By Pete Borello
Around The Track
Amy Tong entered the SCVAL championships as perhaps the least likely competitor from Los Altos High to qualify for the Central Coast Section track and field trials.
Yet as the league meet came to a close last Saturday at Los Gatos High, Tong was one of only seven Eagles to advance.
“Did I expect it? Not at all,” coach Julia Widstrand said of Tong’s sixth-place finish in the discus. “I’m pleasantly surprised. Not bad for a little freshman.”
That’s right - a freshman.
Widstrand said Tong showed great promise early in the season - unleashing a throw of nearly 87 feet - but then went several meets without as much as an 80 footer. Then at the SCVAL De Anza Division meet May 2, she launched a 91 to make Saturday’s league championships.
Tong set a personal record at the qualifier by throwing 92-6, just good enough to earn a spot in Friday’s CCS trials at San Jose City College.
Tong wasn’t the only Los Altos girl to do her personal best Saturday. Allie Miller and Danielle Marcoux each set personal records in two track events to move on to the CCS trials.
Miller, a sophomore, finished second in the 300-meter hurdles (47.75 seconds) and third in the 100 hurdles (16.17). She also qualified in the high jump (5-0).
Marcoux, a senior, placed fifth in both the 200 (27.31).and 400 (1:01.67) runs.
“She’s peaking nicely,” Widstrand said of Marcoux. “She’s worked hard for it and I still don’t think we’ve seen her best.”
The Los Altos boys didn’t have all their best at Saturday’s meet and, as a result, will have only four representatives at the CCS trials.
Joey Toney, a standout in the hurdles, long jump and relays, bowed out because of a torn hamstring that has ended his season. Fellow senior and star runner Shane Christine recently left the team “due to a combination of reasons,” Widstrand said.
Three of the four boys who did advance placed fifth in their respective events Saturday: Andrew Van Straaten in the high jump (6-0), Taff Dirks in the two-mile run (10:19) and Eric Cheng in the 300 hurdles (42.8).
Pole vaulter Doug Roche, a freshman, took second (10-6).
Mountain View High will have three competitors at the CCS trials. Each of them placed fifth at the SCVAL meet: Jordan Nelson in the 100 dash (11.33), Jonathan Lam in the long jump (20-2) and Kathy Santoso in the girls triple jump (34-1 1/4).
Spartans coach Samantha Read said Saturday “was a rather sad day” for her boys 400 relay, which failed to finish because Richard Turner injured himself.
The St. Francis girls will have eight individuals and its 400 relay in the trials. The individuals are Tori Tyler (mile), Sheila Nguyen (100 hurdles), Cassie Shannon (400), Vanessa Speckman (100), Ashley Dutro (100), Kristen Mulenburg (discus), Mackenzie Griffith (long jump) and Natasha Buxton (long jump).
Freshman Tyler seized second in the mile (5:11.31) Saturday.
