Radtke runs to fourth in TCAL; Hernandez takes 11th; Lady
Mustangs finish third.
SALINAS –Sophomore sensation Stephanie Radtke was pulling for her teammate Cristina Hernandez all the way at Saturday’s Tri-County Athletic League Championships at Toro Park in Salinas.
After Radtke crossed the finish line with a fourth-place time of 21:40 – clinching a berth into the Nov. 16 Central Coast Section Cross Country Championships – she hoped Hernandez was not far behind.
She wasn’t.
Hernandez notched the second of only three individual qualifying spots by taking 11th place with a personal-best time of 22:52. (The other qualifier was Daniella King, of Live Oak.)
“I didn’t want to go without Cristina,” said Radtke, who will head to her second straight CCS meet. “I didn’t want to train alone.”
Sure enough, the top Lady Mustang pair can now be found each afternoon at Gilroy High running side-by-side in preparation for the big meet.
“It means a lot this being my first year running high school cross country,” Hernandez said. “It was an experience. I know it’s a big thing to place here and go on to CCS.”
As a team, the Lady Mustangs (97 points) finished third in league behind league-champ Salinas (32 points) as well as runner-up Hollister (39) and ahead of fourth-place North Salinas (99), fifth-place Notre Dame (110) and sixth-place Live Oak (135). Gilroy – which finished 1-4 in league – could have qualified as a team if North Salinas would have finished in fifth or lower.
“The girls knew going into the meet what they needed to do to go as a team. They did what they needed to, things just didn’t break right for us,” said head coach Wayne Scott, whose squad was bumped out of a CCS berth by North Salinas. “Finishing third given the problems we had with even getting a team together is very good.”
Rounding out the Gilroy line-up were Sayako Uchida in 21st, Claire Matt in 27th and Jennifer Bennett in 34th. Salinas’ Nicole Williams won the league championship in a time of 20:19 edging Hollister’s Lee Ann Morales (20:26) and fellow Lady Cowboy Alyssa Flores (20:57).
Both Lady Mustang qualifiers got off to quick starts Saturday, as instructed by their head coach. While Radtke pulled away with the lead group, Hernandez trailed but not by much – pushing herself to stay up front.
“There were two Salinas girls and one Hollister girl ahead of me. I tried to stay with them as long as I could,” Radtke said. “Coach said to get off fast and don’t stay with the back of the pack.”
“We focused on getting off faster so we didn’t get stuck behind with the slower runners,” Hernandez added. “There were a couple of girls in front of me. I just wanted to stay with them and make my move on the hills. So, I just kept them in sight.”
Radtke, in fifth position, moved into fourth at the quarter-mile mark and did not let anyone pass her thereafter.
“It was just kind of me out by myself,” Radtke said. “I felt strong. I knew it was a big race. I told myself to keep going… I am happy with it. It was a tough course. I knew what to expect.”
The cooler temperatures was beneficial to both runners – who both hope for the same weather for the CCS meet on the same course at Toro Park.
“I like this weather. It’s not too hot. It’s perfect,” said Hernandez, who is headed to her first CCS function. “I am nervous. Junior high was so Mickey Mouse. This is the big-time.”
And both girls, as well as all the TCAL qualifiers, have a big advantage because they know the course.
“I like this course. It’s a challenge,” Radtke said. “Once you’re done with the hills, you know you’re fine.”
