Lap after lap, the two lithe runners vied, dogging each
other
’s every move. Then, down the backstretch, one runner edges out
in front, taking a tentative lead. And, finally, rounding the last
turn, both break into a full sprint, battling for every edge before
one of them springs free and crosses the finish line just ahead of
the other. That was the scene fo
r not one race but two between Gilroy High’s Arnulfo Velasquez
and Live Oak’s Billy Wong in a rain-soaked Tri-County Athletic
League dual meet finale for both teams at Live Oak yesterday.
Lap after lap, the two lithe runners vied, dogging each other’s every move. Then, down the backstretch, one runner edges out in front, taking a tentative lead. And, finally, rounding the last turn, both break into a full sprint, battling for every edge before one of them springs free and crosses the finish line just ahead of the other.
That was the scene for not one race but two between Gilroy High’s Arnulfo Velasquez and Live Oak’s Billy Wong in a rain-soaked Tri-County Athletic League dual meet finale for both teams at Live Oak yesterday.
In the 1,600, it was Velasquez (4:41.1) who out-ran Wong to the finish line, beating him by three-tenths of a second and momentarily give his Mustang boys squad a shot at a team victory. But, in the 3,200, it was Wong (11:02.85) who emerged with the one-second victory over Velasquez as the Acorn boys clinched the 70-38 win.
Wong, a senior heading into his last TCAL Finals, said he was motivated by his rival’s victory in the 1,600.
“I wanted it more because he beat me in the mile,” Wong said.
Midway through the boys competition, Gilroy pulled within seven points of the Acorn boys’ lead. But Live Oak’s depth proved too much for the Mustangs, as the Acorns won the rest of the events.
Meanwhile, in the girls’ competition, Live Oak swept to the easy 87-12 victory, winning all but one event.
Three Acorns were double winners, including Cobbie Jones (1,600 and 110 hurdles), Ashley Ceaser (high jump and pole vault) and Rebecca Webb (200 and 400).
An intermittent rain and slippery conditions forced cancellation of several field events, including the boys discus, girls shot put, and both girls’ and boys’ long jump and triple jump.
Live Oak is set to compete in the Alisal Invitational in Salinas today, then will get ready for the TCAL finals scheduled for Wednesday, May 11 and Saturday, May 14.
LO softball
Winning a couple of games it probably wouldn’t have the past two seasons, the Live Oak High softball team positioned itself for a shot at the TCAL title. Bolstered by a strong defense and an improved offense, the Lady Acorns downed North Salinas 3-2 on Tuesday and got past Salinas 4-2 on Thursday.
The victories set up a showdown for the top spot in the league standings between first-place Notre Dame and the second-place Acorns on Wednesday at 4pm at Community Park.
LO (6-1 in TCAL, 19-5 overall) trails the Spirits by a single game and would tie the perennial league power for first place with a victory.
But without this week’s victories, Wednesday’s showdown wouldn’t have been possible.
LO coach Barry McDonnell said his team continued its season-long string of outstanding efforts in both games.
We really played another solid (couple of) games,” McDonnell said. “Offensively and defensively, they’re doing it both ways.”
Against Salinas, LO jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning as April Herrera collected a two-run double and Brittney Ondich plated Herrera with a double of her own.
The Cowboys pulled within 3-2 in the fourth inning and had the tying run at third base, but Acorn pitcher Juliette Bowers struck out the final batter of the inning to close the door. LO added a run in the top of the seventh on Ondich’s run-scoring double.
Kelly McDonald had three hits for LO, while Herrera and Ondich both added a pair of hits.
Against North Salinas, LO scored a run in the third and two more in the fourth, but the Vikings pulled within 3-2 in the seventh before Bowers ended the threat.
Bowers had three hits and an RBI at the plate, while Sabrina LaCorte added two hits.
n Staff report
