Rios finishes second with new PR in 800 meters
GILROY — The 800 meters is a race only half-milers could love, and even they have a strained relationship. It is the black licorice of prep distance events, lacking the romance and popularity of its lengthier counterparts — the mile and two mile — despite being just as intense.
There are no guarantees in the 800, even if you have trained your hardest for four years. That experience taught Alan Rios to be ready for anything. The Sobrato senior shed his warmups Friday knowing the two laps he was about to sprint in the Central Coast Section Finals could be the best or the last of his high school career.
It may end up both.
Because he pushed himself to a new extreme and was rewarded, finally, at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex, the steely-nerved Rios wondered if there was need to race again this season. His second-place finish in one minute, 54.34 seconds — a personal record — qualified him for the CIF State Championships that begin Friday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Clovis.
Sobrato High School’s graduation ceremony is scheduled the same day.
“That was the best race I have ever had. I can’t think of a better one to go out on,” Rios said between breaths while sprawled out on the infield. “Why leave any room for disappointment?
“Part of me wants to do both. Qualifying for state was always my goal, and I did that. But I don’t want to go there, have a blow-up race and regret the whole thing. Graduation is special to me, too. I really am torn.”
Rios ran the half mile of his life; a performance that will help his chance of walking on at UCLA next year. He broke away from the pack by keeping pace with Nathan Strum, the favorite from Pioneer, through the first lap and a half. Strum eased away in the closing 200 meters after Rios narrowed the gap in the final turn.
“I felt him right on the back of my heels,” said Strum, who won in 1:53.00. “I knew he was going to come on strong. This was a big race for him.”
Rios was not challenged down the stretch. His time was almost a full second under the automatic qualifier (1:55.02).
“Going into the last turn, I was thinking, ‘I’m not that tired. I’ve just got to push it,’ but Nathan’s kick was directly proportional to mine,” Rios said. “I just focused on second and trying to PR, and I got both. I couldn’t be happier than right now.”
Sobrato had two more state hopefuls climb the podium Friday. Senior Ralph Jackson (40.22) battled to a sixth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles, and junior pole vaulter Austin Meldrum cleared 13 feet to tie for sixth, albeit disappointedly.
Two of the top three finishers advanced at 13-6, Meldrum’s personal best.
“I can’t explain it. It was just a bad day,” he said. “I’m really disappointed, but I’m excited for next year. I want to go 14-6.”
Jackson ran with severe muscle tightness in his lower back. He cleared all but two hurdles cleanly and held his position through the final 100 meters.
“Injury hinders you, but you don’t really think about when you’re racing. You just got to keep going,” he said. “I was more concerned about placing than my time, but I was honored to be here, to be able to compete on this stage.”
Jackson made “momentous improvement” this spring working with hurdles specialist Dean Raymond, his father, Ralph Jackson Sr., and sprint coach Chi Robinson of Piedmont Hills, plus the SHS staff. He held the third fastest time in the section entering the meet.
“I’m going to tell (Jackson) what I told him before the race: ‘I’m proud whether you’re first or eighth,'” Raymond said afterward. “He gave it his all this year.”
