Last week saw the Riverbank High co-ed track and field squad get off to a ‘running’ start, so to speak, with its annual internal competition, called the Bruin Team Challenge. It was held right after school on Tuesday, March 3.
It’s an internal competition, “designed as an activity for team bonding and fun right before our competitive season begins,” according to Coach Monte Wood.
There are five events for teams to compete in: Shuttle hurdle relay, shot put, 800, long jump, and the obstacle course relay at the end.
Athletes cannot compete in events that they will be competing in during the season, the coach explained.
“We give extra points for best uniforms/costume and extra points for the team with the most spirit. We choose senior track athletes to be captain, and they draft their own team,” Wood said.
This year’s captains were Ramon Rosas, Isaac Andalon, Nico Pulido, and Mikayla Macias.
“Mikayla’s team, Track Story, won a very close competition against Nico’s team, The Running Dead. The Running Dead team won the uniform competition,” Wood reported.
After starting the pre-season with the Team Challenge early last week, the team then got its first taste of interscholastic completion over the weekend, and found success, according to Wood.
“About half of the team competed at the Timberwolf Invitational at Sierra High School on Saturday, March 7, and the results were encouraging,” he said.
The frosh/soph boys brought home a third place finish, competing against mostly large school teams.
“The boys were paced by Anthony Leon, who won the triple jump with a 39-foot, 2-inch leap. He followed that up with a second place finish in the long jump with a jump of 18-foot, 8-inches. He also ran on the second place 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams,” Wood reported.
Freddy Anderson took second place in the 100 and ran on the 4x100 team. Fabian Garcia took third in the triple jump and ran on the 4x100. Nick Mangiapane and Alec Rios were members of the second place 4x400 relay teams and placed in both the 400 and 800.
In the varsity boys competition, Ramon Rosas finished third in the 1600 and Nico Pulido finished fourth in the 800.
“Many of the varsity runners didn’t run due to preparations for the County meet which will be hosted at Riverbank High School,” Wood noted.
Isaac Andalon took third in both the shot put and discus.
The frosh/soph girls did well also on Saturday, Wood said.
Kylee Rhodehouse, Alyssa Perez, Livi Fernandez, and Ainsley Wood took second in the 4x400 relay. Wood finished third in the long jump and sixth in the triple jump.
For the varsity girls, Cecilia Leon came out strong with a second place finish in the shot put with a throw of 32-feet, 5-inches and finished sixth in the discus with a throw of 96-feet, 4-inches.
“This week we host Amador and Big Valley Grace on Tuesday for a scrimmage meet,” Wood pointed out. “Then, on Friday night (March 13), we host the Stanislaus County Meet.”
Wood said that Friday night’s meet should be great competition, and they’re expecting everyone to be healthy and ready to run.