MV wins division
By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer
 Joe Hu/Town Crier Los Altos High’s Eric Hersey runs away with the 110 hurdles at last week’s league meet. |
Watching Eric Hersey’s league-record setting win in the 110-meter hurdles at last Thursday’s SCVAL De Anza Division meet delighted and disappointed his coach at Los Altos High.
While Julia Widstrand was elated to see her standout junior finish in a record time of 14.30 seconds, she would have preferred a more competitive race.
“He did it by himself - he was two seconds ahead of anybody else,” she said. “It’s too bad; he’s not truly going to be challenged until CCS.”
Hersey - who holds the Central Coast Section’s top times in the 110 and 300 hurdles - hasn’t been challenged much at all this season. This is a concern to Widstrand: she believes the better the competition, the better Hersey will become. Saturday’s CCS Qualifier Meet - scheduled 11 a.m. at Los Gatos High - may not offer much more of a challenge for Hersey, but the coach anticipates the competition will ratchet up May 20 at the CCS semifinals at San Jose City College.
Based on Los Altos’ efforts at last week’s league meet, Hersey should have plenty of company in the CCS semis.
Sprinter Dana McDaniel won the boys 200 in 22.87 seconds to remain undefeated in league. Widstrand said McDaniel would have also easily won the 100, but the senior didn’t compete because he missed the May 2 trials for an advanced-placement test.
Alec Nickolls “ran beautifully” in the boys mile, Widstrand said, winning in 4:24.81. The coach is hopeful Nickolls will reach the goal she has set for him, 4:20, by season’s end.
The junior also advanced to the CCS Qualifier in the 2-mile run by placing fifth with a 10:10.03.
Teammate Michael Imprescia turned in a third-place performance in the boys high jump, clearing 5 feet, 10 inches. The junior is becoming more consistent, according to Widstrand, and has gone as high as 6 feet this year.
For the girls, Bria Nelson led Los Altos with a first place in the 400 run (58.60) and a second in the 200 (26.13).
“Bria was real surprised by that second place in the 200,” Widstrand said of a race won by Monta Vista’s Maria Nelson (25.82). “She’s fired up and ready to go this week. She’s not happy about it.”
Los Altos’ other win came in the 4×400 relay, where the Eagles ran a 4:04.06.
“The relay was wonderful,” Widstrand said. “They’re slowly coming back and this will prime them for CCS.”
Alyssa Biondi added a second-place finish in the 100 (12.66). Widstrand is confident the best is yet to come from the sophomore.
“She ran a very nice time,” the coach said, “but I’d like to see her dip under 12.5.”
Spartans sweep division
By winning last week’s SCVAL El Camino Division meet, Mountain View’s boys and girls teams finish league undefeated in the same year for the first time in school history. The Spartan boys edged Wilcox by a point, while the girls won handily.
“Fantastic doesn’t begin to describe our meet yesterday - it was incredible,” coach Sam Read said after the May 3 meet, held at Santa Clara High. “The kids all performed beautifully.”
The boys, 6-0 in dual meets, won three individual events and a relay, plus set three school records last week in edging Wilcox 115-114.
Robbie Reid won the 800 run in a school-record 1:58.41. Kevin Metsers’ 22-5 effort in the long jump was good enough for first place and a school record as well. He added a second in the 100 dash (11.57). Teammate David Lee prevailed in the 100 (11.53) and took second in the 200 (23.14). Mountain View’s other win came in the 4×400 relay (Alec Botsford, Roger Huang, Daren Cejna and Reid) which clocked a 3:34.87.
Other top-three finishers for the Spartans included Devin Mooers in the 110 hurdles (second, 15.79) and high jump (third, 5-6), Botsford in the 400 (third, 53.61), Aditya Kadam in the triple jump (second, 40-0), Nikolai Lemak in the discus (second, 142-11) and the 4×100 relay team of Lee, Metsers, Cejna and Derek Tsai (third, 45.71). Although he just missed the top three, Matt Brigham’s 10:11.41 in the 3,200 run set a school mark.
The Mountain View girls won convincingly, scoring 131 points to runner-up Saratoga’s 75. The Spartans captured two individual events and both relays, setting two school records in the process.
Haley Nahman was involved in setting both records, winning the 800 (2:25.88) and anchoring the 4×400 relay that also featured Kate Blood, Kate Kornegay and Kacy Clark (4:18.72). The 4×100 relay (Blood, Brittney Lujano, Claudia Lam and Jenny Oh) won in 51.34. The Spartans other win came courtesy of Kelly Thom in the long jump (16-5.5).
The Spartans’ also received top-three finishes from Kristine Talbot in the mile run (second, 5:32.8), Kornegay in the 100 hurdles (second, 16.22), Cheryl Kaestner in the high jump (tied for second, 5-0), Katherine Johnson in the discus (third, 98-4) and shot put (third, 32-11), Veronica Amsden in the high jump (tied for second, 5-0) and long jump (second, 16-2.5), Blood in the 100 (third, 13.28) and Marloes Sijstermans in the 2-mile run (third, 11:54.05).
