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Alejandro, Stewens star at league track finals
By Dick Sparrer
Los Gatos is without a doubt the boys track and field powerhouse in the Central Coast Section this spring.
But when it comes to the 800-meter run, the Saratoga Falcons can give those Wildcats a run for their money.
And that's just what they did at the league finals in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League recently.
Gatos ran up 156 points to easily win the team title at the league meet, and Saratoga was a distant fourth with 60 points.
But in the 800, the Falcons ran right with the Wildcats. In fact, the two schools proved to be the class of the league in the event.
Los Gatos went one-three in the 800 with Matt Bates running 1:56.91 to finish first and Tomas Viramontes 1:59.51 to claim third.
The Falcons, though, were pretty impressive, too.
Jesse Alejandro, David La and Richard La also placed in the two-lapper to give Saratoga and Los Gatos the top five placers in the event.
Alejandro ran a solid second in 1:57.26 with D. La fourth in 2:00.03 and R. La fifth in 2:00.27.
The second-place finish for Alejandro was just part of the big night for the Saratoga senior.
Alejandro was also third in the 400 meters in 51.08 and he ran for two relay teams that placed in the league meet.
Alejandro teamed with Arnold Chu, David Cheng and John Griffin for a second in the 400-meter relay in 44.64, and he joined forces with Cheng and the La brothers for a third in the 1,600-meter relay in 3:34.64.
Cheng and Chu also placed in multiple events for the Falcons. Cheng was third in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 41.49 and fourth in the 110-meter high hurdles in 16.34, and Chu was third in the 200 in 23.52 and fifth in the 100 in 11.61.
Alexi Sevastopoulos soared to a third in the high jump at 6-2 and Jim Cummins whirled the discus 129-6 to claim a fifth at league.
The only league champion for the Falcons, though, was in the varsity girls division.
Julia Stewens flew to a 5-5 in the high jump to win a league title and set a new school record in the process. She was also second in the long jump at 16-7.
Eevi Aura was fifth in the 100 in 12.92, and she and Stewens teamed with Jamie Pfeifer and Neha Talreja for a fifth in the 400 relay in 51.34. Aura, Pfeifer, Talreja and Samantha Smith ran 4:18.75 for a seventh in the 1,600 relay.
In the boys frosh-soph division, Pat McKenna was fourth in the 100 in 11.99 with Gene Lu sixth in 12.07, Aaron Blair was fourth in the 300 hurdles in 46.09, Conway Teng was fifth in the 800 in 2:10.54 and Lu was sixth in the 200 in 24.92.
McKenna and Lu combined with Ben Duncan and Dayne McGee to finish fifth in the 400 relay in 47.62.
Zola Petkovic was second in the 100 hurdles in 18.34 to lead the Saratoga showing in the girls junior varsity division.
Petkovic was second in the event with Jessica Tu fourth in 18.86 and Michelle Fongson fifth in 18.96.
Claire Tero ran third in the 400 in 66.18 with Elizabeth Howe sixth in 68.1, and Christina Kaspar was fourth in the 100 in 13.81. Stephanie Shen added a sixth in the 300 hurdles in 55.89.
Howe and Tero teamed with Angela Pal and Candis Teerlink to finish second in the 1,600 relay in 4:34.72.
The top Saratoga placers at the league meet advanced to the Central Coast Section Subsection meet at Los Gatos, and four Falcons earned places.
Alejandro was second to Bates again in the 800. Bates rant 1:56.93 to finish first with Alejandro second in 1:57.66. D. La was fifth in 1:58.75.
Sevastopoulos topped the high jump bar at 6-2 to tie for third place, and Stewens finished sixth in the girls high jump at 5-7, bettering her own school record.
The Saratoga boys were second in the 1,600 relay in 3:28.10 and fifth in the 400 relay in 44.19.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
