A pair of Mustangs will join the rest of the top athletes from
the Central Coast Section today at Gilroy High as they all try to
earn their way to the CIF State Track and Field Championships.
Gilroy – A pair of Mustangs will join the rest of the top athletes from the Central Coast Section today at Gilroy High as they all try to earn their way to the CIF State Track and Field Championships.
Today’s CCS finals begin at 4pm with the start of the field events. The running events begin at 6pm, with the final event due to tip off at 9:10pm. The top-three finishers in each event advance to the state meet June 1 and 2 at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.
Gilroy’s young gun distance runners will be looking to make a step up and earn their way into the finals.
Freshman Elise Ogle enters the 1,600 meters as the sixth-seed with a school-record time of 5:09.37. When she ran that mark at the CCS semifinals it marked the third time this season she had broke the school record.
Sophomore Kathleen Miller, who has state meet experience from cross country, sit just two seconds off the school record in the 3,200 meters as she enters as the ninth seed in that event.
The schedule time for Ogle’s 1,600-meter run is 6:15pm and Miller’s run in the 3,200 is scheduled for 8:40pm.
The rest of the night will feature what expects to be an impressive display of the area’s top talent as Gilroy plays host to the event for the first time.
“The staff has been working all week long on making improvements, keeping up maintenance and adding touch ups in preparation for the finals,” Gilroy coach Jeff Myers said. “We have been working along with the CCS meet management crew and have been given great support from GHS coaches and Athletic Director Jack Daley. Our track team members have also been assigned duties for the meet and I look forward to seeing the team members come through as well.”
The day’s first event – the girls pole vault – features state and national leader Tori Anthony (14-2 1/2) of Castilleja. She’ll be challenged by St. Francis’ Natasha Barthel.
Mt. Pleasant’s Vashti Thomas comes in as the top seed in the long jump (20-2) and triple jump (40-11 3/4), as well as the 100 hurdles (13.62). Her teammate, Jeneba Tarmoh, is the defending state champion in the 100 and 200 meters and is the top seed in both events.
Mt. Pleasant also brings the top seed in the 4×100 relay (46.68) and the 4×400 relay (3:58.02) and the Cardinals should figure to make noise in the team title race.
The girls 300 hurdles expects to be competitive, led by Carmel’s Thea Lee (44.62). Stephanie LeFever of Aptos (45.52) and Nicole Sliva of Archbishop Mitty (45.62) should battle along with Lee, whose also the second seed in the 400 (56.73).
The girls 200 looks to be a photo finish race with entries Mt. Pleasant’s Tarmoh, Scotts Valley’s Haley Huxtable (24.58), Pinewood’s Angela Gradiska (24.61), Valley Christian’s Dahlys Marshall (24.67) and Milpitas’ Eileen Nguyen (24.69) all battling for state meet entry.
On the boys side, the boys discus leads off with a battle between Drew Gordon of Archbishop Mitty (173-09) and two throwers from Los Gatos, Colin Quirke (172-07) and Randall Horn (166-05). Cesar Puga of Alisal is seeded in fifth at 153-09.
Quirke is the top seed in the boys shot put at 60-08.25 with St. Francis’ Andy Vargas (58-10) and Bellarmine’s Stephen Powell (56-07.5) seeded second and third.
The boys long jump has the top four qualifiers over 23 feet, with Reggie Topps of North Monterey County seeded first at 23-09.75.
The boys pole vault will get also get as much drama as the girls with Nico Weiler of Los Gatos. He cleared 17-0 in the CCS Trials to earn him the top seed and also comes in as the state leader. Josh Cusick of St. Lawrence Academy (15-6), Adam Campi (14-6) and Brett Benham (14-0) of St. Francis and returning state qualifier Josh Schroder (13-6) of San Benito should provide a great competition for the coveted state spots.
On the track, the 4×100 relay should get the boys running events off to a great start. Bellarmine (42.91), Seaside (42.96), Serra (43.04), Pioneer (43.07), Oak Grove (43.19), Palo Alto (43.27) Archbishop Mitty (43.40) and Palma (43.48) are all less than a second apart.
The 1,600 will follow and features one of the stronger fields in recent years, led by Carlmont’s Brad Surh (4:16.45), Aptos’ Rylan Hunt (4:16.94) and Watsonville’s Miguel Zepeda (4:18.75). Sobrato’s Lance Wolfsmith is seeded 10th in that field.
Los Altos’ Eric Hersey is the top seeded hurdler with times of 14.29 in the 110 hurdles and 38.50 in the 300 hurdles and has high hopes of a double state meet qualification.
The boys 800 should be one the night’s best races, led by Oak Grove’s Sebastian Sam (1:55.51), Mt. View’s Robbie Reed (1:55.71), Carlmont’s Nick Palladino (1:55.74), Monta Vista’s Simon Bill (1:56.52), Los Gatos’ Jon Berthet (1:56.41) and Serra’s Chuck Stimson (1:56.87).
The event Myers is most looking forward to in the boys 4×400 relay.
“This is going to be a blazing race,” he said.
Archbishop Mitty (3:22.61), Bellarmine (3:23.57), Palma (3:24.95), Pioneer (3:26.01), Palo Alto (3:26.12) and North Salinas (3:26.15) will all contend in a race that ends the boys competition and is typically one of the more exciting races of any meet.
Field Events
4pm Girls pole vault
4:10pm Boys discus
4:30pm Boys high jump
4:40pm Girls shot put
4:45pm Girls long jump
4:50pm Boys long jump
6:10pm Boys shot put
6:20pm Boys pole vault
6:30pm Girls high jump
6:35pm Girls triple jump
6:40pm Girls discus
6:40pm Boys triple jump
Running Events
6pm Boys 4×100 relay
6:08pm Girls 4×100 relay
6:15pm Boys 1,600 meters
6:25pm Girls 1,600 meters
6:35pm Girls 100 hurdles
6:45pm Boys 110 hurdles
6:55pm Boys 400 meters
7pm Girls 400 meters
7:10pm Boys 100 meters
7:20pm Girls 100 meters
7:30pm Boys 800 meters
7:40pm Girls 800 meters
7:50pm Boys 300 hurdles
7:55pm Girls 300 hurdles
8:05pm Boys 200 meters
8:15pm Girls 200 meters
8:25pm Boys 3,200 meters
8:40pm Girls 3,200 meters
9pm Boys 4×400 relay
9:10pm Girls 4×400 relay
