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Photograph by Mark Kocina
Homestead's Ben Vestergen (center) raced to a third-place finish in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles at the CCS finals. At left, Lynbrook's Kim Gleeson was third in the shot put.
Gleeson, Vestergen third at CCS track
Athletes shimmer at section, league Þnals
By Dick Sparrer
Kim Gleeson was flexing her muscles a bit at the Central Coast Section track and field championships at Los Gatos recently.
And because of it, the talented Lynbrook junior found her way to the medal stand--twice.
Gleeson placed third in both the shot put and discus to lead the Lynbrook girls to a 16th-place finish at the section finals.
Gleeson, Monta Vista's Dana Underwood and Homestead's Ben Vestergen and Brittany Reynolds all figured among the placers when the best track and field athletes in the Central Coast Section got together on the Gatos track for the annual finals.
Gleeson nails two 3rds
Gleeson heaved the shot put 39-5.5 for a third-place finish and whirled the discus 127-1 for another third.
She had finished third in the discus at the CCS semifinals a week earlier with a toss of 122-6, but was fifth in the shot at 36-3.
The Lynbrook standout had won league titles in both the weight events at the finals in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. Gleeson pitched the shot 40-7 and the discus 132-10 for a pair of firsts.
Teammate Francine Lee, a sophomore, came through with a solid 10th in the 1,600 meters in 5:22.02 at the CCS finals. She had finished 15th in the semifinals in 5:27.93 after a fifth-place finish in 5:36.99 at the league meet.
Lynn Chen was another Lynbrook placer at the league finals, placing sixth in the 300 hurdles in 49.75.
The only Viking to place in the boys league finals was Daniel Rimmer, who was fifth in the triple jump at 38-9.
Vestergen also 3rd
Homestead's Vestergen joined Gleeson as a third-place finisher at the CCS finals.
The junior covered the boys 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 39.09 to finish third in the event for the Mustangs. He had finished second a week earlier, running 39.46 at the CCS semifinals.
Vestergen had won a league champion in the event for the Mustangs in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL. He cruised to a 40.63 at the league finals to finish a second and a half ahead of the field.
In girls action, Reynolds soared to an eighth-place finish in the long jump at 16-10. She had finished seventh at the CCS semi's a week earlier with a 17-2 effort.
Like Vestergen, Reynolds was a league champion for the Mustangs. She took the long jump with a leap of 18-1.25, and she was also second in the discus with a toss of 94-5.
Underwood is 5th
Monta Vista's Underwood breezed to a fifth in the girls 800 meters at CCS, stopping the watch at 2:17.03.
Underwood had finished in the same spot a week earlier at the section semifinals, running fifth in 2:127.26.
Underwood was the champion in the El Camino Division in the half-mile, running 2:22.95 to finish first. Her effort helped the Matadors to a team fourth at the league meet.
Supporting Underwood's efforts at the league meet were Veronica Noone, who was second in the 100 hurdles in 16.77, and Helen Hui, who was third in both the discus at 91-8 and the shot put at 29-9.5.
Garrett Ince, Tyler Ikeda and Jason Martinez were Monta Vista boys who placed at the league meet.
Ince was second in the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.69 and Martinez was second in the 300 intermediate hurdles in 42.12 with Ince third in 43.50. Ikeda added a third in the 400 meters in 52.95.
Wong, Milner lead 'Tino
Cupertino's Jafra Milner and Amy Wong each ran strong at the CCS semifinals, but failed to advance to the section finals.
Milner finished 12th in the 100 in 12.92 and helped the Pioneers to a 12th in the 4x100 relay in 50.62 at the semi's, and Wong was 14th in the 3,200 in 12:06.43 and 21st in the 1,600 in 5:34.4.
Milner and the Pioneers had run to a league title in the 4x100 relay at the El Camino Division finals, clocking 51.64. Individually, Milner was third in both the 100 in 12.92 and the 200 in 26.80.
Kristen Haferd, who ran with Milner on the relay team, was second in the 200 in 26.32.
Cristen Runfola was second in the long jump at 16-8.75, Carly Bond was second in the shot put at 34-11 and Wong was third in the 3,200 in 12:29.24 for the Pioneers.
The Cupertino boys ended up third at the league meet behind Santa Clara and Milpitas.
Kyle Parento won a league title in the discus with a toss of 136-1 and heaved the shot put 44-9 for a third.
Joe Lordan was second in the 400 in 52.78 and Steve Orton was second in the 3,200 in 10:51.49.
Brown stars for Fremont
Jennifer Brown ran to a pair of league titles and Mike Mattman was a champ in the shot to lead the Fremont showing this spring.
Brown breezed to wins in the 200 in 26.06 and the 400 in 1:01.71, and she helped the Lady Birds to a third in the 4x100 relay in 52.56.
Brown went on to quality for the CCS semifinals, but didn't place high enough to advance to the section championship meet. The senior was 12th in the 400 in 1:01.01 and 13th in the 200 in 26.53.
Mattman starred for Fremont at the league finals. The senior was first in the shot put at 49-10 and he added a third in the discus at 128-1.
Eric Fontes ran to a second in the 800 in 2:09.38 and Jesse Huro was second in the 1,600 in 4:47.80 with Fontes third in 4:47.94.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
