Derek Pesta’s biggest challenge of late has been holding off
teammate Jaime Reyes.
Gilroy – Derek Pesta’s biggest challenge of late has been holding off teammate Jaime Reyes.
Actually, the two Gilroy High boys’ cross country runners are making each other better as well as boosting the Mustangs. On Monday at Christmas Hill Park, the two underclass runners helped GHS defeat North Salinas, 25-31, and Everett Alvarez. The Eagles didn’t post a team score because their fifth runner fell during the meet. If he had finished, the Mustangs would have won 19-36.
Perhaps more of a surprise was that the GHS girls won both meets as well. It wasn’t a surprise because of a lack of talent, but rather because one of the Mustangs’ better runners, Brandie Rodriguez, had to be moved down so the sub-varsity could field a five-girl team.
Even without Rodriguez, GHS ran 1-2-3 with Kathleen Miller, Paty Hernandez and Christine Bobula assuring a Mustang win by identical 25-30 scores over North Salinas and Alvarez.
Pesta knew better than to go out with the Vikings’ Jesus Cabrera and Eagles’ Mark Blucher when they went to the front early on a day with temperatures in the mid-80s.
“I know some people like to start fast,” said Pesta, a junior. ” I just stayed with Jaime and we kept a good pace. I knew we could pass them on the hills.”
That’s exactly how it happened. By the time they hit the third hill, they were running 1-2. Blucher recovered to finish second while Cabrera was seventh.
Pesta clocked a 17:02 with Blucher finishing two steps ahead of Reyes, both in 17:04. Manual Cazas (sixth in 18:24:09) and Agustin Serafio (seventh in 18:34:25) were other GHS top-10 finishers.
“Working out with him has helped me,” said Reyes, a sophomore, of his training sessions with Pesta. “We train on the hills and pick it up (pace).”
Miller has been helped by running with Hernandez, and vice versa. Miller finished first in 20:58, to 21:31 for Hernandez.
“We’re running buddies,” said Hernandez, a freshman running in just her third varsity meet. “It really helps to have someone who can run with you.”
“Compared to me when I was a freshman, she’s improved faster,” Miller said of Hernandez.
Perhaps none of the girls have showed more improvement than Bobula, whose third-place finish was so crucial Monday. It was Bobula’s 15th birthday and she allowed her teammates to celebrate with a victory, by turning in a respectable 22:38.
“I’ve been running with her since junior high school,” Miller said. “It’s amazing how much she has improved.”
The modest Bobula downplays her improvement.
“I was really slow last year,” said Bobula, who clocked a 23:57 at the Tri-County Athletic League meet at Toro Park last fall. “Running club and track makes you a lot faster. And hearing the people cheering for me really picked me up.”
