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The celebration was on. Just moments after Lynbrook High quarter-miler Taimur Khan rushed across the finish line, completing the final leg of his final race as a Viking, a crush of Lynbrook athletes, coaches and other well-wishers surrounded Khan and relay mates Durrell Roberts, Chris Deal and Justin Teng.
Among the smiling mob was Lynbrook coach Darrin Garcia. "I'm just ecstatic," he glowed. "This is the best single day for me in 13 years of coaching."
The Vikings' time of 3:19.62, good enough for second place, cemented a second-place team finish for the boys and was their third school record of the meet.
Teng, Roberts, Khan and Garrick Wong picked up the first one, winning the 400-meter relay in 41.79 seconds, the 10th best boys effort in Central Coast Section history.
Khan, who will miss the state meet because of an SAT-II biology test, scored the other record with his section-winning 400 time of 48.38. Khan said the quarter-mile championship fulfilled "a dream" he has had since his sophomore year.
The boys 1,600 relay was the final event of the night on San Jose City College's speedy track surface, bringing to a close the CCS track and field championships that featured many outstanding performances.
Santa Clara won the boys crown with 40 points, eight ahead of Lynbrook. Archbishop Mitty ran away with the girls title.
The Vikings, with substitutes for Khan, will have both boys relay teams and senior hurdler Julie Chen running at the state meet June 45 at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento. After top qualifier Galina Becker of Mt. Pleasant false-started and was disqualified, Chen ran 15.58 for third in the 100 hurdles.
Saratoga junior Alicia Follmar, who owns the state's best time this season in the girls 1,600, earned two berths in the state meet. She won her specialty in 4:53.88, defending her section crown by holding off Ciara Viehwig of St. Ignatius down the stretch. Later she claimed second in the fastest girls 800 race in California this year.
Follmar and winner Christine Whalen of Mitty stayed in the pack during a torrid first lap, led by Libby Jenke of Menlo School, before surging ahead during the final 200 meters to record the two fastest times in the state.
"I wanted to go about 67 [seconds] on the first lap," Follmar said, "but I think it was a 64."
Whalen finished in 2:10.85 and Follmar ran 2:10.99. Jenke was third in 2:12.39 and Christine Jones of Live Oak was fourth in 2:13.60. All four were faster than the state meet automatic qualifying time of 2:14.
Follmar, who admits "it's kind of nerve-racking with all eyes on you," maintained her poise and has not faltered this season. She certainly will have the eyes of all challengers on her as she tries to repeat as state 1,600 champ.
In the CCS 1,600 final, Mitty's McKayla Plank was fifth in 5:06.35 and Lynbrook freshman MayC Huang took sixth in 5:08.17.
In boys competition, Saratoga senior Tom Cummins came within five feet of a state berth. His discus throw of 160-9 earned him sixth place.
Lynbrook's Deal was seventh in the triple jump at 45-6.
Westmont's Amanda Horowitz wrapped up a solid senior season by placing in the shot put at the CCS finals, but she failed to qualify for state.
Horowitz heaved the shot 38-1.25 to finish fifth in the field. Her mark was well off of season best 40-4 that ranked second in the CCS heading into the finals.
Two Prospect girls placed at CCS, but not high enough to qualify for state competition. Freshman Kendra Rimbach was seventh in the triple jump at 35-10.5 and junior Becky Palm was 11th in the 3,200 meters in 11:26.01.
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