GILROY
For the first time in school history, the Gilroy High boys track and field team is section champion.
Trailing St. Francis by one point heading into the Central Coast Section Track and Field Championships’ climactic event, the 4×400-meter relay, the GHS squad — Julius Travis, Romeo Travis, Jourdan Soares and David Guenther — had no choice but to outrun the Lancers.
Finishing second behind San Benito in the race, but ahead of St. Francis — who crossed third — the effort propelled the Mustangs to the championship by the narrowest of margins, 53-52, in front of their hometown fans at Garcia-Elder Sports Complex on Friday night.
With representatives in seven events, the Mustangs maximized their presence by taking first in two events and holding down top-five spots in five others.
The 4×100 relay team (J. Travis, R. Travis, Soares and Guenther) smashed its own school record with a 41.77 to defend its CCS title of a year ago, and at the same time qualified them to the CIF State Championships.
Soares also won the 100-meter dash in 10.66 and took second in the long jump, posting an automatic qualifier distance of 22-09 in his first jump.
Chima Ikeme, punched his ticket to the state meet with a third-place finish in the discus all the while providing valuable team points. Eric Martinez held up his end of the deal, finishing fifth in the pole vault with a personal-record clearance of 13-06.
Angeline Kimbo had two podium appearances on Friday night, placing fifth in the shot put and sixth in discus.
