There was a time when sophomore Stephanie Radtke ran alone
GILROY – There was a time when sophomore Stephanie Radtke ran alone without any support from her teammates in the thick of battle on the three-mile cross country course.
Not any more.
Radtke – who won her third straight race with a time of 21:28 – has a solid team running partner in sophomore Cristina Hernandez – who finished in third with a time of 23:56.
“It helps me a lot. We push each other,” said Radtke of Hernandez. “She stayed with me until the hill. That’s the first time she’s done that.”
With two runners in the top three and five Lady Mustangs in the top six spots, Gilroy (1-4 in TCAL) notched its first league victory with Monday’s impressive 19-36 home win over neighboring rival Live Oak.
“That’s my goal to keep up with her,” said Hernandez of Radtke. “I just pushed myself to keep going as long as I did. I felt good because that was my fastest time I’ve run this course in. My body feels fine.”
It was no easier chore to keep up with Radtke – who rushed out to a faster start than usual with Live Oak’s top runner Daniella King in the girls varsity heat.
“Coach told me to start out fast and that’s what I did,” said Radtke, who welcomed Coach Wayne Scott’s inside scoop. “I usually try to start off fast, but it’s hard to get out fast because you don’t know if you’ll be able to finish strong.”
Radtke started fast and finished strong. With her every step of the way until the dreaded incline at Christmas Hill Park was Hernandez – who was eventually overtaken by King (23:05).
“It helps out the team as a whole and Stephanie as well. She now has a running partner at a reasonable level,” Coach Scott said. “Stephanie is training harder. It’s good for each of them. It’s a real threat to have two runners finish in the top three each race. It’s a nice change.”
Gilroy finished strong down its line-up with Sayako Uchida (25:10) taking fourth; Jennifer Bennett (26:09) finishing fifth; and Claire Matt (26:16) placing sixth. After King in second, the Lady Acorns finished seventh through 11th.
“It is nice (to get our first win),” Coach Scott said. “This is what I think the girls were capable of doing the last three weeks. They finally ran the race they are capable of. We’ll just see what happens from here. Anything can happen at the league meet.”
The Tri-County Athletic League Finals are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2 at Toro Park in Salinas. While the Lady Mustangs still have an outside shot at qualifying as a team, Radtke and Hernandez are vying for the final two individual qualifying spots along with Live Oak’s KIng.
“It’s going to come down to two of the top three runners today will qualify as individuals for CCS,” said Coach Scott, whose focus shifts to the league finals. “(We’ll) decrease distance and increase speed and see how it works out.”
Both Radtke and Hernandez are coming into their own right in time for a strong showing into the league finals.
“I felt really good. I felt strong. I had a good day,” said Radtke, following Monday’s meet. “The last couple of races I felt really good. I had same good races.”
Hernandez added: “I’ve been trying hard at practice, especially with the hills. That’s my weakness. It’s been a lot easier on my quads.”
