Photograph by George Sakkestad
Los Gatos speedster Ashley Caldwell, racing to the finish line in a dual meet against Lynbrook, won the 800 and 1,600 and was second in the 400 at the league finals last week.
'Unbelievable' finish for Caldwell
Los Gatos girls run to league track title
By Dick Sparrer
Ashley Caldwell of Los Gatos didn't have a good day at the track finals for the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL)--she had a great day!
Caldwell won the 1,600-meter run, came back to finish second in the 400 meters, and capped the day with a win in the 800 meters.
"That was the toughest triple in Los Gatos history," said Los Gatos coach Monica Townsend of Caldwell's effort. "It was unbelievable, because she barely has any time between events."
Caldwell's effort helped the Los Gatos girls finish first at the league meet and helped the Wildcats claim a third straight De Anza Division championship.
"She continues to have one of the best seasons any track athlete has ever had at Los Gatos High," said longtime LG head coach Willie Harmatz of Caldwell. "She won the 1,600, then came back 45 minutes later to place second in the 400, then came back 45 minutes later to win the 800."
Caldwell's 5:02.61 is the third fastest 1,600 time in Los Gatos history, and her 58.32 is the seventh best 400 time of all time. She currently boasts the state's third best 1,600 time and fifth best 800 time this season.
Nik Kay also starred for the Wildcats at the league meet. The Gatos junior joined Caldwell as a double winner, and he set a school record in the process.
Kay heaved the discus 185-3 to finish first and set a new school standard, and Kay also took the shot put with a 51-10 effort.
But it was the Gatos girls who grabbed the spotlight as a team. The Cats ran up 114 points to finish well ahead of second place Gunn (87). St. Francis (70) was a distant third.
"The girls came to do some damage," said Townsend, who will send her squad back to the track for the SCVAL qualifying meet on May 11, noon, at Los Gatos.
Caldwell, Kim Christiansen and Ali Dodson led the Cats to the team championship.
Photograph by George Sakkestad
Weightman Nik Kay won the shot put and the discus competition at the league finals. Kay set a new school record with a toss of 185-3 in the discus.
Christiansen soared to a win in the long jump and added a second in the triple jump, and Dodson was second in the 100-meter dash and third in the 200.
Christiansen took the long jump with a 16-2.75 effort, with Lyndsay Erickson second at 16-01.25, and she was second in the triple jump at 35-10, with Erickson fourth at 35-1.
Dodson sprinted to a second in the 100 in 12.71, and she was third in the 200 in 26.22.
Caldwell led solid Los Gatos efforts in the 400, 800 and 1,600. The talented senior won first in the 800, with Carolyn Penner fourth in 2:22.86, Michelle Beritzhoff fifth in 2:24.38 and Ashley Benson sixth in 2:25.51; Caldwell was first in the 1,600, with Beritzhoff fourth in 5:09.27; and Caldwell was second in the 400, with Penner third in 59.98 and Caroline Stege fourth in 1:01.85.
The Wildcats ran to a win in the 4x400 relay in 4:14.79, and they added a third in the 4x100 relay in 51.11.
Michelle Johnson flew to a fifth in the high jump at 5-0, with teammate Laney Chinn sixth at the same height.
Sally Stanton covered the 300 hurdles in 48.69 to finish sixth, and Erica Williams was sixth in the 3,200 meters in 12:35.76.
Kay, Eric Medefesser and Clay McKell were standouts for the Los Gatos boys in the varsity division last week.
Kay had the two wins in the weight events, and Medefesser flew to a first in the high jump at 6-2.
McKell was second in the 800 meters in 2:04.45, with Nathan Young fifth in 2:07.39. Young was also sixth in the 1,600 in 4:47.27.
Chris Parides finished fourth in the 400 in 53.10, and Jason Yuki was fifth in the 3,200 in 10:41.93.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
