The results for our track & field athletes in the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, held at Cerritos College, are now posted in the Meet Results section to the right. For the full meet results and race videos posted on DyestatCal, click here http://www.dyestatcal.com//?pg=dyestatcal-2010-TrackField-Road-To-State-Southern-Section-Masters-Meet.
The results include a listing of the times for each of our athletes over the past 3 weeks of post-league competition; CIF Prelims, Finals and Masters. The times for the Boys 4X400 Relay also include their individual 400 meter split times for all 3 races. Hopefully this will make it easier to compare times with past weeks without having to pull up additional pages. There are splits for the multi-lap races, and indicators for PRs and qualifying for the State Championships. And again, along with the results of our Redondo athletes, are those of “friend-of-the-family” Jaye Buchbinder of Chadwick.
Our 6 person team included 2 1600 meter runners, and the 4X400 relay team, made up of 1 sophomore, 2 juniors and 3 seniors.
Chloe Curtis and Lyndsey Mull lined up along side 10 of the fastest distance runners in California. Chloe, running wide but right on the shoulders of the leaders, through a 73.56 first 400 and a 2:27.10 at the 800, eased into first off the next turn. Lyndsey had been shadowing her all along, but now surged forward with her teammate as the two of them took command of the race. The other girls seemed caught off guard at this subtle insertion of a slowly growing gap. But they quickly readjusted their tempo and a set of 4 moved forward to keep contact with Lyndsey. Palos Verdes’ Mehra seemed to wake up near the back and put on a sprint to try and stay in the race, making it a sting of 6 in the chase pack. But by that next turn Chloe was on her own and increasing her lead. She passed 1200 at 3:36.63, a 69.53 split, looking cool and comfortable.
Meanwhile, back in the race, Lyndsey was leading the parade toward the bell lap, passing 1200 at 3:39.76. Into the next turn though she became engulfed by her competitors as they began their finishing kicks moving around her and dropping her to fourth place. Not one to give up, Lyndsey accelerated out of the turn and powered past the group, with about 250 meters to go. She had a solid lead rounding the final turn, but was loosing it fast to a sudden, lightening kick from Templeton’s Camacho. Chloe entered the final straight and cruised toward the finish line. 4 seconds back, Camacho pulls up behind Lyndsey who has entered the straight a little wide and continues to drift into lane 2. Camacho sees the opportunity to pass on the inside and makes her move, but it’s too late. Lyndsey has started her deadly final drive to the finish line and holds her off. Chloe takes first at 4:48:97, with the fast closing Lyndsey in second only .68 of a second back in 4:49.65.
Redondo Union takes one, two in the 1600. A Master’s Champ and a runner up. It only happened one other time in this meet when Long Beach Poly took one, two in the Girls Triple Jump.
The Boys 4X400 Relay team was assigned to lane 1 this time, underscoring their underdog status in this race of 400 meter powerhouse schools. At least it was a better position than last week’s lane 9. To advance to the State Championships they needed a new PR of 3:19.64.
Simon seemed to take his traditional role of lead-off man all the more seriously, using starting blocks. He backed into them, shook each leg before positioning it, and at the sound of the gun, bolted down the track just like the real sprinters do. He looked strong on the backstretch and around the turn, but it’s hard to tell what place anyone is in that soon. Down the straight toward the waiting Christian Bassman, Simon was gaining on the Woodbridge runner in classic form. He handed off to Christian, with a fast 50.0 split, but as the 3 turn stagger was evening out, the placing looked to be toward the back. In watching Christian run I felt confident that he was moving fast, but so was everyone on the track. Progress was made by inches, and a third of the way into the second turn those inches translated into a move out of last place, into eighth, and closing in on seventh. Off the turn he takes seventh and charges down the straight. The hand-off zone seems chaotic as Christian almost disappears into it with runners all converging into the line of “next-ups”, the jab-and-grab of the baton passes transition into frantic acceleration into the turn. The split is an impressive 49.8.
Remi is on the run. A miler fully transformed into a 400 meter dashman, you can see he is a true believer. But belief becomes reality in the Masters Meet only inches at a time. Half way around, he finally connects but has trouble turning his challenge into his victory. He does pull along side the runner, both no doubt getting an extra adrenalin rush from a case of last-man-panic. He’s not wondering if they put their slow man third, because there are no slow men here. Off the second turn, it’s Remi going wide to pass the 2 runners once and for all. Down the straight the 2 try to finish him off, but he splits the difference, clocks an astounding 48.93 split, and watches as Brandon Boyd hits the ground running.
I don’t know if Brandon was thinking about it, but on this day, in this meet of all places, all the anchormen are not only their team’s fastest quarter-milers, but they are also their clutch runners. No one has any trouble giving 110%. It’s what they are born to do. Same as our man Boyd. He’s flying in a high speed race, where progress happens in slow motion. Despite the fact that Serra was up front and on its way to setting a nation leading time, dueling it out with Long Beach Poly and Roosevelt, there was an equally intense and competitive race at the back end. Coming off the backstretch you could almost feel the g-force as Brandon hit the turn and came up behind the runner from Mater Dei. Down the final straightaway, holding on by the skin of his teeth, Brandon poured it on and inched up, but couldn’t quite catch him. Still, an incredible 48.19 split showed the magnitude of the effort. An effort that combined with his 3 teammates to clock a 3:16.93. A time that easily exceeds the state qualifier, a time well beyond anyone’s expectations, and best of all, a time that adds another week to their track seasons.
It was a very successful evening for Redondo Union at Cerritos College’s Falcon Stadium. Chloe and Lyndsey advanced to the State Championships in in the 1600, and Simon, Christian, Remi and Brandon advanced in the 4X400. All set seasonal, if not career PRs. And Jaye Buchbinder qualified for State with her ninth place 4:55.77 in the 1600, and her eighth place 2:12.48 in the 800.
Next week the California State Championships will be held in Fresno on Friday and Saturday. Good luck to all our athletes, and a safe trip to all those going up to witness Redondo Union history in the making. I’ll be watching you on Dystat’s video feed.
Doug, I just realized it was you who was providing these wonderful meet descriptions! I commented to Julie how great these are thinking that it was Coach Bob who was writing them. But she tells me it is you who is writing them and I want you to know how great they are. So great that I am almost 100% certain that you bleed RED, too! 😉