GILROY—Get as many individuals to qualify for the Central Coast Section Tournament—that was Christopher’s goal heading into the Monterey Bay League Master’s Meet. With eight individuals and two relay teams qualifying for 15 events, the Cougars consider that a goal achieved.
The job, however, is far from done.
The MBL Gabilan Division champion Cougar girls team will be well represented with six individuals as well as two relay teams competing in the CCS tournament. Gilroy will send three of its athletes, all of which are competing in the field events. All have their eyes on the prize of making it to the state meet. The next step is the CCS semi-finals which will take place at 2 p.m. May 23. The CCS Finals are at 2 p.m. May 30 and both contests are at San Jose City College.
“You have to understand where you’re at and the goals of what you can and can’t do,” Christopher coach Jeff Myers said. “You can’t really push the kids and max the kids out because sometimes you’re the jack of all trades, master of none. You can’t have that if you’re trying to make it to state. Sometimes you have to drop from four events down to two events or three to give yourself the best chance to make it to state.”
Ally Foster led the Cougars by qualifying for four events while taking first in three. She finished first in the 100-meter hurdles (15.57), 300m hurdles (48.42) and the long jump (17 feet, 2 inches) and second in the triple jump at 35 feet, 6 and a quarter inches —just one and three quarter inches behind the first place finisher from North Monterey County. Haley Romero also qualified for the 100m hurdles with a third place finish (16.69).
Christopher’s Vanessa Koontz and Natalie Gutierrez both qualified for two events and are part of the qualifying relay teams. Koontz finished first and punched her CCS ticket in both the 200m dash (25.92) and 400m (1:00.21). Gutierrez took first in the high jump (5 feet) and third in the 400m (1:00.91). Gutierrez is also the anchor of the 1,600m relay team—also featuring Carly McPolin, Koontz and Alita Watkins—which finished first in a time of 4:09.93. Koontz is the anchor of the 400m relay team—along with Cydney Caradonna, McPolin and Romero—which took second in 50.87.
McPolin took third in the 100m dash (12.88) and Kaelin Sylva took third in the pole vault (9 feet), to round out the Christopher girl’s individual qualifiers. Kimberlyn Gilmour was on the cusp in the shot put, but just missed out despite throwing well all season.
On the boy’s side, Christopher will send Cody Oberlander and Bryan Pipkin. Oberlander took first in the high jump at 6 feet, 7 inches. Pipkin was second in the pole vault at 13 feet.
Gilroy’s Nicole Holder qualified in the high jump for the second year in a row, making the sophomore a perfect 2 for 2 in her high school career. She had a personal best of 5 feet, 2 inches at the MBL Finals on May 9 to be the overall league champion. Mustangs coach Cathy Silva said that Holder shines under pressure and she’s hoping that holds true at the semi-finals.
“She’s not a very large girl,” Silva said. “She’s not very tall or muscular to where you’d look at her and go ‘Wow, she’s going to jump really high.’ But she’s just got the natural gift in her, the flexibility and the bounce in her to clear the bar very high. It’s fun to watch.”
Gilroy will also send senior Courtney Pipkin, who PR’d and qualified with an 8 foot performance. Junior Tim Van Horn will be the solo male representative for the Mustangs in the high jump.
“This is going to be exciting for them because they’ve got some great competition at CCS,” Silva said. “There’s a lot of kind that jump at their PR. It’s going to be whoever’s bringing it that day will get to move on to the next week.”
With the top three athletes moving on to the California Interscholastic Federation state meet June 6-7 in Clovis, Myers said he’s looking to all of his athletes to rise to the challenge and make it to the next level.
“Trying to get any of our athletes to the top level is our goal now in the postseason,” Myers said. “The kids have worked so hard and they progress each year. We’re trying to have the program progress as well, too. The next step would be for us to get to the next level and get a state championship—we’re knocking on the door.”
