Live Oak senior to end rookie track season racing for 100m, 200m
state titles
GILROY
Where did he come from?
The question rose again Friday night, just as it normally has after James Walker crosses the finish line.
Unless they play soccer, most of the other contestants in the 100-, 200- and 4×400-meter Central Coast Section Finals hadn’t seen Walker in action prior to the May 21 semifinal meet; hadn’t seen the 6-foot-2 Live Oak senior — all arms, legs, hair and speed — in competitive form. Walker did not run track prior to this season. But he is very fast, and he refuses to lose.
Because of that, Walker will race at the CIF State Championships in Clovis this week while many of his opponents attend their high school graduation ceremonies.
Walker pulled two more thrilling upsets Friday at Gilroy’s Garcia-Elder Sports Complex, making dramatic late charges in the 100 and 200 to place third and second, respectively, and advance to state in both races.
“I definitely feel like a track runner now,” Walker said after clocking a Live Oak High School-record 22.04 seconds in the 200.
Walker’s confidence was already soaring an hour earlier after he set a wind-legal personal best (10.91) in the 100, edging Gilroy’s Julius Travis by two hundredths of a second for the final invitation to state.
On cue, Walker followed that with perhaps his best race of the season at 200 meters, surging from seventh to second in the final 20 yards.
The question could be read on the face of each runner he passed: Where did he come from?
“As soon as we saw he was in Lane 1 for the 200, we got excited,” LOHS distance coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s just got that good, quick stride where he doesn’t open up his stride very well — but that’s perfect for running on a sharp curve.”
Hard to believe Walker was seeded seventh for the 100 and sixth for the 200.
“He has, in a good way, this obviousness to where he doesn’t even know any better,” Sullivan said. “He doesn’t know that, like, going an hour later to go run again after you just trained isn’t an issue or anything like that. … It doesn’t get into his head because he hasn’t done track long enough to know what’s good for you. It works to his advantage.”
So does his ability to keep a cool head, even with the weight of a season on his shoulders. Although placid in character, Walker admits he did feel nervous while driving to Garcia-Elder, the place where he and relaymate Jacob Montoya took part in a 2-0 loss to Santa Cruz in the CCS Division III boys soccer final March 5.
“Yeah, it was definitely eerie,” Walker said. “I was kind of nervous anyway because this is, like, my first year here and stuff. It’s my first time doing this at CCS. Now it’s on to state.”
Second place felt much different this time, as evident in the way Walker bounced the silver medal he earned for the 200 in his fist while leaving the podium.
“It feels good,” he said. “I want a third one, bring some company to state.”
The perfect ending was not to be. Live Oak was a spot away from qualifying for state in the mile relay, though, it seemed much farther away with Alex Haferbecker, Montoya, Daw and Walker finishing in 3:27.58, more than a second behind third place St. Francis and almost four seconds slower than the Acorns’ school-record time (3:23.83) set at semifinals.
Live Oak changed its order for Friday’s final to match up better with the opposition.
“We looked at the splits of the other teams, and what we tried to do is put people with people who were a little bit faster, so they would push them,” Sullivan said.
The move appeared to backfire, but the Acorns had a simpler explanation.
“I think we just ran slow,” Montoya said. “I really don’t know what happened. I left too early for my run — stupid mistake. That didn’t help us.”
The Acorns were in fifth place after Haferbecker’s opening 400, then dropped far back into sixth during Montoya and Daw’s middle legs. Walker made up three positions in the final 100, but none of the Live Oak sprinters celebrated afterward.
Haferbecker, the foursome’s lone underclassman, took it the hardest.
“I felt like I ran a good first leg,” the junior said. “It just felt like me and Jacob (Montoya) couldn’t keep up with the other guys.”
For their season, Haferbecker, Montoya, Daw and Walker were satisfied. They captured titles at the Santa Teresa Division and Blossom Valley Athletic League Finals, set a new school record and held the second-best time in the section for most of the season.
“My senior year, I went to two CCS finals,” Montoya said. “I thought that was pretty good for me and James. Wish we could have gone farther together, but I’m definitely proud of what this relay team did.”
When it was over, they stood together on the podium Friday at CCS Finals. Their fourth-place finish did match their seed from Saturday, plus it secured ninth place in the boys standings out of 48 schools.
Not bad for four guys.
“I kind of wish I didn’t wait until my senior year to try this,” Walker said.
Walker has at least one race left with the state preliminary heats June 3. The top athletes return to Veterans Memorial Stadium at Buchanan High School the next day for finals. Walker’s 100 time from CCS Finals is listed just outside the top 50 in the state but is six tenths slower than the best mark.
“I have no idea how he’s going to do, but we’re excited,” Sullivan said.
Out of all the athletes who competed Friday, Walker was the last one to leave the grandstand at Garcia-Elder. He sat looking out at the artificial turf field, while those around him wondered not where Walker came from, but what lies ahead for him.
