SAN JOSE -- Branham's Aidan Kirwan won the 110 high hurdles at Friday's Central Coast Section track and field championship meet at San Jose City College in 14.38 seconds, despite being spiked on his left hand at the sixth hurdle.
Before going to the awards stand Kirwan had to spend quite a bit of time at the first-aid station, getting the bleeding stopped, his hand bandaged and being told he would likely need stitches.
"I don't feel anything now because of the adrenaline," he said, examining his freshly bandaged hand.
He was more aware of it later when he ran the 300 intermediate hurdles but that didn't stop him from winning in a personal-best time of 38.23.
"That's an awesome PR," said Kirwan, a senior headed to Cal Poly. "That race was perfect. I hadn't PR'd in two months. I'm very happy."
He was also pleased with his time in the high hurdles. He ran 14.28 early in the season, then had to sit out several weeks with an injured foot.
Carlmont's Johain Ounadjela came up with a great finish to win the 1,600 in 4:14.03.
"On the first lap I let the guys in front get away because I knew they were running too fast," the Columbia University-bound senior said. "In workouts I'd been pacing myself at 63 or 64 and knew what that felt like. On the second lap they started slowing down quite a bit. I started catching up to the field on the third lap and took the lead with 450 to go.
After the race he could only hobble away due to a painfully injured foot. He was uncertain whether he'd be able to run the 3,200, but managed to take fourth (9:12.07) in a race won by Saratoga's Steven Sum in 9:08.73. Los Gatos' Chris Foster was second (9:11.31) and Lincoln's Jose Pina came in third (9:11.57).
Palo Alto's Eli Givens was the meet's only triple winner. He won the 100 (10.91) and 200 (21.54) and added a totally unexpected victory in the long jump at 22-5½. His previous best was 21-3.
"I was only going to take two jumps and see if I could PR," Givens said.
He got a PR, all right, as well as a CCS championship.
Darius Thomas of St. Francis, who cleared 7-0 at the West Catholic Athletic League finals, won the high jump at 6-9. Mt. Pleasant's Darius Carbin took second at 6-7 and came back to win the triple jump with a personal-best mark of 47-4.
Branham's Zachary Nichols won the pole vault at 15-7.
"It feels amazing," Nichols said. "At the beginning of the season I wasn't expecting much. I was coming off a pulled hamstring and getting sick all the time."
Bellarmine College Prep won the boys team title with 65 points, just ahead of Mt. Pleasant (61). The Bells won despite only taking two first places, in the 4x100 relay (the team of Devon Buenrostro, Kyle Macauley, Troy Martig and James Silva in 42.00) and in the shot put (Marshall Godsil, 53-10).
Wilcox junior Jake Kenney was a surprise winner in the discus at 167-7.
"It was kind of a crazy day," Kenney said. "I came down with a cold, had some soup, PR'd, got a school record and won CCS. I just gave it my all with all the energy I had left."
Serra won the last event of the day, the 4x400 relay with the team of Noriega Moffett, Armon Plummer, Marcus Alvarez and Jeremiah Testa running a season-best time of 3:20.75.
SAN JOSE -- Elena Bruckner had already set the Central Coast Section record four times and won the section championship in a historic round of throws Friday in the shot put when she settled into the circle for a final attempt.
But the Valley Christian junior was not satisfied.
"I wanted to take the energy from that and do the best throw," she said.
Bruckner leaned back, pushed forward and grunted as she let the steel ball fly at San Jose City College. When it landed, everyone knew it was something special -- and it was.
The mark of 53 feet, 51/2 inches shattered the CCS record of 50-71/4 that stood since 2005 before Bruckner began a round in which she threw 50-61/2, 51-51/4, 51-61/2, 50-71/2, 50-101/2 and then the history-making toss put her 10th all-time in the national high school record book.
"Honestly, I don't know what to think," Bruckner said. "I fell to the ground, almost. I have put in so much work, given my heart and soul to the sport and so to finally be able to produce the big numbers, it's really exciting."
The only thing Bruckner did not do was a double victory. The national leader in the discus in 182-8, a mark that is also ranked 10th all-time nationally, she was unable to defend her CCS title in that event, finishing second to teammate Ronna Stone.
Bruckner threw 141-11; Stone hit 155-7.
Bruckner was happy for her teammate, calling Stone's win amazing, but a little frustrated that she did not do better. She noted that she had a rough week of practice and was still consumed by what unfolded in the shot put.
"The shot put was so emotionally draining, I was just hoping to get some good, solid throws," Bruckner said. "It didn't really happen, but that's OK. I am moving on to state."
Los Gatos (44.5) won the girls team championship by a half point over St. Francis, clinching the title with a win in the final event, the 4x400 relay.
There were no double winners on the girls side, but a lot athletes pleased with their results.
Piedmont Hills' Timarya Baynard won the 400 in 54.99, the state's sixth-fastest time this season.
"It did play out as planned," she said. "I knew that I had to take it out hard and lead the race and hold on for dear life in the last 100." Baynard's teammate, Bianca Bryant, won the 800 in 2:10.95, the top time this season in the CCS. She also had a plan to take the lead from the start.
"It gives me a lot of confidence going into state," she said.
Los Gatos' Caice Lanovaz finished third to the Branham tandem of champion Shelby Shikashio and runner-up Kalesi Budei in the triple jump, then helped her team finish second to St. Francis in the 4x100 relay before winning the 100 hurdles in 14.49, just off her personal-best of 14.44.
"It's amazing," Lanovaz said of winning the hurdles. "I can't describe it. I have been waiting a while." Gunn had two individual winners as Gillian Meeks won the 1,600 in 4:57.98 and Maya Miklos won the 300 hurdles in a CCS season-best 43.79.
"It's not my best time ever," Miklos said. "But it's a strong mark to get right now, and I am excited to drop it next week at the state meet."
Leigh's Jasmine Moreno won the 100 in 12.16, and Cupertino's Jade Harrison took first in the 200 in 23.91.
Mountain View's Rachael Estell finished first in the long jump (17-11), and Christopher's Natalie Gutierrez won the high jump in 5-5.