Live Oak junior Cobbie Jones made the podium and left Sacramento
City College
’s Hughes Stadium with a medal, but it wasn’t exactly the one
she wanted. In the 800-meter finals at the California
Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships,
Jones took sixth place with a time of 2:12.66. The time was a
second slower than her time in last year’s race, wh
en she finished fourth with a then-Live Oak record of
2:11.83.
Live Oak junior Cobbie Jones made the podium and left Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium with a medal, but it wasn’t exactly the one she wanted.
In the 800-meter finals at the California Interscholastic Federation State Track and Field Championships, Jones took sixth place with a time of 2:12.66. The time was a second slower than her time in last year’s race, when she finished fourth with a then-Live Oak record of 2:11.83.
After the race, Jones had a smile on her face, but even the ever-cheerful junior couldn’t disguise the disappointment in her voice.
“I was slower this year,” said Jones. “But that’s running for you.”
Menlo School’s Libby Jenke, a senior and one of Jones’ top Central Coast Section rivals over the past three years, won the gold with a time of 2:10.39.
Less than a second separated the second through sixth-place finishers. Freshman Kauren Tarver of the Southern Section’s Serrano took second with a time of 2:12.08 and sophomore Kate Grace of Marlborough, also in the Southern Section, took third with a 2:12.11.
“On Friday, she won her heat and on Saturday, she ran about the same time but she was sixth,” said Live Oak coach Dean Raymond. “The disappointing part, at least for me, and probably for her, too, was that she was less than a second away from second place.”
After one lap, Jones was in third and led the pack that trailed Jenke and Tarver, who were leading the race. But halfway through the final lap, Jones dropped behind a few runners and didn’t have the kick to close the gap again.
“I didn’t feel too good,” said Jones. “I hit the wall and I was trying to hold on. I just tried my best the rest of the way.”
Even the junior’s usual meet-day breakfast of French toast and fruit couldn’t quite replenish the energy she expended in Friday’s prelims, when she won her heat with a time of 2:12.20.
“It’s tough. There’s only 24 hours rest,” Jones said. “I just thank God that he took care of me and kept me safe.”
Going into the state meet, the CCS was expected to dominate the event. After the CCS Finals, the top five times in the state belonged to CCS runners, including Jones (fourth best) and Saratoga senior Alicia Follmar, who had the state’s best time of 2:07.
But after qualifying for and competing in the 1,600-meter finals, Follmar was drained for her fourth race in two days and finished last in the finals with a time of 2:16.02.
Of the CCS crew, only Jenke finished in the top five. Archbishop Mitty’s Christine Whalen didn’t even make the finals.
Though her high school track season is over, Jones doesn’t get to rest just yet. She’ll travel back to Sacramento this weekend to compete in the Adidas Golden West Invitational, an event that draws the top track and field athletes from across the country.
Jones, whose 2:09.84 CCS Finals time is eighth-best in the country (and a Live Oak school record), will be one of 10 girls running the 800. She’ll even get a chance to test her mettle against Warrenton, Va.’s Sarah Bowman, who owns the nation’s top time in the event, 2:04.9.
Saturday’s meet will cap an amazing junior season for Jones that saw her ranked in the Top 10 in CCS in four different events, including the 400, the 800, the 1,600 and the 300 hurdles. At one point, Jones had the second fastest time in CCS in the 400, an event she rarely competes in, and she set a new school record in the 300 hurdles, another rare event for her.
Meanwhile, Hollister-San Benito’s Amanda Boyd was the only other local to compete Saturday, taking 18th in the 3,200 in 11:15.41.
Haybaler teammates Todd Merrigan (14-03.05 in the pole vault), and Jesse Rice (49.35 in the 400), and Gilroy’s Bobby Best (150-02 in the discus) failed to advance past Friday’s state preliminaries.
