Mustang track teams swept by North Salinas
GILROY – The Lady Mustang track team won nine of 14 events in Thursday’s home meet against North Salinas, but a lack of depth still caused the seven-member unit to fall in the team score, 78-58.
“If we had a little bit of depth, we would be awesome,” said head coach Guido Zvigzne of his varsity girls.
Senior Raquel Butler burned up the track, winning the 100-meter in 12.65 and the 400m in 59.83, while senior Charlene Rojas swept the long jump and the triple jump for the Lady Mustangs.
Junior Sierra Barrozza showed her versatility, taking first in the 110m hurdles as well as the shot put and discus. Junior Stephanie Radtke followed suit with first-place finishes in the 800m and the mile.
The varsity boys dropped a 84-51 decision to the Vikings, who brought along senior Ronnie Drummer, the section’s top-ranked sprinter in the 100m and 200m, and the junior varsity boys fell one team point short, 62-61.
Senior Derek Hentschke won the varsity shot put with sophomore standout Bobby Best taking the shot and discus for the junior varsity. Gilroy’s Frank Valadez took first in the varsity high jump with a personal-best jump of six feet, and junior Louie Gutierrez won the varsity long jump with teammate Christian Rivera in second place.
Sophomore long-distance runner Arnulfo Velasquez won two events, taking the tape in the mile and two-mile, and also finished third in the 800m for the junior varsity.
“That’s a hard double with the mile and two-mile, and then to take third in 800m,” said Zvigzne of Velasquez, who also ran a leg in the mile relay. “He’s like the Iron man. It’s unbelievable. He just keeps going. He’d run in 10 events if he could.”
Gilroy’s Christian Cania took the air for the junior varsity, winning the high jump and the long jump.
The Mustang track team will host Palma and Notre Dame on April 29 for its home finale, and then will wrap up its league schedule May 6 against Live Oak in Morgan Hill. Both meets will begin at 3:30 p.m. The T-CAL Finals are scheduled for May 15.
