Los Gatos senior Matt Bates runs to a win in the 1,600 meters at the CCS Top-8 meet. Bates was named the track athlete of the meet.

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Cats among best in CCS Top-8

Bates, Kay win special honors

By Dick Sparrer

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

That's certainly how it appeared for the Los Gatos track and field team last Friday night.

The Wildcats played host to the Central Coast Section Top-8 Classic last week on the Gatos track, and the local athletes sure seemed to enjoy all the comforts of home. Though there was nothing humble about their performance.

Six Wildcats struck Top-8 gold, and two of them won top honors as athletes of the meet as Los Gatos rolled to team championships in the boys and girls varsity divisions.

Matt Bates and Brian Edwards were individual champions who led the Gatos boys to a team title. The Wildcats ran up 73 points to finish first with Bellarmine second at 64.

Ashley Caldwell, Sally Stanton and Kim Christiansen each won events to lead the Los Gatos girls to a championship. The Cats finished with 87 points to finish well ahead of second-place Hollister (66).

Bates and Nik Kay were Wildcats who walked off with top individual honors in the meet.

Bates was named the track athlete of the meet in the boys varsity division after winning the 800 meters and 1,600 meters and helped the Cats to a win in the 1,600-meter relay.

Kay won the field athlete of the meet award in the boys frosh-soph division after posting a double win in the shot put and discus.

Bates was outstanding for the Wildcats. The senior was picked the CCS Top-8 athlete of the meet for the second straight year after posting "the best triple in Los Gatos history" in the 800, 1,600 and 4x400 relay, according to LG Head Coach Willie Harmatz.

Bates snapped a 17-year-old meet record in the 1,600 when he ran 4:12.8 to crush the old mark of 4:13.6 set in 1984 by Matt Giusto of San Mateo. Bates' time is the second best in the state this year and ranks as the second best in Los Gatos history.

As if that wasn't enough for one night, Bates romped to a win in the 800 in 1:53.9.

Bates later teamed with Edwards, Darren Key and Jeff Hoeft for a win in the 1,600-meter relay in 3:235.4.

Edwards also had a big night for the Wildcats. The senior speedster raced to a first-place finish in the 400 meters in 49.28, winning the event for the second straight year at the Top-8.

Edwards added a second in the 200 meters in a season-best 22.10 and he joined with Hoeft, Seung Lee and Geno Gingery for a second in the 400-meter relay in 43.57.

Russ Martin came through with a second in the 3,200-meter run in a season-best 9:22.9.

"He ran a great race," said Harmatz of Martin.

Eric Medefessor tied for third in the high jump at 6-0, and Matt McNerney placed in both weight events with a fifth in the shot put at 49-5 1/4 and a seventh in the discus at 127-9.

Tomas Viramontes rambled to a fifth in the 3,200 in 9:44.0, Peter Baunach flew to a sixth in the high jump at 6-0, Lee added an eighth in the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.8, Hoeft was eighth in the 400 in 59.94, and Key finished eighth in the 1,600 in 4:32.6.


Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Speeding over the hurdles is Sally Stanton of Los Gatos (left) on her way to a victory in the 100 lows at the CCS Top-8 Classic.




Girls run to win

Caldwell, Stanton and Christiansen led the Los Gatos effort in the girls division at the Top-8.

Caldwell romped to a "big win" in the 1,600 in 5:05.6 and also combined forces with Meghan Kirby-McFarland, Heather Hennessy and Carolyn Penner for a first in the 1,600-meter relay in 4:02.2.

Stanton, Christiansen and Lynsey Erickson each placed in two individual events

Stanton, a freshman, covered the 300-meter low hurdles in 48.37 for a win and also finished eighth in the 100-meter high hurdles in 17.0.

Christiansen flew to a win in the triple jump at 36-6 and backed that up with a second in the long jump at 17-1 1/4. Erickson was third in the triple jump at 34-10 1/2 and third in the long jump at 16-8.

"That was a great double for Kim and Lynsey," said Harmatz.

Hennessy, who is still making a comeback from a back injury suffered in a car accident early in the school year, raced to a second in the 800 in 2:17.4.

Penner was third in the 400 in 58.46, Aly Chavez was fifth in the 100 in 12.5 and Beritzhoff was sixth in the 1,600 in 5:12.8.

Chavez got together with Kristen Fumia, Aly Dodson and Simone Drucker for a win in the 400-meter relay in 49.31.

Kay tops in field

In the boys frosh-soph division at the Top-8, Kay was outstanding for the Wildcats.

The sophomore weightman heaved the shot put 50-11 for a first-place finish, and he dominated the field in the discus with a toss of 151-11. His effort bettered the showing of second-place Evan Pronten of Prospect by nearly 20 feet.

Kay was named the field athlete of the meet for his efforts.

The only other Los Gatos placer in the division was Will Langan, who finished sixth in the 3,200 meters in 10:37.2.

Cats beat Gunn

Los Gatos had opened the week by running to varsity wins over Gunn in girls and boys action in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Caldwell and Stanton each recorded a first and a second on the track and Christiansen and Erickson shared firsts and seconds in the field to lead the Gatos girls to a 76-51 win over the Titans.

Caldwell raced to a win in the 800 in 2:28.9 with Lynsey Harris second in 2:32.5 and Jen Rubnitz third in 2:32.7, and she was second in the mile in 5:07.6 with Beritzhoff third in 5:18.3.

Stanton covered the 100 hurdles in 17.0 for a first with Kristen Turner third in 17.2 and Mel Lopes fourth in 18.5, and she was second in the 300 hurdles in 48.9 with Lopes third in 52.3.

Christiansen was first in the triple jump at 36-3 1/2 with Erickson second at 34-10 1/4, and Erickson was first in the long jump at 17-8 with Christiansen second at 17-4.

Penner raced to a win in the 400 in 58.9 with Hennessy second in 60.0 and Kirby-McFarland third in 60.3, and Erica Williams was first in the 2-mile in 12:37.0 with Shannon Kehrig fourth in 14:34.1.

Chavez was second in the 100 in 12.5 with Dodson third in 12.7 and Fumia fourth in 12.9, and Dodson was second in the 200 in 26.0 with Fumia third in 26.9.

Heather Davis whirled the discus 94-5 for a second with Sandy Runyan third at 71-7 1/2, and Runyan pushed the shot 27-4 for a third with Davis fifth at 24-11 1/2.

Over on the boys side, Edwards won three events in a 79-48 win over Gunn.

Edwards sprinted to a win in the 100 in 10.9 with Lee second in 11.0, and he breezed to a win in the 200 in 22.1 with Hoeft second in 23.3. He was also first in the triple jump at 42-1 with Dan Leis fourth at 38-2.

Bates and Lee were each double winners for the Wildcats.

Bates took the 800 in 1:59.3 with Viramontes second in 2:00.8, and he won the mile in 4:45.8 with Key second in 4:47.7 and Viramontes third in 4:50.1.

Lee was tops in the 110 high hurdles in 15.3 with Payam Mokhtari third in 17.3, and he took the 300 hurdles in 42.1 with Mokhtari second in 42.9.

Hoeft romped to a first in the 400 in 51.1, and Viramontes took the 2-mile in 10:16.4 with Greg Tolan third in 10:28.0.

Kay and Nick Skrabe traded wins in the weights. Kay took the discus at 141-1 with Skrabe second at 132-2, and Skrabe was first in the shot put at 49-1 1/4 with Kay third at 45-8.

Medefessor took the high jump at 6-2, and Leis was fourth in the long jump at 18-0.

Top placers for the frosh-soph boys against Gunn included: Langan, first in the mile (5:04.8) and second in the 800 (2:21.0); Jamal Modir, first in the 400 (54.8) and second in the 200 (24.4); Angelo Peregra, first in the high jump (5-6); Danny Bates, second in the 400 (55.0) and third in the 200 (24.6); Stanley Tran, second in the shot put (36-5); and John Ballard, third in the discus (90-8).

Top placers for the junior varsity girls against Gunn included: Jodi Christiansen, first in the long jump (14-7 1/4) and first in the triple jump (30-9); Kati McClenathan, first in the 200 (28.9) and second in the 100 (14.0); Kate Demers, first in the 100 (13.9); and Kristi Yackle, first in the 400 (66.9).

Police Report

Amy Peikoff: Robert Downey Jr. supporters only half right

Local Home and Property Sales Listings

St. Luke's Episcopal Church hosts Berkeley organist Larry Marietta for Evensong recital

Picture from the Past

Sports Briefs

Cats among best in CCS Top-8

A's off to hot start in 2001, at least in LG Little League

Recreational soccer signups