For a track athlete, there’s just something about heightened
competition and an electronically recorded time – as opposed to a
hand-recorded time – that seems to bring out their best.
For Gilroy’s Steven Heisey, it was a bad hammy.
For a track athlete, there’s just something about heightened competition and an electronically recorded time – as opposed to a hand-recorded time – that seems to bring out their best.
For Gilroy’s Steven Heisey, it was a bad hammy.
Competing in the 400 meters at the 38th Annual Avis Kelley Invitational at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex Saturday, Heisey didn’t take first or second, but he did say he felt more at ease, surprisingly, from his bad hamstring.
“I don’t know how to put it,” said Heisey, who finished third in the 400 at 52.03 Saturday. “My hamstring has been bothering me, but it allowed me to run it more relaxed. I think it ended up helping me.”
Although Heisey didn’t clock a personal-best time, his bad hamstring provided a more paced race, which allowed him not to falter down the stretch. “Sometimes I tense up too much down the stretch and it slows me down,” he said.
The Gilroy senior fell short of Hollister’s Ryan Shorey, whose first-place time was 50.24, as well as Harbor’s Dillon Sherrin, who finished second in 51.71.
The placing, though, earned points for the Mustangs, which took third place out of 29 teams at the Avis Kelley invite. Compiling a team score of 74 points, Gilroy finished behind San Benito (90 points) and Archbishop Mitty (117).
Although the Mustangs did sit behind San Benito in the team standings, they upset the higher-ranked Haybalers in the boys 4×100 relay. With a recorded time of 44.06, Gilroy’s mark edged Fresno’s Central High School (44.18) and that of Hollister’s (44.31).
Even with first place in hand, though, the relay team was already thinking of ways to improve.
“Our hand-offs could have been better, but I’m glad with the effort that we put into it,” said Nick Rodriguez, who ran the third leg Saturday. “The time was a little disappointing. We want more.”
The relay team’s personal record was 43.93, while Peter Guenther, who ran the final leg in the 4×100, set a PR of his own later in the day in the 110 high hurdles.
Recording a 15.30, Guenther edged ‘Balers Austin Schmidt (15.37) and Evan McFadden (15.47).
“It’s a PR. I’ve gotten a hand-time better, but this was a PR electronically,” Guenther said. “The Hollister guys – I always race against them. They’re always right by me … It’s a good push.”
Mustang Sarah Unadia got a push from Sobrato’s Ariel Mosbrucker in the high jump, and although the Gilroy sophomore was unable to eclipse her PR height of 5-02, she did manage to take first by that same height.
“That’s my PR,” Unadia said. “I thought I did really well because in the last meets I lacked confidence. I gained more confidence this meet because it was a home meet and I wanted to do my best.”
Every point for the Gilroy girls came into play, however, as they compiled a team score of 60 points and managed to edge league rival North Salinas for fifth place. The Vikings recorded 59.5 points.
Una Dia, who felt that she had to raise the bar against Mosbrucker, will have just one more dual meet along with her Gilroy teammates on Wednesday against Everett Alvarez. After that, with the Tri-County Athletic League Championships on May 9, raising the bar will be the only option.
“I’m not disappointed that I made 5-02. I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the next height,” Una Dia said. “I’m gonna work on my technique now because my steps are just on.”
Invitational Scores Only
Boys
4×100 – 1, Gilroy, 44.06. 110 hurdles – 1, P. Guenther, 15.30; 7, T. Hill, 17.10. 400 – 3, S. Heisey, 52.03. 100 – 4, T. Reyes, 11.38. 300 hurdles – 3, P. Guenther, 40.99. 3,200 – 4, D. Pesta, 9:53.44.
Girls
100 – 3, S. Unadia, 17.05. 3,200 – 3, K. Miller, 11:32.14. High jump – 1, S. Unadia, 5-02; 3, A Green, 5-0; 4, T. Schaut, 4-10.
