Brownell, South Valley and Solarsano schools compete in
Thursday’s South Valley Section track meet at Gilroy High
n By Ana Patejdl Sports Editor
Gilroy – The competitors that took to the Gilroy High track Thursday afternoon were smaller than the usual clientele that occupies it. But the competition was just as fierce.
In the finale for local middle school track and field athletes, nineteen teams competed in the South Valley Section Track and Field meet – including Gilroy’s Brownell Academy, South Valley Middle School and Solarsano Middle School.
When the results for the boys and girls events in all six divisions were tallied up, San Jose’s Ocala Middle School was the overall winner. Brownell was the highest-placing Gilroy team, finishing in third.
The Bruins had four first-place finishers: Seventh-grader Chelsea Hill (shot put), eighth-grader Kourtney Howard (high jump), Julius Travis (C Boys division 65-meter hurdles) and Elizabeth Wallace (C Girls division discus).
Travis won his event in dramatic fashion, passing up the second-place finisher in the sprint after the final hurdle to win.
South Valley had three first-place finishers.
“I’m very proud of them,” said South Valley coach Jami Reynolds. “We have a good group. These ones are dedicated.”
Seventh-grader Alison Green won the high jump with a mark of 4-4. Sixth-grader Manuel Avila won the C Boys division discus with a throw of 68-8.
Eighth-grade distance runner Juan Velasquez took home two B Boys division section titles, one in the 800 meters (2:21.31) and one in the 1600 meters (5:14.21). Velasquez is the younger brother of Gilroy High standout distance runner Arnulfo Velasquez, a CCS qualifier in track and cross country.
