SJ Mercury coverage - 05/25/01

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Varsity Boys

Bates' titles make history

BY DENNIS KNIGHT
Mercury News

After winning the Central Coast Section championship in the 800 meters last year, Los Gatos runner Matt Bates made it his goal to become the first runner to double in the 1,600 and 800 in the history of the CCS meet.

Bates did Friday night on his home track of Los Gatos, outrunning teammate Russ Martin to win the 1,600 in 4:15.75 and setting a personal record in the 800 meters just 50 minutes later by posting a 1:52.35, the third-fastest time in California this year.

``The mile felt a lot tougher than the 800,'' said Bates, who won't run the 1,600 at the state meet in Sacramento next weekend. ``It's been my goal all year to win both, but for it to come on my home track -- I don't think it could get any better than that.''

Los Gatos Coach Willie Harmatz said it was the first time that teammates had finished 1-2 in the 1,600 in the CCS meet. Bates anchored the Los Gatos 4x400 meter team, which finished second to Serra and qualified for the state meet. Bellarmine edged Los Gatos for the team title 62-56.

Leigh's Antwon Guidry had another dominating performance -- winning the 100 (10.61 seconds) and 200 (21.39). ``I got off to a bad start in the 100, but was able to come back,'' Guidry said. ``The 200 was my best race of the day. I'm feeling really good right now, a lot stronger than last year. I think I can do a lot more damage at state this year.''

Leigh's 4x100 relay team returned all four runners from the 2000 team that was disqualified when Julio Ponce false-started in the final. Despite a shaky handoff from Ponce to Guidry on Friday, the Longhorns won as Paul Cooper and anchorman Byron Tapia helped them to a clock 41.97 seconds.

One of the closest races of the day was in the 110 high hurdles, where St. Francis' Ian Kenworthy's time of 14.68 seconds edged Palo Alto's Timi Wusu by .04 seconds.

``I could see him out of the corner of my eye coming over the last hurdle and I just gave it my all for those last few yards,'' Kenworthy said.

A favorite in the high jump, Wusu finished fourth, failing to qualify for the state meet. But he ran a strong 300 meter hurdles, winning in 38.39 seconds.

``I hit the fourth hurdle in the 110 and tried to come back. I wish there were a couple more hurdles in that race,'' Wusu said. ``I felt rushed in the high jump and was disappointed when I didn't qualify. But I tried to rechannel those bad feelings into the 300 meters and ran well. I feel like I have some unfinished business to take care of at state.''

Alvarez's Derek Jones qualified in four events, winning the long jump (23 feet, 4 inches) and triple jump (47-8 1/2), tying for second in the 100, and taking third in the 200.

``It's a big accomplishment for me,'' Jones said. ``I've never been able to do well in all four events, but today was finally that day.''

A packed grandstand clapped in rhythm as St. Francis pole vaulter Kyle Williams sprinted down the runway on his last attempt at 15 feet. Williams soared over the bar to the cheers of the crowd, equaling his best vault to win.

``There's no better feeling than jumping in front of a big crowd like this,'' Williams said. ``I'm hoping I can set new personal best at the state meet next week.''

Varsity Girls

CCS GIRLS TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

Grimaldi breaks 6-foot ceiling

BY MARK GOMEZ
Mercury News

Jenna Grimaldi had just won her second straight Central Coast Section title on Friday. But she wanted more.

So the St. Ignatius senior raised the high-jump bar to 6 feet, attempting to break the CCS meet record and achieve the best mark in the nation.

She failed on her first two attempts. As she soared over the bar on her third and final attempt and landed on the mat, the crowd let out a roar. Grimaldi had cleared 6 feet and was the new national leader.

``I've gone at 6 feet many times and I finally got over it,'' Grimaldi said. ``I'm so pumped. The crowd was great and my friends were there.''

Grimaldi delivered just one of several outstanding performances at the CCS finals at Los Gatos High. Mt. Pleasant's Undine Becker won three individual events: the 100 and 300 hurdles and the triple jump. Hollister's Elzunia Wojcicka-Lamb won four medals, placing first in the long jump and placing second to Becker in the triple jump and the 100 hurdles. She also anchored Hollister's second-place 4x100 relay.

``A lot of people were pitting us against each other,'' Becker said. ``But I didn't want to compete with her. I wanted to compete with myself. I'm kind of a beginner in the long jump. I'm just trying to improve every single time.''

Becker improved her section-leading mark in the 300 hurdles with a time of 43.63 seconds. She narrowly lost to Wojcicka-Lamb in the long jump, recording the second-best mark in the state at 20-feet, 1 1/2 inches. Wojcicka-Lamb, the state leader and second-best in the nation, won with a jump of 20-1 3/4. Mt. Pleasant won the team title with 59 points; Hollister placed second with 48 and St. Ignatius was third with 41.

Becker (300 hurdles) also joined Sacred Heart Cathedral's Shannon Rowbury (800) and San Lorenzo Valley's Alejandra Barrientos (1,600) in winning a third straight CCS title.

``Last year was hard for me,'' said Barrientos, who was injured at the state meet and unable to defend her title. ``Being able to come back and continue my winning streak at CCS was great. It's such a feeling of accomplishment.''

It was just as good for Rowbury, who won last year's 800 in controversial fashion when Los Gatos' Heather Hennessy was disqualified for bumping into Rowbury on the final turn.

This time around, Rowbury -- who owns the nation's fourth-best time -- left no room for doubt. She won in a time of 2:08.78, sixth-best in the nation. Los Gatos' Ashley Caldwell finished second in 2:10.27, second-best in the state.

``Last year wasn't that great an experience,'' Rowbury said. ``I'm a lot happier this year with how it all played out. This year is a lot more exciting.''

Wilcox junior Christina Hardeman provided one of the biggest surprises of the night by winning the 200 (25.09) and the 400 (a section-best 55.86 seconds).

Mitty's Erin Curtis also medaled in three events, winning the 100, placing second in the pole vault and third in the 200.

Grimaldi led a group of four St. Ignatius high jumpers to qualify for next weekend's state meet in Sacramento. Aoife Keane, Tifani Grimes and Devon Tracy were the other three.