It was a tale of two fourth-place finishes for the pair of Live
Oak High athletes who competed in the Central Coast Section track
and field finals at San Jose City College on Friday.
It was a tale of two fourth-place finishes for the pair of Live Oak High athletes who competed in the Central Coast Section track and field finals at San Jose City College on Friday.
But the results couldn’t have been more different for sophomore runner Cobbie Jones and junior hurdler Brandon Powell.
Jones ran fast enough to qualify for this weekend’s state finals in the 800 despite finishing behind three other runners, while Powell saw his surprising season come to an end with his finish in the 110 high hurdles.
The top three finishers in each event at CCS automatically qualify for state.
But athletes who turn in state qualifying performances also earn spots at the state finals.
The State Track and Field Finals will be held on Friday and Saturday at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.
Jones said she was concerned immediately after the 800 ended that she might not have qualified for state until she was notified that her time was good enough to move on. Jones qualified for state in the 800 last year as a freshman at Los Gatos.
“I’m really proud of myself — I’m really overwhelmed right now,” Jones said, her voice breaking. “I really wanted to go to state.”
Jones said she wasn’t surprised at the speed of the race, which ended with Mitty junior Christine Whalen holding off Saratoga junior Alicia Follmar at the tape.
Whalen’s time of 2:10.85 was the fastest in the state this year so far.
Follmar, who also won the 1,600, was second in 2:10.99 and Menlo junior Libby Jenke took third in 2:12.39.
“These girls are all great runners,” Jones said.
While Jones’ time of 2:13.60 was very respectable, she said she didn’t feel right enough to compete with the top three runners.
“I went out too fast in the first lap and tightened up on the last lap,” she said. “I felt so sore today. It wasn’t the same spunk I felt last weekend.”
At the CCS trials the weekend before, Jones turned in the second fastest qualifying time in the 800, trailing Follmar by less than two-tenths of a second, and the event’s section finale was supposed to be a matchup between the two.
Meanwhile, Powell had already exceeded expectations by making the CCS finals in the 110 high hurdles.
After an average regular season, Powell won the Tri-County Athletic League finals in an upset, then won his heat at the CCS trials.
But in the finals, Powell couldn’t overcome a stumble at the start and a peek at the finish, and ended up a close fourth to Palma sophomore and TCAL rival T.J. Lumpkin’s third.
“It was a bad start — I think I was too bunched up,” Powell said. “Then my last two hurdles weren’t too good and I looked because I saw three people ahead of me, so I thought I’d just look up. I think that’s when (Lumpkin) caught me.”
Powell ended up with a 15.38 to Lumpkin’s 15.26.
Santa Clara junior Scott Robinson won the event in 14.99, while Aaragon senior Matthew Wirgler took second in 15.06.
Ironically, Powell’s fourth-place finish mirrored his older brother C.J.’s near-miss in the 1998 CCS finals, a disappointment that Powell said motivated his season-ending rush.
But unlike his brother, Brandon’s effort came in his junior year, leaving him another shot at making it to state.
Other TCAL athletes who advanced to state with their performances at Friday’s CCS finals included:
- Gilroy senior Raquel Butler, who finished second in the 400 in 56.32. Butler also competed in the 100 and 200 but didn’t qualify for state in those events.
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Hollister-San Benito junior Jesse Rice, who qualified second in the 400 in 49.39. Rice barely qualified by time for the section finals the weekend previous, then turned it on Friday evening.
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North Salinas senior Ronnie Drummer, who took first in both the 100 and the 200 to defend his CCS title in both events. Drummer’s time of 10.55 in the 100 was the state’s fastest time this year. Drummer won the 200 in 21.47.
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North Salinas’ boys 4×100 relay team, which qualified third in 42.49. Drummer and senior Merben Woo paced the Vikings’ relay team.
Other TCAL athletes who competed at the CCS finals included:
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Hollister senior Jonathan DiSalvo, who finished fifth in the 300 hurdles.
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Hollister senior Jonathan Rivera, who finished sixth in the 1,600.
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Palma senior Luke Lippincott, who finished seventh in the 400.
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Gilroy junior Frank Valadez, who finished seventh in the high jump.
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North Salinas’ boys 4×400 relay team, which finished fifth.
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Salinas junior Chris Hauswirth, who finished seventh in the pole vault.
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Hollister junior Siljef Tabancay, who finished eighth in the long jump.
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Salinas junior Stephanie Christie, who finished sixth in the 100 hurdles and sixth in the 300 hurdles.
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Hollister sophomore Amanda Boyd, who finished eight in the 800.
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Hollister junior Jamie O’brian, who finished seventh in the 300 hurdles.
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Notre Dame sophomore Leah Parsons, who finished eighth in the high jump.
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Salinas sophomore Kristen Montgomery, who finished eighth in the long jump.
