Christopher’s Garlic Classic track meet will be a little further from home this year.
The condemed bleachers of Gilroy High sent the Cougars searching for an alternative site for their meet. After some consideration, they chose Soquel High School as their foster site. The meet, which is in its fourth year, will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday in Soquel.
Though it’s further than other options, Christopher coach Jeff Myers said Soquel was the perfect alternative. Factors like power, parking and set up were widely considered, but since Soquel used to host the Central Coast Section regional meets the Cougars knew it would meet their demands. As an added bonus, it’s also home to one of the premier track and field timers in the section.
The venue change hasn’t seemed to affect registration either as 20 teams will attend.
“I don’t think it’s been that big of a deal (the location change) because the coaches know that the site has been used before,” Myers said. “It’s a little more of a drive, but any meet that you want to run you’re going to drive. Whether we have a meet at Leland or Mt. Pleasant or Soquel they’re going to drive to that meet if they want to run.”
While Christopher’s track is experiencing it’s own set of problems with the discovery of clay at the site that expands and contracts — which could cause it to buckle — and the rising costs to fix it, the project is moving forward. The 5th Annual Garlic Classic will be extra special for the Cougars as its the first time their meet will truly be at home.
“Next year is going to be huge for us,” Myer said. “Every coach I’ve talked to wants to come here next year, they’re all excited, we’re excited. It’s just a matter of getting the project done and having a great meet next year.”
The following weekend, March 29, the 44th Annual Avis Kelley Invitational will be held at Gilroy High. Athletic director Julie Berggren said the school hadn’t expected the bleachers to be ready in time for the meet and with or without them, the show must go on.
“It is unfortunately what we’re going to have to experience for the Avis Kelley, but we didn’t want to cancel the Avis Kelley,” Berggren said. “We’re just going to deal with it for this year.”
No construction has been done and the latest the Berggren had heard was that plans were awaiting approval. Fortunately, the Mustangs still have the temporary bleachers from football season in addition to the visitors side and access to the walkway around the track.
“I think there’s plenty of room for people to roam around. Track and field folks aren’t quite as demanding when it comes to bleachers as some other folks just because we’re used to going to other meets that don’t even have bleachers,” Mustangs coach Cathy Silva said.
The condemed bleachers don’t seem to be deterring any teams from attending either. As of presstime 38 teams had registered and there’s still time for more as the deadline doesn’t close until Tuesday at midnight. Good weather and good competition are expected, Silva said, and that’s the appeal that brings teams from places like Calaveras, Dos Palos, Firebaugh, Central Valley, York and Carmel.
“We have a few that come quite a ways and then there’s others that come from north end of Central Coast like St. Francis Central Coast Catholic,” Silva said. “There do kind of come from all over.”
While things are under control for the Avis Kelley, the future is still uncertain. Gilroy is scheduled to host the Monterey Bay League Pacific Division finals May 9 as well as league finals on May 16 and it’s hoping to have bleacher repairs completed by then.
“I’m getting a little nervous,” Berggren said. “We’re trying to host some track events in May and at this point I’m not really sure if that’s going to happen.”
It is unfortunately what we’re going to have to experience for the Avis Kelley, but we didn’t want to cancel the Avis Kelley. We’re just going to deal with it for this year.”
