The Cupertino Courier

Sports

Monta Vista runs to big win over Cats

Matadors takes big step in race for title

By MIKE BARNHART

After racing past the competition to the championship in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League last season, Monta Vista's girls track and field team is on course to do the same in the De Anza circuit this spring.

Coming off a strong showing at the St. Francis Invitational, the Matadors raised their dual meet record to 3-0 with a victory over a strong Los Gatos squad on March 29.

Paced by seniors Julia Co and Maria Nelson, the Matadors won nine of the 14 events en route to a 72-51 triumph over the host Wildcats. Monta Vista, which previously had outscored Palo Alto and defending champion Los Altos in De Anza duals, will try to improve to 4-0 when it travels to Gunn on April 6. The Titans, Lynbrook (April 13) and Milpitas (April 27) are the remaining hurdles standing in the way of another division championship.

Co's winning marks of 17-1/2 in the long jump and 34-1 in the triple jump paced a Matador sweep of the field events. Sophomore Helena Montin cleared 5-2 to claim the high jump, and freshman Michelle Young placed first in the shot put (28-0) and the discus (70-1).

Nelson captured the sprints, racing 13.17 in the 100 meters and 26.63 in the 200. Nelson also helped Monta Vista edge Los Gatos in the 400-meter relay with an outstanding time of 49.7, joining Mt. Pleasant and Menlo-Atherton as the only Central Coast Section squads to run under 50 seconds this season.

In the 3,200, Matador freshman Jean Feng's winning time of 11:28 clipped 10 seconds off of her previous personal best. Junior Angelu Hsu did not win for the Matadors against Los Gatos, but proved she is among the CCS's best distance runners with her efforts at the St. Francis Invitational on March 25.

Hsu, who last spring finished 10th in the 1,600 at the CCS meet, was second in the 3,000 meters and third in the mile at St. Francis. Hsu led four Matadors into the top 10 of the 3,000, as her 10:31 was second only to Diana George of Livermore. Feng (10:41) placed fifth, three seconds ahead of sixth-place Stephanie Cham, and 18 ahead of eighth-place Lisa Worsham. In the mile, Hsu ran 5:20 for third, while Feng took eighth in 5:26. Cupertino senior Kimberly Chew was 10th in 5:30, one place ahead of Cham (5:34).

Junior Emily Rubin ran 49.4 to place fourth in the 300 hurdles for the Matadors. Nelson (12.6) was fifth in the 100, Co sixth in the long jump and Rachel Doran seventh in the 400.

Led by senior Melanie Boyle's second-place effort of 34-7, three Cupertino triple jumpers placed in the top 10 at St. Francis. Stephanie Glick (33-3) was sixth and Nadia Chow (32-2) finished 10th.

Chew (400, 1,600), Chow (long jump) and Boyle (300 hurdles) all won events in Cupertino's 68-59 victory at Wilcox in an El Camino meet on March 30. Chew claimed the 400 and 1,600, Chow the long jump and Boyle the 300 hurdles. Sophomores Melissa Gomez (800) and Sumika Shiokawa (3,200) also won for the Pioneers, who improved to 2-1 in El Camino meets.

Although Homestead lost a dual meet at Saratoga, 79-38, sophomore Sarah Engle and junior Jennifer Garnett came up double winners for the Mustangs. Engle, who pole-vaulted 10 feet to win at the West Valley Relays on March 25, captured the 100 hurdles and the high jump against Saratoga. Garnett won both distance events. Freshman Emily Evans won the 300 hurdles for the Mustangs.

Boys track and field

Homestead senior William Tsai delivered impressive marks while winning both throwing events at Saratoga, but the Falcons won the meet, 65-59. Tsai's winning discus throw of 176-5 was only about 3 feet shy of his CCS-leading effort of 179-1, and he impressed in heaving the shot put 49-1.

Other Homestead winners were junior Rishi Agrawal in the 800, senior Derrick Okamura (19-7) in the long jump, senior Derrick Wong in the high jump and junior Kevin Quock in the triple jump and 400.

In other SCVAL meets last week, Los Gatos topped Monta Vista 82-45 and Wilcox whipped Cupertino 91-36. Event winners for Monta Vista were seniors Patrick Lee (high jump, long jump), Winston Nilumol (triple jump) and Scott Russell (300 hurdles) and junior Simon Bill (800). Just three Cupertino athletes won against Wilcox, sophomores Mrinal Bedi (800, 1,600) and Abiy Gebrekristos (3,200) and senior Travis Scibetta (triple jump).

Lee and Scibetta both had earned fourth-place finishes at the St. Francis Invitational. Scibetta bounded 42-8 in the triple jump and Lee cleared 6-0 in the high jump.