After pole vaulting to a personal-best 13-feet, 9-inches at last Thursday’s dual meet against Salinas, senior Luis Magana had it mind to literally raise the bar. Magana set his sights on 14-feet – and he had two chances to do it during a busy weekend at the track for select members of the Gilroy High track and field team.
At Friday’s Top 8 Invitational – a field loaded with the who’s who of the Central Coast Section’s best in the annual mid-season preview of sorts of late May’s CCS finals – Magana reached new heights and registered a 14-foot effort in capturing second place. He followed that up by tying that mark Saturday at the Bill Kearney Invitational hosted by Salinas, also good for a second-place showing.
Senior Jourdan Soares, the defending 100-meter dash section champion clocked his fastest time thus far, crossing in 10.99 seconds to finish fourth Friday. He won the event at last season’s Top 8 with a 10.98, splitting the honor with former teammate Julius Travis. Khalid Johnson of St. Francis won Friday’s event in 10.82. Soares, who is beginning to close in on his 10.66 time that earned a spot at the top of the podium at the CCS finals last year, won the 100 on Saturday with an 11.02. He made it a double-gold afternoon with a 22.14 in the 200.
Adding points to a GHS boys’ overall fourth place at the Bill Kearney, Scott Vogel posted a 132-08 (season best) in the discus.
Freshman Ally Foster took eighth in the long jump (15-11) for the Christopher High contingent at Top 8. She also recorded a school record in the triple jump with a 33-4.25. Marty Ettema is making his way back into the mix of top hurdlers, registering a season-best 15.63 to grab seventh. And Marcus Harrell continues to be an of-note performer in the long jump, landing 23-3.25 for sixth.
NOTES: From Top 8 – Gilroy’s Chelsey Kalata’s 26.74 in the 200 was a season-best. Gilroy junior Samantha Una Dia finished sixth with a season-best 16.22 in the 100-meter hurdles. GHS senior Sarina Sandoval also took sixth with a 37-feet, 9-inch mark in the shot put.
