Some tough decisions for CCS track Some tough decisions for CCS track (May 25, 2005)

Some athletes are faced with dropping an event for better state hopes

by Keith Peters

Libby Jenke of Menlo School is the Central Coast Section leader in both the 400 and 800 this season. On any given day, the senior would be a heavy favorite to win both those races.

On Friday, however, the finals of the 400 and 800 at the CCS track and field championships are just 35 minutes apart. Since Jenke is the odds on favorite to win a state title in the 800, she may wind up dropping the 400 to leave her fresh for the two-lapper.

Jenke was the top qualifier in the 400 (a personal-record 56.09) at the CCS semifinals last Saturday at San Jose City College. She also qualified comfortably in the 800 (No. 3 in 2:15.38). While Jenke probably could win the 400, the 800 is her best event and she probably wants nothing to jeopardize her chance of reaching the CIF State Meet on June 3-4 in Sacramento.

Jenke is not alone in having to make a tough decision or two. A number of other local athletes who qualified for the CCS finals at Los Gatos High also may have to choose.

Menlo-Atherton senior Evan Anderson qualified first in the 1,600 (4:17.26) and No. 2 in the 3,200 (9:33.83). While there is plenty of time between finals - two hours and 10 minutes - it may be a question of concentrating his efforts in his best event, the 1,600.

Gunn senior Tori Tyler is qualified in the 1,600 and 3,200, but the metric two-miler is her best event and virtually assures her a berth in the state meet. She ran 10:42.75 and won by more than 23 seconds on Saturday.

The busiest local athlete this Friday will be Palo Alto senior Katrina Zawojski. She's qualified in four events - 400 relay, long jump, triple jump and 200.

She ran the third leg on the sprint relay as the Vikings qualified No. 3 in a school-record 48.34. She clocked a personal best of 25.21 as the No. 4 qualifier in the 200, set a school record of 38-9 1/2 to qualify No. 1 in the triple jump and established a school record of 18-9 1/4 as the No. 2 qualifier in the long jump.

With Zawojski competing in all four, the Vikings have an outside chance at a CCS title. If one event had to go, based on her placing last Saturday, it would be the 200.

No matter what decisions are made Friday, it will be a busy night for local entrants in their quests to reach the state meet.

For the boys, Gunn junior Chris Yu jumped a personal best of 22-2 3/4 to qualify No. 3 in the long jump; Paly senior Pierre Meloty-Kapella shook off failing to qualify in the 100 by one spot and made it in the 200 with a 22.26 clocking.

For the girls, the Menlo-Atherton 400 relay team qualified in 49.83 to join Paly in the finals; Paly junior Elissa Chandler made it in the 100 hurdles in a personal best of 15.72; Paly freshman Mia Lattanzi was the No. 2 qualifier in the 400 in 57.35; Paly junior Meghan Przybla (47.11) and M-A senior Jennifer Connet (47.29) advanced in the 300 hurdles; Paly sophomore Renata Cummins (11:26.57) qualified in the 3,200; M-A senior Laurie Roberts equaled her career best to lead all high jumpers at 5-8; Castilleja sophomore Tori Anthony equaled her career best with a 12-6 clearance in the pole vault; and the Palo Alto 1,600 relay team reached Friday's finals in 4:02.04, the No. 4 qualifying time.

Baseball

Menlo coach Craig Schoof would love to see senior Andy Suiter pitch one more game before heading off to UCLA next fall.

Should that happen, Suiter would have the opportunity to help the Knights win a second straight CCS Division III title on Saturday.

Suiter helped Menlo (19-12) take a big step toward that goal by throwing a masterful no-hitter with 14 strikeouts in a 3-0 win over King's Academy last Friday in a CCS opener at Washington Park in Santa Clara.

It was Suiter's second straight no-hitter. The 14 strikeouts gave him 433 in his career and the victory was the 32nd of his career, two shy of the school record held by Jimmy Noriega.

Suiter did not let a ball reach the outfield as he dominated King's Academy with an overpowering fastball and sharp-breaking curve.

Third-seeded Menlo faced No. 2 Palma (18-8-1) on Tuesday night, needing a victory to reach Saturday's championship game at San Jose Municipal Stadium.

Also hoping to reach that game was Sacred Heart Prep. The No. 5-seeded Gators (18-10) advanced to Tuesday night's semifinals against No. 1 Carmel (29-4-1) with a 15-0 romp over No. 4 St. Thomas More last Friday.

Junior lefty Tommy Pierson tossed a one-hitter over five innings, helping his own cause with a single and triple and four RBI. Jason Powell and Matt Connor added three hits while Powell and Hudson Smythe added two RBI apiece.

Gymnastics

Gunn pulled off an improbable finish by taking third at the CCS championships last Friday at Twisters in Mountain View.

St. Francis won a record sixth-straight section crown with 189.675 points. That broke the record of five straight the Lancers had shared with Gunn.

The Titans, who finished only third in the North League finals a week earlier, moved ahead of San Mateo with a season best of 178.025.

Sophomore Kaylyn Reyes won the floor exercise with a 9.875 and finished second in the all-around with a 38.825 total. Gunn freshman Miranda Der won the beam with a 9.9, the highest beam score ever in a CCS championship. She finished third in the all-around at 38.625.

Reyes won five medals and Der took home four, for finishing among the top six in each events.

Linda Lund of St. Francis won all-around honors with a 39.025 score.

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