It was almost impossible for any track athlete at Saturday's Central Coast Section Semifinals to not feel the heat.
Already feeling the pressure of top-eight status - a select standing that guarantees a berth into Friday's CCS Finals - temperatures flirted with 100 degrees all afternoon at Gilroy High's Garcia-Elder Sports Complex.
"It was good day, but just so hot," girls coach Laurie Cottrell said. "Our athletes, I know they're not happy with their performances, but I'm proud of them. I think some of them were drained from being in the sun."
In the end, San Benito will send three individuals and two relay teams to the finals, including Courtney Allen in the 1,600, Ryan Shorey in the 400, Austin Schmidt in the long jump and 300 low hurdles, and both the boys 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams.
"We did all right," boys coach Iran White said. "There were some good things and some heartbreaks, but that's the sport."
The lone qualifier from the girls team was Allen, who finished fifth in her heat with a 5:22.14. Allen also qualified for the semis in the 3,200, but Cottrell said they wanted her to just focus on one race.
It certainly paid off.
"It's more of her race," Cottrell said. "We didn't want to burn her out so we just had her focus on her race."
Discus-thrower Sarah Yoldi arrived at Gilroy High at 8 a.m., and then waited in the scorching heat for her event, which didn't begin until approximately 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
Yoldi threw 104-10, and missed the cut by less than a foot.
"It must be the heat," said Yoldi, who threw 115-04 at the league finals. "I just could not get in a good throw. If I could have thrown a 110, I could have qualified and I couldn't even do that.
"It's just ridiculous."
Sister Lila Yoldi narrowly missed the cut as well, finishing ninth in the shot put with a 35-10. Said White, "I feel bad for them. They just had a bad day."
Things didn't go well for the Serra 4x100 relay team, either. The top-ranked team in the section, Serra committed a false start and was disqualified from their heat.
That news certainly made life a little easier for San Benito, which was in that same heat. The 'Balers, who admittedly were not tested in the 4x100 as a result, took first in 43.60.
The boys 4x400 team clocked 3:26.55 - the second best time at the semifinals - to take first in their heat and earn a finals bid as well.
Austin Schmidt will be San Benito's only multi-event qualifier, as the 'Baler senior delivered a 21-09 in the long jump and a 40.12 in the 300 hurdles.
"I went into [the long jump] ranked seventh or eighth and I didn't think I was going to qualify," said Schmidt, who set a personal best in the long jump by two inches.
Schmidt missed the cut in the 110 hurdles, however, after his 15.22 was just five one-hundredths of a second behind.
"I was two one-hundredths of a second off my PR (in the 110 hurdles), so there wasn't much I could have done," Schmidt said.
Ryan Shorey ran the 200 and 400 and qualified for the finals in the latter after he took second in his heat at 50.10. On Friday, Shorey, who's hovered around the 50-second mark all season, has plans on breaking through.
"I could have done it today, but I didn't push myself," he said. "I think next week, if I push myself the second 200 (meters) of the race, I could make it to state. I just have to do it."
Only the top three finishers at the CCS Finals advance to state. Field events begin at 4 p.m., and running events start at 6 p.m. at Gilroy High.
CCS SEMIS
GIRLS (Places respective to preliminary heats)
1,600 - 5, C. Allen, 5:22.14 (Q). 400 - 5, M. Cortez, 1:02.71 (DNQ). 100 - 7, K. Russell, 13.10 (DNQ). Pole vault - 12, N. Becker, 8-06 (DNQ); 19, M. Delatorre, 8-0 (DNQ). Discus - 13, S. Yoldi, 104-10 (DNQ). Shot put - 9, L. Yoldi, 35-10 (DNQ).
BOYS (Places respective to preliminary heats)
4x100 - 1, San Benito, 43.60 (Q). 1,600 - 13, F. Rivera, 4:41.40 (DNQ). 110 hurdles - 3, E. McFadden, 15.42 (DNQ); 4, A. Schmidt, 15.22 (DNQ). 400 - 2, R. Shorey, 50.10 (Q). 300 hurdles - 2, A. Schmidt, 40.12 (Q). 200 - 4, R. Shorey, 22.69 (DNQ). 4x400 - 1, San Benito, 3:26.55 (Q). Pole vault - 14, B. Gonzalez 13-0 (DNQ). Long jump - 4, A. Schmidt, 21-09 (Q); 15, C. Koroluk, 20-02 1/2 (DNQ). Triple jump - 19, C. Koroluk, 40-03 1/2 (DNQ). Discus - 14, F. Martinez, 137-07 (DNQ). Shot put - 26, W. Jacobson, 42-10 1/2 (DNQ).
Andrew Matheson Andrew Matheson is a sports writer for South Valley Newspapers. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 334 or at amatheson@svnewspapers.com.
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San Benito Score: Baler baseball, CCS basketball and state wrestling
