Velasquez runs personal best; Mustang runners take fifth in
T-CAL
SALINAS – The Mustang runners entered Saturday’s Tri-County Athletic League Finals in a three-way tie for third place with Live Oak and Palma – all coming in with 2-3 league records.
The main objective was to take third and earn a team berth into the Central Coast Section Championship meet – which will take place Nov. 15 at Crystal Springs in Belmont. Six of the seven varsity runners ran personal best times – but it still was not enough as the Mustangs finished in fifth place behind third-place Palma and fourth-place Live Oak.
“We basically knocked off each other,” head coach Wayne Scott said. “Live Oak beat us. We beat Palma and Palma beat Live Oak. All three teams lost to Hollister and Salinas.”
Salinas won the T-CAL meet to claim the league championship ahead of Hollister – which had senior Jonathan Rivera win the three-mile race at Toro Park in 16:04.
Sophomore Arnulfo Velasquez – who qualified as an individual for CCS for a second straight season – finished 12th overall with a team-best and personal-best time of 17:04.
“I was working to go as a team. I felt strong that whole race,” Velasquez said. “I wanted to go as a team, but we had to beat Live Oak and Palma.”
Senior Steven Bennett ran a personal-best time of 17:49 for 22nd place. Freshman Jose Velasquez also took his fastest time in 18 flat for 25th place, while sophomore teammate Allen Chan ran a personal-best of 18:11 for 27th place. Senior Nathaniel Barmore crossed the finish line in 18:25 for 30th place. Junior Darren Amerson ran a personal-best of 19:04 for 34th place and junior Jacob Trujillo finished his fastest time in 19:29 for 37th place.
“My guys PR’d. All but one set personal records. All the junior varsity guys set personal records, too, so it was a good day. We just didn’t run well enough as a team to qualify for CCS,” said Scott, whose squad had not won a league meet in three seasons before winning two this year. “We had a good season. I was happy with how the year went.”
Gilroy – which qualified three runners last season with only Bennett running the race – has a lot to build on for next season with all but two varsity runners (Barmore and Bennett) expected to return.
“We have a young team. We only lose two seniors. Everybody else is back,” Scott said. “Basically it’s a question of starting to build on the tradition we established this year and, hopefully, we can get some girls to come out for next year.”
Gilroy did not field a girls team this season.
Coach Scott also hopes to get some of the top runners off the two-time defending county champion Brownell Academy squad as well as this year’s county runner-up South Valley Junior High. With some talent coming in, the Mustangs look stronger with both Arnulfo and Jose Velasquez leading the pack.
“That’s a real good core to build a team around the next few years and we’ll see how it goes from there,” said Scott, who has already begun working with Arnulfo for a strong showing at CCS this year. “Saturday we’re going to try to go to Crystal Springs so Arnulfo can get to know the course and we’ll see what happens. He’s going to go out and run and we’ll see how he does.”
