If only Kathleen Miller knew what lap she was on, her
3,200-meter race Friday may have ended with a completely different
outcome.
If only she knew.
Instead, the senior distance runner for Gilroy High lost track
of where she was during her eight-lap race at the exclusive Top 8
Track and Field Classic in Los Gatos, a meet that acts as a preview
to the year-end Central Coast Section Championships.
Miller believed she was one lap behind of where she actually
was, and because of that, she broke Gilroy’s school record in the
3,200 meters.
”
It’s definitely a mental sport, it goes to show,
”
said Miller, who finished in third place with a record-breaking
11:09.57.
”
I was a lap off in my mind, so I was holding back on energy.
”
It happens every now and then. It’s a long race.
”
Miller figured out the exact lap she was on with two to go, and
by that point she had three-laps worth of energy to pour into the
race’s final 800 meters.
Miller, who finished behind Katy Daly of St. Ignatius
(11:04.93), actually broke her own record of 11:11.29, set at the
CCS Championships her sophomore year.
Not bad for not knowing.
LOS GATOS – If only Kathleen Miller knew what lap she was on, her 3,200-meter race Friday may have ended with a completely different outcome.
If only she knew.
Instead, the senior distance runner for Gilroy High lost track of where she was during her eight-lap race at the exclusive Top 8 Track and Field Classic in Los Gatos, a meet that acts as a preview to the year-end Central Coast Section Championships.
Miller believed she was one lap behind of where she actually was, and because of that, she broke Gilroy’s school record in the 3,200 meters.
“It’s definitely a mental sport, it goes to show,” said Miller, who finished in third place with a record-breaking 11:09.57. “I was a lap off in my mind, so I was holding back on energy.
“It happens every now and then. It’s a long race.”
Miller figured out the exact lap she was on with two to go, and by that point she had three-laps worth of energy to pour into the race’s final 800 meters.
Miller, who finished behind Katy Daly of St. Ignatius (11:04.93), actually broke her own record of 11:11.29, set at the CCS Championships her sophomore year.
Not bad for not knowing.
“I’ve wanted to PR for a long time and this couldn’t have come early enough,” Miller said.
Senior hurdler Peter Guenther also set a personal record in the 110 hurdles when he topped his seed time of 14.74, which already was the top time in the CCS this season. He finished in first place with a 14.61 at Top 8.
Owing the PR to his season progression as well as the competition at Top 8, which has a cream-of-the-crop like exclusivity to it, Guenther said he could not only see Salinas’ John Prader in his peripherals, but he could also feel him.
“His arm was kind of nicking me,” Guenther said of Prader, who finished runner-up in 14.82. “He was right there, so I could technically feel him.
“But it was good. I am glad he was right there.”
Everett Alvarez’ Mike Skinner was right there as well during the 300 hurdles race, but the UC Riverside-bound Guenther topped another Tri-County Athletic League rival with another personal record this season.
Guenther, who was second in the CCS coming into the 300 hurdles behind only Skinner, not only beat Skinner at Top 8 but topped his section-leading time of 38.27 in the process.
Guenther ran a 38.24 in Los Gatos, Skinner a 38.30.
“It’s a good confidence builder,” Guenther said afterward. “You get to see where you’re at compared to other runners.
“I’ve gotten a better time (than Skinner before), but in a competition, I’ve never beaten him. So it was a confidence builder.”
Amazingly, Guenther was the only varsity member for the Gilroy boys Friday. Despite that, his two first-place finishes equaled 20 points and placed the Mustangs eighth overall among some 35 teams in Los Gatos.
The GHS boys frosh/soph squad, meanwhile, took first place overall out of 32 teams at Top 8, compiling 66 points to easily beat second-place Mountain View’s 40.
“There’s a number of talented athletes and they’re scattered around,” Gilroy coach Jeff Myers said about his team’s ability to capture the title.
The Mustangs racked up first place after first place, including Jourdan Soares’ 5-10 in the high jump and Chima Ikema’s 126-11.5 in the discus.
Sophomore Julius Travis flexed his sprinting muscle in the 100 and 200 as well, taking first in both after clocking an 11.18 and a 23.11, respectively, both PR’s this season.
“It’s all right,” said Travis, who was competing at Top 8 for the first time and said he felt nervous during both his races. “I’m just trying to have fun out there.”
Travis wasn’t the only GHS trackster competing at Top 8 for the first time, though. Freshman Chelsey Kalata made her debut as well, and recorded a 13.37 in the 100.
“It’s very exciting,” Kalata said. “But it’s a little nerve-racking going up against everyone who is older.
“But I felt good, trying to keep up with them.”
While the Top 8’s top competition would seem ideal for PR’s – with multiple competitors pushing each other to another level – it can also create a pack mentality in distance races, with so many competitors at a similar point in their progression.
“I had a good start during the first 100, but I kind of got trapped,” said junior Elise Ogle, who ran a 5:22.44 in the 1,600 meters.
“When you run against better people, it’s supposed to push you harder. But it’s difficult to move forward if you ever get stuck behind them.”
Top 8 was the first major invitational Ogle has run in this season other than Avis Kelley in March, but the junior said she knows what she’ll need to do prior to the TCAL Trials on May 13.
“Probably have a better first lap,” she said.
BOYS VARSITY
TEAM (TOP 10 OF 35)
1, Serra, 44.33; 2, St. Francis (Mountain View), 38; 3, Carmel, 32; 4, Mitty, 31; 5, Valley Christian, 24; 5, Salinas, 24; 7, Bellarmine, 21; 8, Gilroy, 20; 9, Riordan, 18; 10, St. Ignatius, 16.
INDIVIDUAL (GILROY ONLY)
110 Hurdles – 1, P. Guenther, Gilroy, 14.61; 2, J. Prader, Salinas, 14.82. 300 Hurdles – 1, P. Guenther, Gilroy, 38.24; 2, M. Skinner, Everett Alvarez, 38.30.
GIRLS VARSITY
TEAM (TOP 10 OF 39)
1, Valley Christian, 32; 2, Mountain View, 30; 3, Leland, 29; 4, Mitty, 28; 5, Leigh, 25; 6, Monta Vista, 24; 7, Aptos, 22; 7, Santa Cruz, 22; 9, Santa Teresa, 20; 10, St. Ignatius, 18; 10, Pinewood, 18; 10, Saratoga, 18; 10, Santa Clara, 18; 10, St. Francis (Mountain View), 18; 28, Gilroy, 6.
INDIVIDUAL (GILROY ONLY)
1,600 – 1, M. Reynolds, Mountain View, 5:01.87; 19, E. Ogle, Gilroy, 5:22.44. 100 Hurdles – 1, H. Goranson, Valley Christian, 14.23; 7, S. Una Dia, Gilroy, 15.97. 100 – 1, K. Nelms, Leland, 11.88; 14, C. Kalata, Gilroy, 13.37. 800 – 1, E. Sanders, Santa Cruz, 2:16.86; 11, A. Alarcon, Gilroy, 2:22.47. 3,200 – 1, K. Daly, St. Ignatius, 11:04.93; 3, K. Miller, Gilroy, 11:09.57.
BOYS FROSH/SOPH
TEAM (TOP 10 OF 32)
1, Gilroy, 66; 2, Mountain View, 40; 3, Serra, 38; 4, San Benito, 37; 5, Valley Christian, 33; 6, Bellarmine, 32; 7, Oak Grove, 24; 8, Mitty, 23; 9, Jefferson, 20; 10, St. Ignatius, 17.
INDIVIDUAL (GILROY ONLY)
High Jump – 1, J. Soares, Gilroy, 5-10; 2, K. Koontz, Aptos, 5-08. Triple Jump – 1, R. Strehlow, Wilcox, 40-09; 5, C. Ikema, Gilroy, 37-10. Discus – 1, C. Ikema, Gilroy, 126-11 ?; 2, G. Esteban, Bellarmine, 126-05; 5, S. Hebert, Gilroy, 111-09. Pole Vault – 1, A. Meldrum, Sobrato, 12-0; 3, E. Martinez, 11-06. Long Jump – 1, T. Halsted, Mountain View, 20-06; 2, J. Soares, Gilroy, 20-06. 4×100 – 1, Valley Christian, 44.56; 2, Gilroy, 44.57. 100 – 1, J. Travis, Gilroy, 11.18; 2, E. Wilson, Serra, 11.34. 200 – 1, J. Travis, Gilroy, 23.11; 2, E. Wilson, Serra, 23.14. 3,200 – 1, S. Mandac, Westmoor, 9:52.38; 14, T. Williams, Gilroy, 10:37.40.
Correction:
In the original posting of this story, an error was reported. Gilroy sophomore Julius Travis finished first in the 100 and 200 events. The Dispatch regrets the error.
