Getting Ready for Districts
The track season is rushing to crisis. From the first practice in February every coach looks forward to the district meet, which for most kids will be the last chance to reach their goals. Some few will, at the district meet, earn the opportunity to step into the spotlight one more time along with the best from around the state. In every meet prior to districts part of what is going on is coaches trying to position their athletes for qualifying for state.
At the SCL Coaches’ meet held at Dutch Clark April 22 we got to look a kids from seven of the ten teams we will see at districts May 12th and 13th at Fountain. This meet was also a pre-qualifier for state. In the girls 4×800 relay we had four season best performances. Nicole Pirraglia led off with a 2:46.3 followed by a blistering 2:37.4 by Kristi Koschke, a 2:48.4 by Rebekah Kobilan and a strong anchor 2:39.7 by Leanne Lilac for a third place finish in 10:51.90.
The boys 4×800 ran one of the best 4×800 times in school history, 8:28.02, just about four and a half seconds slower than state qualifying time. Mark Montelongo led off with a 2:10.9, Adam Arellano ran a PRY 2:04.7, Chad Stapleton 2:04.1, and Jon-Todd Baker a season best 2:08.1. Still we could do no better than third as Alamosa blistered the track in 8:06.44, and South had a very good second in 8:11.31, both easy state qualifiers.
In the girls 1600 Kristi ran a 6:02, Rebekah a PRY 6:13 and Brianna Bachmeier a PR 6:43. In the boys race Kyle Reno ran a PR 5:12.9, Brad Winn 5:14.9, and R.J. Salazar a PR 5:34.9. The amazing Jenny Bimbi beat a very good effort by Canon City’s Breanna Berry by 20 seconds, 5:15 to 5:35. In the boys race Dan Day of CaƱon outkicked Shawn Borton 4:35 to 4:41.
In the 800 Kristi ran 2:42, Nicole 2:51, and Brianna 2:52. Bimbi won in 2:23.91 to Sydney Mondragon’s 2:27.1 Chad Stapleton, who had his heels nicked twice in the start of the second turn, recovered for a PR 2:03.28, good for second behind East’s Mac Mattingly’s 2:02.12. Mark ran 2:13.1 and Jon-Todd 2:19.3.
In the 3200 Rebekah had a season best 13:52, Darlene Hoschouer ran 15:26, and Valerie Valdez ran 15:43. Berry won that race in 12:21.81. Kyle ran 11:37, Brad 11:46 and Joe Marino 14:40 in the race won by Day in 10:14.33.
In the two La Junta meets PR’s were scarcer. At the Lady Tiger Thursday evening, April 27 the 4×800 relay team ran 11:05.1 with Kiristi Koschke running an excellent 2;40 lead leg, followed by Nicole Piraglia’s 2:53 and Rebekah Kobilan’s 2:53 and leanne Lisac’s 2:37 that got us to seventh, just out of the money. In the 1600 Kristi ran a nice 6:03 and Rebekah got a PR 6:12.4. Kristi came back in the 800 with a 2:41 and Nicole improved to 2:50. In the 3200 Darlene Hoschouer ran 14:50 and Valerie Valdez ran 14:47.
In the 51st running of the Tiger Relays the next night the boys 4×800 relay team earned a fifth place in windy conditions running 8:47.7, Mark Montelongo led off with a 2:12.6, Adam Arrelano ran 2:10.5, Chad Stapleton ran 2:08.1. and Kyle Reno equalled his PR 2:15. In the 1600 medley relay Chad ran a 2:05 to anchor the team to a sixth place finish in 3:48.5. In the 1600 Brad Winn ran 5:18 and R.J. Salazar battled with severe shin pain while running 5:58. In the 3200 Brad Winn got a PR 11:45:6, and Kyle ran 11:46.
In the league B meet May 2, for which I have incomplete results, Brad Winn got a PR 1600 of 5:04 to place second behind a cruising Shawn Borton. Later Brad anchored the 4×400 team to a win holding off a charging South runner.