Finish in the top three and the rest will take care of
itself.
That’s the thinking for Gilroy High’s 4×100 boys relay team made
up of seniors Nick Rodriquez, Steven Heisey, Travis Reyes and
junior Peter Guenther, who will all be competing at today’s Central
Coast Section track and field championships being held at
Garcia-Elder Sports Complex on the GHS campus.
Finish in the top three and the rest will take care of itself.
That’s the thinking for Gilroy High’s 4×100 boys relay team made up of seniors Nick Rodriquez, Steven Heisey, Travis Reyes and junior Peter Guenther, who will all be competing at today’s Central Coast Section track and field championships being held at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex on the GHS campus.
A top-three finish would mean a ticket to the state finals, but it would also likely result in a new school record, which was set over two decades ago.
The mark of 42.80 is the time all four are reaching for.
“If they break the record they’ll definitely go to state,” coach Ernesto Salinas said at practice on Tuesday.
“It’ll be close. I think if we get good hand-offs, and [Reyes and Guenther] run their best, (that) will make or break it.”
Hand-offs was what all four runners pointed to as the key to succeeding.
“Hand-offs will make or break you, right there,” Rodriquez said. “Before the race, we’ll do a full day of hand-offs.”
After shaving a half-second off their personal-best time just a couple weeks ago, the foursome will have to pull off a similar feat to reach 42.8. Currently, the best time of the year for the relay team is 43.4.
“This is where we practice every day so we definitely have an advantage,” Salinas said.
Two other competitors who are hoping to use the home track to their benefit are freshman Alison Green and junior Kathleen Miller. Green qualified in the high jump after clearing five-feet-two-inches at the semifinals held last week in Gilroy, and said her main goal is to equal the performance that qualified her for the finals.
Meanwhile, Miller has hopes of breaking her personal record in the 3,200 of 11 minutes, 11 seconds, which she set at last year’s CCS finals.
Miller said she hopes she hasn’t reached her peak, which should be proved true as tonight’s race will be run in the later hours. After last weekend’s meet was held under blistering afternoon temperatures, tonight’s race should set Miller up for a fast time since it will be taking place in the cooler evening breeze.
Guenther is the lone male Mustang competing in an individual event as he will be trying to take down the field in the 300 hurdles.
The championships will begin at 4 p.m. with the field events. Track events will start at 6 p.m.
To see a full schedule of events and participants click here.
