CCS, in which the relay team took the top spot in a blistering school-record time of 3:21.74.
“This week,” White said, “we should all have it together.”
Roascio, meanwhile, will be San Benito’s lone multi-event competitor — the 4×400 relay will actually be his third and final race of the day. The junior sprinter will also compete in the 200 and 400 meters on Friday, two races that he managed to qualify in despite feeling ill.
“I felt sick while I was running the 400, and after that I felt groggy,” said Roascio, who had a stomach illness last Saturday after eating a ham and turkey sandwich. “I’m still gonna eat (on Friday), but I just need to figure out what will be safer.”
Roascio, too, can look no further than the Top 8 Track and Field Classic in Los Gatos on April 23 for a boost of motivation. While he knows he’ll be tested in the 200 meters on Friday — his 21.87 recorded at the Meet of Champions is still No. 1 — Roascio’s top time of 48.63 in the 400 meters remains No. 2 overall, behind only the 48.60 set by Bellarmine’s Andre Chapman.
At Top 8, where Roascio and Chapman both recorded their season bests in the 400, the two tracksters finished 1-2 by a blink of an eye.
“It’s not that I’m mad about it. It’s just that I was so close,” Roascio said. “Like if I just took one more step, I could have had it.
“But it does help to motivate me, since I haven’t done that yet.”
Central Coast Section Finals
The Central Coast Section Finals will be held at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex in Gilroy on Friday. Field events start at 4 p.m., while track events begin at 6 p.m.
San Benito
Sophie Coelho, Pole Vault — 6:20 p.m.
Frankie Martinez, Discus — 6:45 p.m.
Jason Roascio, 400 — 7:05 p.m.
Jason Roascio, 200 — 8:15 p.m.
Boys 4×400 Relay — 9:15 p.m.
