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Riverbank Opens Season At Tom Moore Relays
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The season is not yet in full stride, yet the area track and field athletes seemingly did not get hold of the memo. The Riverbank High track program joined several other track teams for the 11th Annual Tom Moore - Sierra relays at Modesto Junior College on March 7, putting forth several solid performances.

Teams from all over the Central Valley turned out for the showcase event, pushing the beginning stages of the spring season into full gear. Riverbank's success over the past decade has enabled the squad to use the annual meet more as a gauge than as a competition against the remainder of the area powerhouses.

"We held a few of our top runners out due to illness and just coming out from basketball," Riverbank head coach Monte Wood said. "Some of our top athletes have only been out for a few days, so they were a little rusty and didn't perform as well as we would have liked.

"We're shooting to be on all cylinders by the TVL/WAC Challenge."

The Riverbank boys frosh team closed out the meet with am impressive top-10 finish. The Bruin boys squad finished tied for seventh place with Central Catholic, Sonora and Big Valley Christian.

The Lady Bruin frosh team grabbed a top-10 finish in the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 1:00.49. The squad also added a seventh place finish in the girls sprint medley along with a fifth place finish in the 4x400 meter relay.

Riverbank did have some of its customary success, leaving some of the squad with some good feelings at the end of the meet.

"Our throwers were really good," Wood said. "Tempest Robertson won the frosh/soph shot put and placed fourth in the discus. Bill Bairos finished second in the frosh shot and fourth in the discus. Our young sprinters did very well in the relays. Two ladies, Adrianna Rosales and Genisa Contreras, had outstanding performances."

Riverbank will look to build on its performance as they prepare for the March 19 TVL/WAC challenge at Patterson High.

"I told the kids after the meet on Saturday that we are building towards the TVL/WAC Challenge," Wood said. "We have just had too many kids sick and involved in other sports or activities to really be rolling right now.

"We are a work in progress, but we will get there."