Even with an injury to one of its top athletes, the Sobrato High track and field program is setting program records and continuing to hit its marks.
“We’re building the program and doing our best to put Sobrato on the map as far as track and field goes,” Bulldogs coach Andrea Tuua said.
Sobrato has a handful of athletes in the top 10 in the Blossom Valley Athletic League rankings, including Shaunise Tuua (long jump), Ryan McGlashan (shot put), Kevin Havens (300-meter hurdles), Ava Valone (200), the girls 4×100-meter relay team, and Sara Tran, who is currently injured but hopeful to make a triumphant return by the last week of April.
Tuua has set the school record in the long jump, going 16 feet, 5 inches in the Evergreen Valley meet, tied for the fifth best mark in the BVAL this season. Tuua is also a member of the 4×100 relay team that includes Grace Boles, Valone and Sophia delos Santos.
The latter replaced Tran, who got out of the blocks fast in the season-opening K-Bell Invitational on March 4. The senior ran a personal-record (PR) of 12.78 seconds in the 100-meter dash, which is tied for the No. 3 mark in the BVAL and a top 20 time in the Central Coast Section.
However, Tran is currently in a walking boot for a sprained left foot and doesn’t get to remove it until April 24. Despite being sidelined for most of the season, Tran has attended every duel league meet and even cheered on her teammates all day—literally—at the Garlic Classic Invitational on March 18.
Tran was at Christopher High from 8:30am to 7:30pm, and as one of the more experienced girls on the team, has provided encouragement and advice. It definitely hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Sara comes out there in workouts encouraging them, especially the girls 4×100,” Tuua said. “She’s definitely been a coach on the side every step of the way.”
Andrea Tuua has been overjoyed being able to share in her daughter Shaunise’s successes, particularly the long jump, an event that Shaunise had never tried until this season.
“She’s learning and falling in love with the event which is amazing for her,” Andrea said.
McGlashan, a senior, broke his own school record in the shot put with a throw of 45 feet, 7 ½ inches in the Garlic Classic Invitational on March 18. That ranks No. 4 in the CCS this season. Havens, a sophomore, has the BVAL’s No. 9 mark in the 300 hurdles, a 44.42 established at the Leland Quicksilver Invitational on April 1.
With Boles, Havens, Tuua and delos Santos all being sophomores, the future of Sobrato track and field looks to be on solid ground. Andrea Tuua is excited about their potential along with junior Jaylen Deloatch, who is in his inaugural season in the sport and making rapid progress in the jumps and sprints events.
“He’s open to coaching and taking in a lot of information and really improving every meet,” Tuua said. “And Kevin is another hard worker, focused, determined, and very coachable.”
To stay in shape, Tran has been on the stationary bike and doing core work so if her ankle heals up in time, she can post some decent times upon her return. In the meantime, Tran is being the best teammate possible, sidelined but still making an impact.
At duel meets, both teams are responsible for either setting up or taking down hurdles, and Tran said she helps out in that area which gives her teammates one less thing to worry about during the competition. When the girls 4×100 relay team competes, Tran said she’ll run along the infield of the track cheering on her teammates
“I think I’m one of the loudest ones out there cheering because I know the spots,” she said.
