At last year
’s California Interscholastic Federation’s State Track and Field
Championships, Cobbie Jones just barely qualified for the 800-meter
finals. This year, she made sure to control her own destiny. As
nighttime approached at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium,
Jones won her 800 heat with a
time of 2:12.20 to automatically qualify for today’s finals,
which will start at 6:43pm. Despite running a personal-record and
school-best time of 2:09.84 last week at the Central Coast Section
finals at Los Gatos High, Jones said she made a “series of
mistakes” in that race and wanted to run
smarter at this weekend’s state meet. She kept her word.
At last year’s California Interscholastic Federation’s State Track and Field Championships, Cobbie Jones just barely qualified for the 800-meter finals.
This year, she made sure to control her own destiny.
As nighttime approached at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium, Jones won her 800 heat with a time of 2:12.20 to automatically qualify for today’s finals, which will start at 6:43pm.
Despite running a personal-record and school-best time of 2:09.84 last week at the Central Coast Section finals at Los Gatos High, Jones said she made a “series of mistakes” in that race and wanted to run smarter at this weekend’s state meet.
She kept her word.
“That was a rough race,” said Jones, who has qualified for the CIF state meet in all three years she has competed. “It was very tactical. It’s the state meet, so everyone goes for it.”
Jones was in the middle of the pack going into the final turn of the first lap, but she moved up to second in the straightaway. The junior kept that position for most of the final lap, but was challenged going into the final lap. Jones kept her composure and put a comfortable distance between her and second place finisher Lea Wallace of Vintage (2:12.47) down the stretch to seal the win.
“(In the first lap), I was trying to get my stride,” said Jones, who had the fastest qualifying time in the fourth and final heat of the event. “I knew the other heats had been fast, so I needed a fast time to get in. I needed to keep the pace going.”
Jones had the fourth fastest time overall – exactly where she was seeded going into the race. Kauren Tarver from Serrano of the Southern Section had the top time, 2:11.21.
Besides Jones, two other Central Coast Section runners qualified for the final: Saratoga’s Alicia Follmar (third overall, 2:12.05), and Menlo-Atherton’s Libby Jenke (fifth overall, 2:11.33). Archbishop Mitty’s Christine Whalen (2:13.23) just missed qualifying.
Live Oak track and field coach Dean Raymond said Jones looked strong during workouts this past week and is ready to “bust open.”
Jones feels the same way.
“I do this for fun. It’s my passion,” Jones said. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work and now it’s my turn to enjoy what I’ve done.”
