Eight Riverbank High School athletes qualified in track and field trials the week of May 17-21 to advance to the Sac-Joaquin Section Meet.
The finals, at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, will take place on Thursday and Friday, May 27-28, But Bruin seniors are competing only on Friday, so there will be no confilick with Thursday's graduation ceremony at RHS.
Bruin qualifiers are Ben DeYoung, with a second place in the pole vault; David Harrison, third in the pole vault; Georgina Arnold, seventh in the two mile; Bianca Melchor, eighth in the two mile; Kelly Clancey and Melody DeYoung, joining Kasey Wool and Brittany Harrison in the 4x400 relay; Harrison, again second in the mile and fourth in the 800 meters; and Wool, sixth in the 300 meter hurdles and first in the pole vault.
The Bruin girls shattered several records. Both Arnold and Melchor broke the Riverbank High record for the two-mile. Wool raised the Trans Valley League record for the pole vault.
"Little Riverbank, a school of some 800 kids, performed against all of the big Stockton, Lodi, Merced, Manteca and Modesto schools, and the girls finished sixth and the boys 11th overall. That is quite an accomplishment," said Bruin coach Monte Wood.
The boys were also the champions among small schools. That means they scored highest among Division II, III and IV teams. The teams that scored hjgher were all Division I.
"These things don't happen without great coaches who really care about and have a heart of love for pour kids," said Jerry DeYoung in an e-mail. "Big thanks to Hebert, Wood and Adams. Yes, contrary to what he'd have you believe, Ron has a soft heart for these kids."
Ron Hebert is the head and boys track and field coach. Monte Wood coaches the girls events and the pole vaulting, and Karen Adams is the athletics director.
DeYoung and Harrison both cleared 13-6 in the pole vault.
Arnold ran a time of 11:45.87 and Melchor the same in the 3.200 meters or two-mile event.
The Riverbank team of Clancey, DeYoung, Wool and Harrison ran a 4:19.42 in the 4x400 relay.
Harrison's time for second place in the mile was 5:24.02. For fourth place in the 800 meters, she clocked 2:25.27.
Wool cleared 11 feet for first place in the girls vault, and ran for sixth place in the 300 meter hurdles in 48.26.
The finals, at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, will take place on Thursday and Friday, May 27-28, But Bruin seniors are competing only on Friday, so there will be no confilick with Thursday's graduation ceremony at RHS.
Bruin qualifiers are Ben DeYoung, with a second place in the pole vault; David Harrison, third in the pole vault; Georgina Arnold, seventh in the two mile; Bianca Melchor, eighth in the two mile; Kelly Clancey and Melody DeYoung, joining Kasey Wool and Brittany Harrison in the 4x400 relay; Harrison, again second in the mile and fourth in the 800 meters; and Wool, sixth in the 300 meter hurdles and first in the pole vault.
The Bruin girls shattered several records. Both Arnold and Melchor broke the Riverbank High record for the two-mile. Wool raised the Trans Valley League record for the pole vault.
"Little Riverbank, a school of some 800 kids, performed against all of the big Stockton, Lodi, Merced, Manteca and Modesto schools, and the girls finished sixth and the boys 11th overall. That is quite an accomplishment," said Bruin coach Monte Wood.
The boys were also the champions among small schools. That means they scored highest among Division II, III and IV teams. The teams that scored hjgher were all Division I.
"These things don't happen without great coaches who really care about and have a heart of love for pour kids," said Jerry DeYoung in an e-mail. "Big thanks to Hebert, Wood and Adams. Yes, contrary to what he'd have you believe, Ron has a soft heart for these kids."
Ron Hebert is the head and boys track and field coach. Monte Wood coaches the girls events and the pole vaulting, and Karen Adams is the athletics director.
DeYoung and Harrison both cleared 13-6 in the pole vault.
Arnold ran a time of 11:45.87 and Melchor the same in the 3.200 meters or two-mile event.
The Riverbank team of Clancey, DeYoung, Wool and Harrison ran a 4:19.42 in the 4x400 relay.
Harrison's time for second place in the mile was 5:24.02. For fourth place in the 800 meters, she clocked 2:25.27.
Wool cleared 11 feet for first place in the girls vault, and ran for sixth place in the 300 meter hurdles in 48.26.
