Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Prospect's Saladin Washington romped to a sixth-place finish in the 400 meters in 50.86 at the CCS Top 8 meet held last Friday at Los Gatos.
Alejandro, Teerlink pace Falcons
Prospect's Owens places in throws
By Dick Sparrer
It was a precursor to the prestigious Central Coast Section finals.
And if the results of the April 21st CCS Top 8 Track Classic are any indication of what could follow at the May 26th CCS championships, Prospect and Saratoga could each have a pretty good day.
Prospect finished the Top 8 meet with three placers in four events.
Anna-Marie Owens was fourth in the discus with a heave of 115-11 and added a sixth in the shot put with a 34-0 1/2 effort.
Teammate Danielle Zelinski supported with a seventh in the 800 meters in 2:22.87.
In boys action, Saladin Washington ran a solid sixth in the 400 meters in 50.86.
The Falcons were led by Jesse Alejandro and Taylor Teerlink, who each placed in the meet.
Alejandro was fourth in the boys 400 meters in 50.07, and Teerlink ran seventh in the girls 100-meter high hurdles in 15.96.
A week earlier, the Falcons and Panthers had finished strong at the Hampton-Phillips Classic at San Jose City College.
Alejandro raced to a second in the 400 in 50.57 for the Falcons, with Prospect's Washington fifth in 51.07. Washington was also seventh in the 200 in 23.64.
Saratoga's David Cheng rambled to a sixth in the 400 intermediate hurdles in 1:00.25, with Prospect's Andrew Heling a close seventh in 1:01.09.
Jacob Christopherson breezed to a 12th in the 1,600 meters in 4:42.72
In girls competition, Zelinski finished strong with a second in the 800 in 2:20.83 for the Panthers. Owens was fifth in both the shot put at 33-8 and the discus at 112-0 1/2.
Teerlink finished among the placers in the girls 400 hurdles, nailing eighth in 1:10.87.
Richard and David La starred for Saratoga in the boys frosh-soph division. The brothers finished one-two in the 800 meters, and they helped the Falcons to a team third in the distance medley relay.
R. La was first in 2:01.90 with D. La second in 2:03.09 in the frosh-soph 800. The two teamed with Don Prolo and Scott Moran for a third in the distance medley in 11:18.07.
Saratoga's James Lii anchors the 400-meter relay team to a victory in last week's dual meet with Los Gatos.
Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Frosh-Soph Classic
It was a record-breaking day when top young athletes from the section turned out for the CCS Frosh-Soph Classic on April 7 at Los Gatos.
In all, 10 new meet records were set in the event, all of them in the girls competition.
Aly Chavez and Kim Christiansen of Los Gatos, Devon Tracy of St. Ignatius, Natalie Nunn of St. Francis, Christina Hardeman of Wilcox, Janelle Stevens and Loranne Swaby of Monta Vista Christian, Leanna Sanchez and Jill Ralston of Aptos, and Janelle Beranex of Santa Clara all set new meet standards in the frosh-soph event.
Chavez cruised to a 12.76 for a win in the 100 meters, snapping the old meet record of 12.86 set last year, and Christiansen soared 17-2 in the long jump for a first, bettering the 1999 meet record of 16-10 1/2.
Tracy went 5-5 in the high jump to break the '98 mark of 5-4; Nunn ran 26.45 in the 200 to snap the mark of 26.79 set last year; Hardeman ran 59.63 in the 400 to trim the record of 60.91 set in 1998; Stevens covered the 1,600 in 5:15.79 to shatter the '98 mark of 5:18.2; Swaby ran 46.50 in the 300 low hurdles to break the record of 47.63 set last year; Sanchez ran 11:41.9 to crush the mark of 11:49.6 set in '98; Ralston covered the 100 high hurdles in 16.87 to trim the '98 mark of 16.9; and Beranex heaved the shot put 38-3 to better the '98 mark of 35-7.
Saratoga's Eevi Aura won her heat in the 100 before finishing second in the finals in 13.08. She also teamed with Nicola Rooke, Neha Talreja and Jamie Pfeifer for a first-place finish in the 400 meter relay in 51.74.
Aura, Talreja and Pfeifer teamed with Candis Teerlink for a sixth in the 1,600-meter relay in 4:20.9.
Pfeiffer added an eighth in the 400 meters in 62.1
David and Richard La starred for the Falcons in the boys division. D. La finished second in the 800 meters in 2:02.51 with R. La a close third in 2:02.76.
Westmont's Chris Aimonetti was 11th in the shot put at 44-4.
Cats sweep Falcons
Los Gatos swept Saratoga in dual meet action last week, winning 78-37 in the girls varsity division, 77-50 in boys varsity, 72-47 in girls junior varsity and 71-52 in boys frosh-soph.
Teerlink was a double winner for the Falcons, but the Saratoga girls could win just three events against the Wildcats.
Teerlink was tops in the 100 hurdles in 15.87 and took the 300 hurdles in 48.4.
Aura added a first in the 100 in 12.81 for Saratoga.
Alejandro, Ian Jang and Cheng were the only Saratoga winners in the boys varsity division.
Alejandro took the 400 meters in 50.47, Jang flew to a win in the long jump at 19-5, and Cheng won the 300 hurdles in 41.43.
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