Perhaps no sporting event, team or individual performance of the entire year illustrates the multi-dimensional value of sports for student-athletes as does the Unified Track and Para-Ambulatory and Wheelchair competitions in high school track and field. Christopher High fields those teams.
And two of the Cougars teams excelled during the season and then won CIF State titles.
In Unified events, Special Education athletes partner with General Education schoolmates in track and field competitions. Their events are incorporated seamlessly and equally in some track meets during the year and conclude at the Central Coast Section finals and at the CIF State finals.
“It involves inclusion with able-bodied athletes competing with and along with athletes with learning disabilities,” said Gilroy coach Jeff Myers, who also coaches the Unified Teams at Christopher. “The girls have been training together closely for three months now. And it paid off big time.”
They sure did, to the tune of two state championship titles. The Christopher girls won both at the CIF State Finals at Buchanan High in Clovis, near Fresno, on May 31. The two Cougar teams, one in Unified Shot Put and one in the Unified 4×100 relay, qualified for the CIF State meet by winning in the CCS Finals at Gilroy High on May 24.
The Unified Shot Put team of Unified Partner Kaitlyn Berry and Unified Athlete Emelee Sandoval won the state title with a combined total of 42-10.5. They beat several other teams, with Heritage High of Brentwood in second place at 40-11.75.
In this event, the total is the sum of the two individual athletes’ throws. Berry tossed the shot 26-2.5 on her first throw, was about a foot shorter on her second and fouled on the third. Thus, her 26-2.5 stood.
Sandoval was remarkably consistent and saved her best for last, pushing Christopher further into the lead. She threw the shot 16-1.25 on her first attempt, then 15-11.75 on the second and then stretched out to 16-8 on her final throw.
Isabella Perez and JasmineBriones also competed in the CCS Finals in the shot put. They finished second behind the Sandoval-Berry team. Only one team advanced to Clovis.
The Unified 4×100 relay team also finished first for a State title. The quartet of Emelee Sandoval, Jasmin Serna, Jersey Paredes and Briones won with a state meet record time of 56.87. The Cougars beat Heritage in 58.68, with Trabuco Hills third in 1:00.46 and Sunnyside in fourth in 1:04.14.
“Throughout my time as a student-athlete at CHS, I’ve discovered the meaning of teamwork and how a really strong bond between four people can get you so far,” Unified Partner Jasmine Briones said. “The best part of it all was the complaints and laughs we would share after (a race).
“My most memorable moment was at the state championships and crossing the finish line and running straight to my teammates after we won gold, realizing we did it. I thank my coach Jeff Myers because without his motivation, I don’t think we would have made it this far.”
Learning opportunities and messages about teamwork are among the lessons learned. And the joy of competing for one’s school and advancing into Central Coast Section competition and in Christopher’s case, to the CIF State Finals meet is a reward beyond belief for all involved.
The CCS and CIF include Unified teams and Para Ambulatory teams compete in their track and field meets as one more regular event just like any other. Athletes compete on the same track or field event surface, get the same promotion from the public address announcer and in the program and stand on the same award podium for recognition as any other athlete.
The CIF says it is important to note that the terms listed (Unified Athlete, Unified Partner) are intended to be used by coaches as an internal descriptor for student-athletes. Student-athletes should refer to themselves and their teammates as just that, teammates.
Student-athletes on a Unified Sports team practice and compete together consistently throughout the entire regular season and postseason.
Current competition is in Shot Put, the 100 meters and the 4×100 relay. There are separate events for boys and girls.
“During my time as a student-athlete at CHS, I appreciated all the support from my fellow teammates and coaches,” Unified Athlete Emelee Sandoval said. “With this support, I am thankful for reaching State finals with my team and accomplishing this goal I have always wanted to achieve.
Christopher has been front and center in these efforts. These athletes train and work together all season to improve distances in field events and times in running events.
“I felt it was inclusive and gave me an opportunity to make new friends that I wouldn’t be making anywhere else,” Unified Partner Jasmin Serna said. “I really enjoyed making new friends and I personally thought that it was worth it, considering how it was my last year in track.
“It made me feel great knowing that I would reach that goal of going to State and how memorable it was for me to get that far into the track season. I enjoyed the support from my team and the camaraderie that came along with it.”
Sandoval and Briones are freshmen, with Paredes and Perez juniors and Serna is the lone senior.
“Throughout the year all athletes compete on the varsity teams,” Myers said. “There are some invitationals like our Garlic Classic that add the Unified and Para Ambulatory divisions.
But the Unified competition does not come into play officially until the CCS qualifier meet. From there they qualify into CCS Finals. From there, only the winning pair or winning relay team qualify into State. There they compete against other teams from around the state.”
In her closing comments, partner athlete Berry verbalized the joy, magic and reward of being in a Unified Team partnership.
“Working together with my partner was amazing,” Berry said. “In order to get her to State, I had to give up discus…but it was well worth it to see Emelee excited when we won. I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate for my last season at Christopher.”
