Jaguar boys easily outrun the competition
The Cooperative boys track team managed to outdistance their foes, be they Griffin, Knight, or even Eagle, by a decisive margin in the running events of the first track meet, which were held at Tahuichi Stadium Friday.
The Jaguars piled up a total of 143 points, well ahead of their nearest competitor, Cambridge, which had 74. Christian Learning was right behind Cambridge with 71, and International trailed in fourth place with 57. The totals represent the combining of the results of the running events combined with the results of Monday's field events. Cooperative also "won" the field events, but widened its margin greatly in the running events. (For an account of the field events, see story from Monday.)
Wild 1500 won by Frith
The men’s 400 meter race was separated into two heats, but the winners were all in the second. The lead was quickly taken by Jaguar Sebastian Papadopulos. Knight Diego Bejar stayed close. Then both were were equally surprised when Eagle César Flores (Eagles) came up from behind to take the lead. Flores seemed to lose his footing on the final turn, however, allowing Papadopulos to pass him.
In the 100 and 200 meter sprints on Friday. Jaguars Sergio Pacheco and Esteban Sauto, feet pounding down the pavement with every muscle strained to the absolute limit, formed a powerful pair that ultimately earned Cooperative most of the top honors, interrupted only by Griffin Santiago Maclean who came in second in the 100.
Pacheco gave the Jaguars their first taste of victory in the first 100 meter heat, finishing a comfortable distance ahead of the second-place finisher, and seeming to put Pacheco in line for first place since the first heat was supposed to have each team's faster runners .
The second heat, however, proved a much faster and more intense. Cooperative's Esteban Sauto exploded from the starting line, immediately establishing a firm lead. But this did not discourage Maclean, who also catapulted off the line and went in hot pursuit of Sauto.
Both athletes pursued the finish line like their lives depended on it, but Sauto crossed a hair´s breadth ahead of Maclean. Through his effort, however, Maclean achieved a second place position overall. His time was only two one-hundredths of a second behind Sauto's winning 12.28. Sergio Pacheco's run placed him in third.
Wild 1500 won by Frith
The mens 1500 kicked off as anyone's race to win, and would be one of the few the Jaguars didn't win. A closely packed cluster of strong and sturdy legs swayed violently down the track at the start, close together, but much would happen in the challenging 3 ¾ laps, as pacing and energy became fundamental, and every single breath counted.
The pack stuck stuck together well through the first two laps, with Jaguar Fernando Antelo at the lead followed by Micah Kerney of the Eagles, and the rest of the group. Things broke loose into a wild greyhound-type race where it seemed that anything could happen during the third lap. Knight senior Fernando Moscoso went to the front, chased maniacally now by Eagle Samuel Frith, Pushing his long, thin legs to the limit, Frith passed Fernando Moscoso, though the Knight gave no sign of slowing down.
But Frith ultimately strode indefatigably down the homestretch to win with a time of 5:12.29, with second place going to Moscoso, by now about 15 seconds behind, and third to Antelo.
Papadopulos clicks in 400-meters
Papadopulos clicks in 400-meters
Papadopulous claimed first at 58’88, bringing along the loud click of his steel-spike running shoes down the final meters to announce who the winner had been. Second place was taken by Josue Abuawad, another Jaguar who came in with a flying close.
Strong finish gives Frith another win
The 800 meter started with Jaguars Fernando Antelo and Jorge Zankiz leading a tight pack, followed by Griffin Daniel Hanley, KnightsDavid Li and Dang Hyun Ko, and Eagle Samuel Frith. Frith gradually moves up during the first lap of the two-lap race. He later advances into third place and continues to move forward ambitiously through the track. During the second lap Frith moves into second place, trailing only Zankis.
Strong finish gives Frith another win
Frith goes for the lead on the final turn and heads down the stretch in first place, but must fend off a brave and capable closing rush by Hanley from International that narrowly falls short. Frith holds on to first, with Hanley taking second, and Zankis third.
Jaguars Sauto, Pacheco dominate sprints
Jaguars Sauto, Pacheco dominate sprints
In the 100 and 200 meter sprints on Friday. Jaguars Sergio Pacheco and Esteban Sauto, feet pounding down the pavement with every muscle strained to the absolute limit, formed a powerful pair that ultimately earned Cooperative most of the top honors, interrupted only by Griffin Santiago Maclean who came in second in the 100.
Pacheco gave the Jaguars their first taste of victory in the first 100 meter heat, finishing a comfortable distance ahead of the second-place finisher, and seeming to put Pacheco in line for first place since the first heat was supposed to have each team's faster runners .
The second heat, however, proved a much faster and more intense. Cooperative's Esteban Sauto exploded from the starting line, immediately establishing a firm lead. But this did not discourage Maclean, who also catapulted off the line and went in hot pursuit of Sauto.
Both athletes pursued the finish line like their lives depended on it, but Sauto crossed a hair´s breadth ahead of Maclean. Through his effort, however, Maclean achieved a second place position overall. His time was only two one-hundredths of a second behind Sauto's winning 12.28. Sergio Pacheco's run placed him in third.
The Jaguars also effectively kept the opposition at bay during the 200 meter heats. This time Sergio Pacheco earned first place, sprinting halfway around the track in 25.12 seconds. Not far behind came Cambridge's Anthony Salvatierra with a time of 25.95. The second heat retained the intensity of the earlier sprints, but also had the exact same results. Sebastian Papadopulos raced headlong down the track and across the finish line in 25.68 seconds, giving the Jaguars the first and second place position.
An observer looking directly down the track as the competitors rounded the final bend could easily have mistaken the runners for insane criminals bent on mayhem, each desperately seeking the finish line with e gazes that would have frightened young children.
Jaguars unbeatable in relays -- but it's close
An observer looking directly down the track as the competitors rounded the final bend could easily have mistaken the runners for insane criminals bent on mayhem, each desperately seeking the finish line with e gazes that would have frightened young children.
Jaguars unbeatable in relays -- but it's close
Cooperative continued their winning monopoly in the relay races, although they were fiercely challenged by the Griffins. The Jaguar's power sprinting squad, Sergio Pacheco and Esteban Sauto, along with Josué Abuawad and Sebastian Papadopulos
The Griffins earned second place, as Javier Rammon, Juan Sebastian Valasco, Sebastian Rios and Santiago Maclean managed to keep themselves ahead of the Eagles.
The Griffins earned second place, as Javier Rammon, Juan Sebastian Valasco, Sebastian Rios and Santiago Maclean managed to keep themselves ahead of the Eagles.
The 4 X 400 relay, the last event of Friday's track meet, was the most exciting, concluding with a heart-pounding final sprint to the finish that was hotly contested between three teams – the Jaguars, the Knights, and the Griffins.
The Jaguars established an early lead, but then, as if foreshadowing the showdown to come, the first Cambridge runner pulled into the lead on the final stretch of the first lap.
Cooperative's second runner, Sergio Gonzales, vigorously attacked the gap between him and Cambridge's second runner, and by the next baton hand-off the Jaguars once again had the lead. The third lap saw a the competitors from each team spread out significantly, with Cooperative still in the lead, followed by the Knights, then the Eagles, and finally the lagging Griffins.
This tidy arrangement changed abruptly on the fourth lap. International's Juan Sebastian Velasco eagerly grabbed the baton from his spent teammate and took off in pursuit of Sammy Frith, the Eagle's long distance champion, who was defending third place. To the astonishment and delight of Griffin fans, Velasco charged past Frith, and on reaching the final turn began gaining on Cooperative's front man. By the final stretch Velasco was competing desperately for first place with both the Jaguar and Knight anchormen.
At the finish line Velasco made a final lunge that almost earned the Griffins first place, failing by mere inches to pass Cooperative's final racer. The Knights, who had also held the lead briefly during the final lap, were only steps behind.
That's the way the race will be remembered by those who saw it, but after the finish there was bad news for the International team. They had been, like their girls team in the same race, disqualified for passing the baton outside the allowed area. As a result Cambridge moved up into second place, and Christian Learning into third.
Cambridge’s second place finish overall in the boys meet (and third in the girls) is worth comment in and of itself, since it represents the highest place any Cambridge team has ever achieved. Indeed, the second-place finish of the boys, and third place finish of the Cambridge girls represented the first occasions in League history on which any Cambridge team has ever finished in any other position than last in the track meets, and is a tribute to the hard work of the team and its new coach, Presi de la Riva.
(Jesse Mann and Sergio Gonzalez are seniors at Christian Learning. Mann is managing editor of the website.)
The Jaguars established an early lead, but then, as if foreshadowing the showdown to come, the first Cambridge runner pulled into the lead on the final stretch of the first lap.
Cooperative's second runner, Sergio Gonzales, vigorously attacked the gap between him and Cambridge's second runner, and by the next baton hand-off the Jaguars once again had the lead. The third lap saw a the competitors from each team spread out significantly, with Cooperative still in the lead, followed by the Knights, then the Eagles, and finally the lagging Griffins.
This tidy arrangement changed abruptly on the fourth lap. International's Juan Sebastian Velasco eagerly grabbed the baton from his spent teammate and took off in pursuit of Sammy Frith, the Eagle's long distance champion, who was defending third place. To the astonishment and delight of Griffin fans, Velasco charged past Frith, and on reaching the final turn began gaining on Cooperative's front man. By the final stretch Velasco was competing desperately for first place with both the Jaguar and Knight anchormen.
At the finish line Velasco made a final lunge that almost earned the Griffins first place, failing by mere inches to pass Cooperative's final racer. The Knights, who had also held the lead briefly during the final lap, were only steps behind.
That's the way the race will be remembered by those who saw it, but after the finish there was bad news for the International team. They had been, like their girls team in the same race, disqualified for passing the baton outside the allowed area. As a result Cambridge moved up into second place, and Christian Learning into third.
Cambridge’s second place finish overall in the boys meet (and third in the girls) is worth comment in and of itself, since it represents the highest place any Cambridge team has ever achieved. Indeed, the second-place finish of the boys, and third place finish of the Cambridge girls represented the first occasions in League history on which any Cambridge team has ever finished in any other position than last in the track meets, and is a tribute to the hard work of the team and its new coach, Presi de la Riva.
(Jesse Mann and Sergio Gonzalez are seniors at Christian Learning. Mann is managing editor of the website.)
