Peter Guenther is poised to make a run at a state title.
The senior sprinter from Gilroy High cast all doubts aside at
the Arcadia Invitational held this past weekend by setting a
personal record and taking first in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles.
The victory came against many of the best runners from across the
state, as well as surrounding states.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Peter Guenther is poised to make a run at a state title.
The senior sprinter from Gilroy High cast all doubts aside at the Arcadia Invitational held this past weekend by setting a personal record and taking first in the 300 Intermediate Hurdles. The victory came against many of the best runners from across the state, as well as surrounding states.
After winning the 300 IH race earlier in the day with a personal record time of 38.55 seconds, Guenther proceeded to do himself one better hours later by recording a mark of 38.41 in the evening event.
“Coming into the meet, I was really nervous,” Guenther said. “Last year, I didn’t do so well. So, that was kind of in my mind.
“I went out strong to kind of get the jitters out (in the first race), and the last one, it was crazy. The crowd was really loud and coach (Jeff) Myers told me to use that to bring confidence into the race.”
Guenther wasn’t the only individual from GHS to have a banner day. Freshman Athena Alarcon broke her own school record by taking sixth in the 800 with a time of 2:20.64, almost two seconds faster than a time she set earlier this season.
Senior long-distance runner Kathleen Miller also took sixth in her event, crossing the finish line for the 3,200 with a time of 11:15.54, just four seconds off her own school record. Sarah Unadia was the fourth Mustang to attend the event, clearing 5-foot-1 in the high jump, which is below her personal best of 5-4.
“The competition was different because there were a lot more experienced jumpers,” Unadia said. “I’m gonna use the experience to work harder.”
Guenther is expected to do the same. His times are encouraging not only for the fact that they are the best of his career but also because they place him in the top five times in the state.
“I didn’t necessarily expect to win coming into the race,” Guenther said. “You don’t want to put limits on yourself, but I knew it was Arcadia. I can’t wait for my next races because now I know what I can do.”
