Monta Vista's Bobby Kritzer showed his potential when he finished seventh in the triple jump at the Central Coast Section track and field finals during his sophomore year.

But his junior year was a disappointment after a dislocated knee hobbled him for much of the season.

The injury wasn't the result of a training accident -- it occurred during band practice in the fall. Kritzer, the leader of the Matador trumpet section, got mad at his musicians during a rehearsal and kicked an object on the football field.

``It didn't move and my leg did,'' said Kritzer, now a senior headed to Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in the fall. ``An ambulance came and took me to the hospital. I guess you could say it was an interesting thing. I got mad at myself for losing my temper.''

Friday night, Kritzer put last season behind him, winning medals in the long jump and the triple jump at the CCS finals at San Jose City College.

Kritzer finished fourth in the long jump (22 feet, 9 1/4 inches) and fifth in the triple jump (45-10) to barely miss his goal of a top-three finish and trip to the state meet in Sacramento this weekend.

``Athletes like Bobby, someone who can do everything you ask of them, don't come around very often,'' Monta Vista Coach Gary Price said. ``You might get someone like that every 10 years or so. Bobby is very gifted and he should do well at the college level.''

The usually mild-mannered Kritzer was low key about his performance. He was determined to break Monta Vista's record of 23 feet in the long jump and fell just inches short.

``That was my biggest goal,'' Kritzer said. ``Any little thing could have made that happen. But I was happy to get two medals. I did a lot better than last year.''

Kritzer was the catalyst for the Monta Vista boys team, which finished second in the El Camino Division this year. In addition to the jumps, Kritzer ran the 100 meters and the relays and also competed in the high jump, where he had one of the section's best marks this year (6-4).

``Bobby is a hard worker who is never satisfied. He's always trying to improve,'' Price said. ``And he's not one of those who just thinks about himself. He's the team captain and is a good teammate, who is willing to help other athletes.''

The Matadors had a successful season despite not having top-notch facilities on campus. Because of their dirt track and subpar jumping pits, the Matadors held most of their workouts and hosted their dual meets at nearby De Anza College.

The girls team also featured several standouts. Senior distance runner Dana Underwood, also headed to Cal-Poly SLO, finished ninth at CCS in the 1,600 with a time of 5:13.34. Freshman Lisa Worsham capped an impressive year with a 10th place finish in the 3,200 (11:21.97).

The girls 400-meter relay team (Julia Co, Megan O'Rorke, Maria Nelson and Rachel Doran) qualified for the CCS semifinals but didn't make the finals.

The boys team had a pair of talented middle-distance runners in junior Jason Yow and sophomore Ian Laform. Senior 300-meter hurdler Nick Bedell reached the CCS semifinals and junior Ian Thayer will return to give the Matadors a quality 100- and 200-meter runner next season.

With a season-best mark of 15 feet, 3 inches under his belt, Los Gatos pole vaulter Chris Little entered Friday night's Central Coast Section finals feeling confident about his chances to win his first section title.

But after missing on his first two attempts at a height of 14-8, the pressure was on for the Wildcat senior.

Little came through with a strong vault and went on to clear 15 feet to beat St. Francis freshman Casey Roche (14-8) for the gold medal.

``I got a little worried for a minute there after I missed twice, but I knew I could do it,'' said Little, who will continue his vaulting career at Brigham Young University this fall. ``My steps were a little off and once I got that down I cleared the height without a problem.''

Little was the only member of the boys team to qualify for the state track and field meet at Sacramento City College's Hugh's Stadium on Friday and Saturday.

The Wildcat girls 1,600-meter relay team will also make the trip after finishing second with a time of 3:59.03. Junior high jumper Michelle Johnson (5-foot-4) also qualified by equaling the state standard height.

But the big victory of the night went to Little, who just missed a state berth last season after tying for fourth place. Little started vaulting as a freshman at Del Mar High and transferred to Los Gatos as a junior, training under coach Brandon Vance.

``Brandon has helped me out a lot,'' Little said. ``He had a different view and some of the things he taught me just seemed to click.''

Little has already achieved one of his goals with the CCS title, now he has his sights set on a top six finish at state.

``I'd like to win state too, but my main goal is jumping 16-2. I think that's the magic height to guarantee a medal,'' Little said.

Head coach Thomas Newman said Little has added a new dimension to the team this year, helping out by competing in the sprints, relays and long jump.

The boys 1,600-meter relay team of Don Gaspar, Nathan Young, Chris Parides and anchor Chad Blanchard finished fourth in the final, missing a state berth by one spot.

In the shot put, Danny Starick (52-11 3/4) and Devin Lopez (52-5 3/4) both set personal bests and took home medals by finishing fifth and sixth.

In the girl's competition, senior Ali Dodson, who will run for Yale next season, missed qualifying in the 400 meters by 0.02 seconds with a time of 56.98.

``Ali just ran out of room at the end,'' Coach Monica Townsend said. ``She was gaining on the girl in front of her.''

But Dodson punched her ticket to the state meet by anchoring the 1,600 meter relay team to a second-place finish behind Archbishop Mitty. Caroline Stege led off the race and handed off to freshman Samantha Peppard. Junior Ashley Benson, who was filling in for an injured Sally Stanton, ran a personal record with a 59-second leg before handing to Dodson, who took it home for the Wildcats.

It was a big night for Peppard, who won a sixth-place medal in the 800 meters (2:18.79) running with a star-studded field.

The 400-meter relay team (Cheryl Parkman, Dodson; Mary Gonzales and Jaimee Erickson) finished fourth with a season best 49.17

Stanton, who will compete at Harvard next season, took fourth in the pole vault, but was forced to drop out of the relays and the 300 hurdles because of a foot injury.

``It was heartbreaking,'' Townsend said, ``but Sally is a team captain and a great leader. She put on her game face and got the relay team psyched up. She did her the best she could to root instead of run.''

The Archbishop Mitty girls track team ran away with the Central Coast Section title Friday night at San Jose City College, scoring 66 1/3 points, well ahead of second-place Los Altos' 36.

The Monarchs got great performances across the board. They won the 1,600-meter relay by 5 1/2 seconds in 3:53.43, getting strong legs from Renisha Robinson, Christine Whalen, Janelle English and Seante Baker.

The 400-meter relay team came in second. Freshman Renisha Robinson, freshman Danielle Robinson, junior Lanesha Owens and junior Lauren Curtis ran a time of 48.96.

Baker, a senior, won the 400 meters (55.62) and was second in the 200 (24.97).

Junior Christine Whalen edged Saratoga's Alicia Follmar to win in a star-studded 800-meter field with a time of 2:10.85.

Junior McKayla Plank was fifth in the 1,600 (5:06.35) and fourth in the 3,200 (11:06.30). Curtis was sixth in the 100 meters (12.49), and Danielle Robinson was third in the 300 hurdles. High jumper Bethany Johansen qualified for this weekend's state meet by clearing 5 feet, 4 inches, and Amanda Burns was fourth in the discus (118-01).

Expect the Monarchs to contend for another title next year because the majority of the team are underclassmen.

``It was a dream season. The girls worked hard all year,'' said Jeff Myers, in his second year as track coach. ``They all came together, and that's hard to do with a team of 150 girls. We couldn't have accomplished this without a great staff of 10 coaches.

``We try to emphasize the uniqueness of our sport and make the girls realize that each event counts the same as far as the team score goes. Everyone is excited about going to state and having another good season next year.''