Radtke, Hernandez, Bennett finish with personal-best times at
section finals.
SALINAS – The Central Coast Section Cross Country Championship brought out the best in the Gilroy High runners as three Mustangs finished with personal best times in Saturday’s meet at Toro Park.
Sophomores Stephanie Radtke and Christina Hernandez led the CCS-qualifying Lady Mustang squad – which placed eighth as a team in the section after receiving a surprise at-large bid. While Radtke ran to a personal-best time of 21:03 for 16th place, Hernandez also registered her fastest time of 22:08 for 39th place.
“Stephanie had a very good year. She won her first races (three of them) this year. I think she is now aware of what it will take next year to get to the state meet,” head coach Wayne Scott said. “I don’t think that she is anywhere near her potential as a runner yet. The next two years could be very interesting for her.”
Radtke broke her career best by 21 seconds on the Toro Park track in Salinas – decreasing her mile time to under seven minutes. She was the second highest Tri-County Athletic League finisher behind only Salinas sophomore Nicole Williams – who took 11th with a time of 20:22.
“That may not sound like much, but when you are talking about going from running 7:05 miles to 6:58 miles, that is a big improvement,” Scott said.
Hernandez shattered her fastest time by 40 seconds – finishing her first varsity cross country campaign as a model of steady improvement.
“Christina has matured a lot as a runner this year,” Scott said. “I think that she will continue to improve next year and she has the potential to be a major force in the league next year.”
Rounding out the Lady Mustang squad were senior Sayako Uchida (62nd in 25:19), senior Jennifer Bennett (66th in 26:20) and freshman Claire Matt (67th in 27:22).
“I was happy to be there. I think it was good for the seniors to get one last run in. It was a good experience for the underclassmen to see what it will take to compete at CCS,” Scott said. “I have high hopes for the next year, if I can find runners to make a team.
“Stephanie and Christina can run with anyone in TCAL. As juniors next year, they will be the solid building blocks that I hope to build the program around,” the second-year coach added. “I’m very excited for the future.”
The lone Mustang runner in the boys CCS race was junior Steve Bennett – who finished 66th with a personal best time of 17:58. Two other teammates – Nate Barmore and Arnulfo Velasquez – qualified for CCS but did not compete.
“This was an interesting result for Gilroy for two reasons. One, I don’t know the last time a boy made the CCS meet from Gilroy. I think it has been a few years,” Scott said. “Also, Steve, who was the third best runner at the end of the year, finished ahead of San Benito’s fifth runner. That tells me that the boys team has the potential to go to the next level and be a threat for a top three finish next year in the league.”
While Aptos won the girls team competition ahead of runner-up Milpitas and third-place Silver Creek, Serra won the boys team competition ahead of runner-up Salinas and third-place Silver Creek. Senior Cherie McPherson, of Silver Creek, took the tape in the girls race in 18:58, and Serra junior Dominic Vogl was the boys section champ in 16:10.
“I’m hoping that students and coaches will start to see what is happening on the cross country teams and start to look at the teams seriously. Some of these kids are working hard and it is paying off,” said Scott, hoping to see more of a turnout next year for both squads. “The girls have gone to CCS three years in a row. That is an outstanding accomplishment for any program.
“The talent is on the campus to take the programs to the next level. Getting to that level will not happen until athletes and coaches start to look at cross country as a real sport and as an option for a well-rounded athlete,” Scott added. “I shouldn’t have to beat the bushes for runners next year. But, if the bushes need beating again, I’ll beat them.”
