Anthony Chapman, the nervous wreck that he is, has done the math over and over in his head and on paper since Tuesday’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division III Trials and Modesto Junior College.
His Sierra girls team has a chance today to capture a section championship, but it expects to be tough for the Timberwolves with Foothill, feeding off the strength of its relay teams and hurdlers, and Placer, a traditionally tough distance and pole vaulting program, also in the running.
Sierra got off to a great start Tuesday, with Taylor-Renae Wilson taking second in the long jump finals and Cristina Westover third in the shot put to punch their tickets to the section’s Masters meet. On the boys side, Ulysses Knapps made it through with a runner-up finish in the long jump.
The top six finalists in all events qualify for Masters.
“I think the stars will have to align for us to win the championship,” Chapman said. “I don’t think we’re out of it, but I don’t think we’re the favorite either.”
Foothill established itself as the team to shoot for after T’Keyah Birkley easily posted the top trials times in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, while both relay teams dominated en route to earning the No. 1 seeds.
“Did we talk about it practice (Wednesday)? Yes we did,” Chapman said. “We also told the girls that if they compete the way they were trained to everything else could take care of itself.
“If it happens to fall in our favor we’ll be ecstatic, but if we run our absolute best and finish in the top three there’s nothing else we can ask for. I’d be very happy with that.”
Westover could repeat as a top-three placer, this time in the discus throw. Courtney Whitlock can contribute big points in both hurdle events after checking in with the fourth best time in the 300 and fifth best in the 100.
Shanedra Pitts can also make some noise in the 100, where she is seeded fourth. She is also a part of the second-seeded 4x100 relay team and No. 5 mile relay.
State-meet hopeful Angell Mayfield of Weston Ranch will look to join Knapps at Masters and should contend for an individual divisional title.
Mayfield recorded the second best time in the 110 hurdles at 15.09 seconds, but his personal best is a wind-aided 14.41 established at the Valley Oak League Championships May 9. Rio Linda’s A.J. Romine is the race favorite.
The finals will also feature the area’s top two distance runners. Weston Ranch’s Roberto Alvarez and Sierra’s John Bowers will continue their season-long duel in the 1,600 and 3,200.
Alvarez and Bowers are seeded 1-2 in the two-mile, and it is expected to be a wide-open race for the mile.
The second set of field events will kick off the final day at 3 p.m. The track finals will begin with the girls 400 relay at 6 p.m.
His Sierra girls team has a chance today to capture a section championship, but it expects to be tough for the Timberwolves with Foothill, feeding off the strength of its relay teams and hurdlers, and Placer, a traditionally tough distance and pole vaulting program, also in the running.
Sierra got off to a great start Tuesday, with Taylor-Renae Wilson taking second in the long jump finals and Cristina Westover third in the shot put to punch their tickets to the section’s Masters meet. On the boys side, Ulysses Knapps made it through with a runner-up finish in the long jump.
The top six finalists in all events qualify for Masters.
“I think the stars will have to align for us to win the championship,” Chapman said. “I don’t think we’re out of it, but I don’t think we’re the favorite either.”
Foothill established itself as the team to shoot for after T’Keyah Birkley easily posted the top trials times in the 100- and 300-meter hurdles, while both relay teams dominated en route to earning the No. 1 seeds.
“Did we talk about it practice (Wednesday)? Yes we did,” Chapman said. “We also told the girls that if they compete the way they were trained to everything else could take care of itself.
“If it happens to fall in our favor we’ll be ecstatic, but if we run our absolute best and finish in the top three there’s nothing else we can ask for. I’d be very happy with that.”
Westover could repeat as a top-three placer, this time in the discus throw. Courtney Whitlock can contribute big points in both hurdle events after checking in with the fourth best time in the 300 and fifth best in the 100.
Shanedra Pitts can also make some noise in the 100, where she is seeded fourth. She is also a part of the second-seeded 4x100 relay team and No. 5 mile relay.
State-meet hopeful Angell Mayfield of Weston Ranch will look to join Knapps at Masters and should contend for an individual divisional title.
Mayfield recorded the second best time in the 110 hurdles at 15.09 seconds, but his personal best is a wind-aided 14.41 established at the Valley Oak League Championships May 9. Rio Linda’s A.J. Romine is the race favorite.
The finals will also feature the area’s top two distance runners. Weston Ranch’s Roberto Alvarez and Sierra’s John Bowers will continue their season-long duel in the 1,600 and 3,200.
Alvarez and Bowers are seeded 1-2 in the two-mile, and it is expected to be a wide-open race for the mile.
The second set of field events will kick off the final day at 3 p.m. The track finals will begin with the girls 400 relay at 6 p.m.
