CIF Finals
(24 May 2008)

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Track season finally came to an end for the 8 Islanders who made it all the way to the CIF finals at Mt. Carmel last Saturday. The boys' team had one of its best-ever results, finishing 4th in the D-II division out of over 50 schools with Track and Field programs. Only Ramona, University City, and Mt. Miguel scored higher than our 34 points, and we weren't far out of the 2nd or 3rd spots as UC placed 2nd with 39.5 points. The closest team in our league was Clairemont with 3 points. An unofficial tally of all schools in the county (D1 and D1 combined) ranks us 11th overall, in front of giants like Vista, Carlsbad, Poway, and La Costa Canyon. We could never beat one of these large schools in a dual meet because they have more depth, but at the Championship level, team rankings are based on having a few very good athletes who can place well among all county athletes in their division. In our case Kyle Brown's wins in the both the long and triple jumps, Ben Enowitz's 2nd place finish in the 3200, and Will Bartsch's tie for 2nd in the pole vault netted all of our points. Although he was a double CIF champion Brown would have traded both awards for a trip to the state meet. Only the top 3 advance and Kyle placed 4th to D-1 jumpers in the triple jump and 5th to D-1 jumpers in the long jump. He was very close in the triple jump with a mark of 44 feet 10 inches, only one-half of an inch back from the 3rd place finisher. He had a similar fate in the long jump with a leap of 22-1.5, less than 4 inches out of the third qualifying spot. He had a great two years as an Islander and owns school records in the 100 meter dash and triple jump. Ben Enowitz's 2nd place finish in the 3200 was one spot lower than he'd hoped for but he did well considering he'd missed several weeks of practice because of a lower back injury early this season. Ben will matriculate to Harvard where he'll compete in Cross Country and Track in the Ivy League.  Our frosh vaulter, Will Bartsch, didn't know which end of the pole went in the ground and which end to hold when he started this season but with a gymnastic physique and lots of gymnastic experience as a kid, he took to the event like the proverbial duck takes to water.  With only a few weeks of practice he won the freshman vault at the Frosh/Soph championships earlier this season and was the only freshman in the county to advance to the CIF finals from either division. He's just getting started on what appears to be a very promising pole vault career. David Grimes was the first alternate after the Prelims and scratched in. His goal was to break 2 minutes; my advice was to run the first 400 in 59 seconds. This, however, was the championship and he hooked a pace that passed the first lap in around 57 (maybe a bit faster). This fast pace took its toll 100 meters from the finish where the bear jumped on his back (that's an actual track term Dave). He held on to finish 9th with a time of 2:03.7, a little wiser from the experience.  In the girls' events both Sallie Privett and up-and-coming freshman Annie Lovering made the winners' podium (top 6) in the 1600. Privett was 3rd with a time of 5:11.20; Lovering was 6th in 5:23.36. The girls' distance runs are very strong this year in both divisions and these are excellent results. Privett later came back in the 3200 for another 3rd place finish with a time of 11:47.19.  Also making the coveted podium trip was Danielle Gillberg with an 5th place finish in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.92. Watch out Sara Player, she's only a sophomore. Rounding out the CIF finals experience was Briana Giorgione who placed 7th (ouch) with a vault of 8 feet 3 inches. Places 5-7 all vaulted the same height but Briana was placed 7th based on the most misses at lower heights (double ouch).