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btc summer series - 08/13/08 by baker

Originally uploaded by andynoise

a reader wrote me today and was wondering what the course record was on the course. from the btc website, former driller joel cardoza ran 15:41 in 2006. i seem to remember that this time maybe suspect however.

the reader also inquired about the age of the race. he thought it was a new race but it has been around for awhile. i think it got started in the late 80s and i definitely ran it in the early 90s.

in fact, ten or more years ago it was the last race that i ran for the most part. i won the overall point series and it was my last race i seriously ran. in 2006, my son christopher won the series and it was the first race he ever won.

the btc summer series started out as the darryl easter memorial handicap series. darryl easter died at a young age and left behind several young children and a wife. i ran with darryl and he put on some local races back in the 80s too.

my earliest memories of this series was that it was run in winter and was held on sunday afternoons. the race also started up the road a bit. the finish was uphill near the tunnel where the bike path leads to now.

the bike path didnt exist back then either. the race was up what was called rattlesnake gulch and then back down. it was all uphill and then downhill. the turnaround was almost to the road at the top of the hill. the road the race was on wasnt much of a road.

it was dirt with a lot of rocks and ruts. watching ones footing was key and many an ankle was turned on the old course. it was a pure strength runner’s course back in the day.

later the race moved to tuesday nights and the start was moved too. i still believe it is the hardest 5k course around.

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uc davis

Originally uploaded by andynoise

day two of of our uc tour was to uc davis. it was due east of the bay area and seemed real close to sacramento (15 miles?). i always thought davis was further north myself.

the surrounding are looked like kern county foothills with a few more trees. the university wasnt that impressive looking but we did like davis. it looked like bakersfield’s westchester/downtown area with a lot more trees and bikes.

i could see leaving my son here to go to school. the place was mellow and very non-threatening. felt like home but nicer. it seemed to a place that would be easy to go to school. maybe a little dull but definitely not crazy like berkeley..

then since it was on the way home, we headed to uc merced.

dont make the same mistake we did. there is no reason to visit uc merced. it is really sad. first off it is miles from the freeway and the town. second, it looks like frontier high school. no offense to frontier but a high school shouldnt look better than a UC

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berekeleyOriginally uploaded by andynoise

what started out as me doing the san francisco marathon ended up being a tour of the northern califiornia’s universities. after i survived the LA marathon, i thought “why not san fran” but after signing up i realized i didnt want to do five hour training walks in the summer heat, so i decided on doing the half instead.

at first i was going to do the trip alone but i ended up taking two oldest sons. we took the coast route up and it was beautiful. saw lovely coastlines, surfers sailing with kites and enjoyed the cool fresh air.

after eating in santa cruz, i decided to visit uc santa cruz. i havent been there since i was in college. my sophomore year, the all uc meet was in santa cruz.

i went to uc san diego, so we got to fly to the meet. sadly, i had never flown in a plane so all summer i trained hard to win my seat to the meet. i remember having to take a physics mid-term and then jumping into a van and barely getting to the airport on time.

my first flight was uneventful and the takeoff and landings just felt like a cheesy carnival ride for the most part. it was nice getting to san jose in so quickly though.

i barely remember the race except that it was hilly and there were a lot trees. the best part of the trip was getting to hang out at stanford with my old high school friends and going to a stanford football game.

now 20 plus years later, i am touring uc santa cruz with my teenage sons. the campus sits on a hill with a nice forest of trees. the campus is in the forest. it looked like a nice place to go despite their banana slug mascot.

then my mind changed forever. to leave campus, one must go down a very steep and long hill. wouldnt you know but santa cruz’s finest sits on the bottom of the hill.

i had my foot on the brake the whole way and i have never received a speeding ticket in my life. but they got me, i dont think i was speeding but they say i was. heck, they could have stopped everyone that goes down that road. when i left they had three of us.

because of this, i can guarantee that no kid of mine will ever go to uc santa cruz and i will never recommend the place either . the place is a total speed trap and to be posted there on an orientation day to nab guests of the university is BS.

they could of given me a stern warning or not lied on the ticket that i was going 47 which is bogus. the officer didnt even have a speed gun on him and all i know is i was riding my foot on the brake the whole way.

the roadway wasnt in a residential area and didnt have any cross streets until you cam up to the cops at the bottom of the hill. one could see them sitting at the bottom of the hill from a quarter of a mile away. you came around a bend there they were.

i would love to fight it but i am sure i would have to come all the way back to santa cruz. which they and i know, i probably wont do.

what i will do is tell everyone this story and never recommend uc santa cruz.

after we left santa cruz, we headed to the marathon expo on the pier. i was lucky as usual and was able to park right in front of the place. the expo was your usual expo and i didnt stay long. instead we found our hotel and then headed to oakland.

in all my trips to the baya area, i havent been to oaktown and dint realize it was as far away as it was. it seemed to take us a half hour to get to berkeley.  we got lucky and found a good parking space despite the throngs that were descending on cal for the john mellancamp concert.

we walk all around the campus and were impressed by the huge stone buildings with the field of study carved into the facade. one building said “BOTANY” another “PSYCHOLOGY”, the campus had an ivy league feel to me. berkeley felt like new york city with international flair and the intensity of the place. both my sons and i like the school but i think it would be hard to go there myself. but then getting in cal is pretty hard itself.

after our oaktown excursion we were all ready to go to the hotel and go to sleep.
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Andrew Jimenez of Tehachapi follows through on one of his efforts in the shot put at the Junior Olympics in Livermore.

Originally uploaded by andynoise

Andrew Jimenez, 13, of Jacobsen Middle School of Tehachapi won his age group in the shot put at the Junior Olympics Region 14 Championship with a mark of 42 feet,1 1/4 inches uly 12 in Livermore. Jimenez qualified for the USA Track and Field National Championships in Omaha Nebraska.

* Gabriel Gaeta, a Freedom Middle School seventh-grader, won the Midget boys 80-meter hurdles race at the California State Games July 12 in Vista. Gaeta’s winning time was 13.20 seconds. He competed in a field of 16 hurdlers in the 11- and 12-year-old boys division.

Gaeta also won the 80-meter hurdles race, Midget division, at the Valley School Championships May 17 in Clovis. In addition, he won the 80-meter hurdles race at the Kern County Track and Field Championships May 10 at Liberty High School in Bakersfield.

The 12-year-old Bakersfield native is coached by Freedom Middle School teacher David Brown and Frontier High School track and field coach David Gaeta.

* Eight Kern County Firefighter Activity League athletes qualified to compete in the National Junior Olympics based on their performances at the Region 14 Championships July 11-13 in Livermore.

The KFAL’s boys intermediate 4×800 relay team won its division in 8 minutes, 34.33 seonds. Relay members were Caleb Barger, Francisco Nava, Marco Perez, Stephen Burke and Alejandro Hernandez.

Evan Eggenberg won the high jump 5-73/4 in the youth boys division.

Alyssa Bennett was third in the midget girls discus (69-61/4), and Kaulyn Lee-McNeill was third in the youth girls 200 (32.55).

Another winner was Erik Garcia of the McFarland Track Club in the youth boys 3,000 meters (9:53). Garcia also was third in the 1500 in 4:36

The McFarland Track Club’s midget boys 3,000 meters relay team of Abran Ayon, Christian Romero, Abel Mota, Daniel Garcia was second (10:37).

They all qualified for this week’s national Junior Olympics in Omaha, Neb.

* Bowen Anderson, 12, recently won the 80-meter hurdles and was third in the long jump and high jump in a West Coast championship meet. He will compete July 29 in a national pentathlon competition in Detroit.

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nelson,billy at mtsacOriginally uploaded by andynoise

Dear Prospective Donor,

One of our own, Billy Nelson, is going to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China to represent our community and the United States of American in the Track & Field games. That is an accomplishment to be lauded greatly in and of itself, as Billy has been a decorated athlete both from the Wildcats of Taft Union High School and for the Buffaloes of Colorado and is continuing those accomplishments well thereafter. However, the predicament does not lay with Billy, per say. Rather, it is in getting his family (his soon-to-be wife, Alisa, his one year-old daughter, Arabella, and his mother, Rhonda, & stepfather, Bill) to China to be with Billy during this monumental, yet extremely trying time in each of their lives. It is for this reason I am writing you in hopes of garnering your assistance in sending them to Beijing along with Billy.

After researching the costs involved (i.e. airfare, hotel stay, meals, and transportation - not to mention the costs of obtaining their required passports and tourist visas), we’ve determined it is going to cost upwards of $15,000 to send Alisa, Arabella, Rhonda and Bill to Beijing for the Olympic Games. Our goal is to raise at least $10,000 to aid them in this endeavor.

Therefore, it is with an extremely humble, yet gracious heart that we ask for you assistance in making their Olympic dream come true. It is not very often that our own town sends an athlete to represent not only us, but our entire country on the world’s largest and most prestigious stage. This journey will be rewarding, yet mentally and physically arduous nonetheless, which is why we’re striving to send Billy’s family with him to these Olympic Games.

Should you be interested in assisting us in any matter, please find our contact information attached, along with information regarding the fund to which donations can be made. Any and all donations will be greatly appreciated and duly recognized. This is an event which is not only for Billy and his family, but for our community as well - a fact which Billy had overtly stressed in our discussions in this regard.

In closing, on behalf of Billy and his family, we extend our most sincere gratitude - as it is with your help and generosities that we will make this dream a reality.

Kindest Regards,

Bill & Rhonda Blythe, Josh Bryant, Don Schock, and (most importantly) Billy, Alisa, and Arabella.

Contact Information:

Josh Bryant
661-477-3230 (cell)
661-765-3058 (Work Office, Direct)
joshuarobertbryant@hotmail.com
josharobertbryant@gmail.com

Don Schock
661-979-1549 (cell)
661-765-5330 (Work)
dschock_30@hotmail.com
don@genprod.com

Donations Can Be Made to the Following:

“The Billy Nelson Olympic Fund”
United Security Bank
523 Cascade Place
Taft, Ca 93268
(661) 763-5151

We’re selling commemorative and supportive T-shorts to raise funds for Billy & his family! T-shirt’s are being prepared and distributed courtesy of Pride Athletics here in Taft for $15.00 each, IN ANY SIZE, with $10 from each shirt going to the fund and the rest covering the cost of the shirts themselves! Please give the Dayton’s a big hug & ‘Thank You” for their support while you’re buying your shirt, supporting our hometown hero, and supporting this great cause! Orders can be placed by contacting those above or by going directly to Pride Athletics, or by calling them at the number below.

Pride Athletics
716 Center St.

Taft, Ca 93268
(661) 765 - 9194

We’ll also be holding a car wash (or two) to help raise funds. Please contact us for more details.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP - WE APPRECIATE IT!!!!

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Thomas MackOriginally uploaded by andynoise

Men’s 110m Hurdles
Thomas Mack University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 13.74 - BAKERSFIELD HS

Men’s 3000m Steeplechase
William Nelson University of Colorado Longmont, CO 8:28.85 - TAFT HS (CE)

Men’s Shot Put
Chris Figures unattached Bakersfield, CA 20.38 - SOUTH HS (BAK)

Men’s Hammer Throw
Arnaldo Cueto unattached Bakersfield, CA 68.50 - CAL ST BAKERSFIELD - HS ??

Women’s Discus Throw
Rachel Varner unattached Bakersfield, CA 56.72 - BAKERSFIELD HS
Anastasia Jelmini unattached Bakersfield, CA 56.06 - SHAFTER HS
Cecilia Barnes unattached Bakersfield, CA 61.99 - CLOVIS WEST HS (FRESNO

california preps at the olympic trials HERE

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ariey at toads 2006

Originally uploaded by andynoise

This is a view of my 20 most popular bits, ordered by the most views.

	#1: jason ward at kern invite High school track and field leaders / Central Section Batch Data Processor | Wednesday, Apr 25 2007 8:45 PM Last Updated: Wednesday, Apr 25 2007 8:48 PM Boys 100–Kyle Alston, Fresno-Roosevelt, 10.81a; Miles Jones, Fresno-Edison, 11.03a; Lampford… •  1302 views  /  Nobody counts jason ward at kern invite as a favorite  /  0 comments
	#2: North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1 Kern County Championships Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield Varsity Girls - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1 Delano Diaz, Brianna 18:32:00 2 2 1 Shafter Wittenberg, Elizabeth 18:39:00 3 3… •  1210 views  /  Nobody counts North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1 as a favorite  /  0 comments
	#3: fernado Why, oh, why would people subject themselves to this? “For the mud of it,” replied Volkslauf’s Sheena Crider. In clear view of Lerdo Jail, ripped manly men and stick-thin teenagers blasted through mud pits on a cold, rainy Saturday that laughed at… •  687 views  /  3 people

count this as a favorite  /  0 comments

#4: Stockdale Pennel, Shelbe 19:45:00 12 11 3

Kern County Championships
Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield

Varsity Girls - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships

North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1
Delano Diaz, Brianna 18:32:00 2 2 1
Shafter Wittenberg, Elizabeth 18:39:00 3 3…

•  673 views  /  Nobody counts Stockdale Pennel, Shelbe 19:45:00 12 11 3 as a favorite  /  0 comments

#5: 2nd behind mcfarland - kern invite 2006

F/S Boys - 2006 Kern County Cross Country Championships
School Athlete Time
East Vincente Harrera 10:45.0
McFarland Eduardo Bautista 10:49.0
BHS Andrew Ariey 10:55.0
McFarland Gerardo Alcala 10:57.0
Centennial James Diller 10:57.1
McFarland Marco…

•  649 views  /  Nobody counts 2nd behind mcfarland - kern invite 2006 as a favorite  /  0 comments

#6: Ridgeview’s Dominique Lauderdale at area 100

Ridgeview’s Lauderdale sweeps girls 100, 200; Foothill’s Ragans wins shot put, discus
BY BRAD RIDDELL, Californian staff writer
e-mail: briddell@bakersfield.com | Wednesday, May 9 2007 11:05 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 9 2007 11:08 PM

A year…

•  637 views  /  1 person counts this as a favorite  /  0 comments

#7: Taft Union Thompson, Megan 19:52:00 14 13 1

Kern County Championships
Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield

Varsity Girls - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships

North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1
Delano Diaz, Brianna 18:32:00 2 2 1
Shafter Wittenberg, Elizabeth 18:39:00 3 3…

•  597 views  /  Nobody counts Taft Union Thompson, Megan 19:52:00 14 13 1 as a favorite  /  0 comments

#8: thomas n haney

Kern County Championships
Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield

Varsity Girls - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships

North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1
Delano Diaz, Brianna 18:32:00 2 2 1
Shafter Wittenberg, Elizabeth 18:39:00 3 3…

•  521 views  /  Nobody counts thomas n haney as a favorite  /  0 comments

#9: mike n david at the Kern County Championships

Kern County Championships
Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield

Varsity Boys - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships

Foothill Schwartz, Chris 15:03 1 1 1
McFarland Cisneros, Alfonso 15:39 2 2 1
McFarland Garcia, Eddie 15:41 3 3 2
East…

•  488 views  /  1 person counts this as a favorite  /  0 comments

#10: Hassay, Jordan Mission Prep 10:20.86

Event 17 Girls 3200 Meter Run
# Name Year School Finals Points
1 Hassay, Jordan Mission Prep 10:20.86
2 Saylor, Lauren Buchanan 10:51.81
3 Marvin, Meaghan Clovis 10:53.75
4 Allen, Chloe Clovis West 11:11.56
5 Poindextwe, Megan Clovis…

•  480 views  /  Nobody counts Hassay, Jordan Mission Prep 10:20.86 as a favorite  /  0 comments

#11: Foothill High junior Dayshan Ragans

Ragans eyes ‘60-180 Club’
BY CARL BRYAN | Wednesday, Mar 21 2007 10:30 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, Mar 21 2007 10:35 PM

Special to the Californian

Photos:
Photo by John Harte / The Californian
Foothill High junior Dayshan Ragans owns the Central…

•  475 views  /  Nobody counts Foothill High junior Dayshan Ragans as a favorite  /  0 comments

#12: Centennial Baker-Steimer, Lizzy 19:10:00 6 6 2

Kern County Championships
Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield

Varsity Girls - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships

North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1
Delano Diaz, Brianna 18:32:00 2 2 1
Shafter Wittenberg, Elizabeth 18:39:00 3 3…

•  453 views  /  Nobody counts Centennial Baker-Steimer, Lizzy 19:10:00 6 6 2 as a favorite  /  0 comments

#13: Edquist, Andrew 10 Bakersfield 4:56.10

Boys 1600 Meter Run Frosh/Soph
# Name Year School Finals
1 Carlos, Ricky 10 Warren 4:38.30
2 Block, Levi 9 Cabrillolom 4:39.92
3 Dotson, Greg 9 Burbank 4:43.33
4 Bradley, Steve 10 Newbury Park 4:44.77
5 Durand, Lewis 10 Calabasas 4:45.42
6…

•  442 views  /  1 person counts this as a favorite  /  0 comments

#14: chris schwartz

•  376 views  /  Nobody counts chris schwartz as a favorite  /  1 comment

#15: erica silva

Bakersfield hopes sports get city’s ball rolling
Investing in Cal State Bakersfield’s step up to Division I athletics is seen as a way to fuel growth of a college-educated community.
By Ken Fowler
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 13, 2007

…

•  361 views  /  Nobody counts erica silva as a favorite  /  0 comments

#16: Centennial Thomas, Ashley 19:04:00 4 4 1

Kern County Championships
Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield

Varsity Girls - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships

North Carlson, Candace 18:09:00 1 1 1
Delano Diaz, Brianna 18:32:00 2 2 1
Shafter Wittenberg, Elizabeth 18:39:00 3 3…

•  350 views  /  Nobody counts Centennial Thomas, Ashley 19:04:00 4 4 1 as a favorite  /  0 comments

#17: swyl 100

100–1. Lauderdale, Rid, 12.01; 2. R. Anderson, Stk, 12.07; 3. Bennett, Cent, 12.96

•  334 views  /  Nobody counts swyl 100 as a favorite  /  0 comments

#18: cassandra salazar - shafter

Invitational Girls 3200 Meter
# Name Year School Finals
1 Megan Poindexter Clovis 11:31.21
2 Megan Marvin Clovis 11:31.60
3 Cassandra Salazar Shafter 11:36.78
4 Chelsea Janzen Buchanan 11:50.35
5 Kristen Kirby Buchanan 11:50.85
6 Katrina…

•  333 views  /  Nobody counts cassandra salazar - shafter as a favorite  /  0 comments

#19: Anthony Rodriguez

Arm in arm, prep runners nearing the finish line
By ANDY KEHE, Californian staff columnist, email:akehe@bakersfield.com | Tuesday, May 1 2007 11:05 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 1 2007 11:25 PM

You might remember the story from a couple of years ago…

•  324 views  /  Nobody counts Anthony Rodriguez as a favorite  /  0 comments

#20: kern invite champ - chris schwartz

Kern County Championships
Sat 10/27/07 - Hart Park - Bakersfield

Varsity Boys - 2007 Kern County Cross Country Championships

Foothill Schwartz, Chris 15:03 1 1 1
McFarland Cisneros, Alfonso 15:39 2 2 1
McFarland Garcia, Eddie 15:41 3 3 2
East…

•  320 views  /  Nobody counts kern invite champ - chris schwartz as a favorite  /  0 comments

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steve anderson photo by felix adamo

Originally uploaded by andynoise

Drillers’ Anderson honored as All-Area Boys Track Coach of the Year
The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:35 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:52 PM

As an Idaho native who last worked in Iowa, Steven Anderson didn’t know a whole lot about Bakersfield High’s rich track and field history when he took the Drillers coaching job two years ago.

It didn’t take him long to learn.

“I knew a little bit of it last year because our athletes all the way from the ’70s would be coming to the meets,” Anderson said. “You’d find out who they are, and you’re like, ‘Wow, they still care.’”

After a lackluster year with a young boys team in his first year, Anderson decided he’d let his athletes in on what he found out. And so, the day before the league meets, Anderson gave his team an hour to spend perusing BHS’ little-known trophy room.

They responded with boys and girls titles in the Southwest Yosemite League and a top-five finish at the Central Section meet. For that, Anderson is The Californian’s Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year.

“A lot of people think track is about the individual, but all year we told them it’s about the team,” Anderson said. “And when you start having kids believe they can do it, it’s easy.”

– Zach Ewing

Renz, Jones honored as co-coaches of the year for All-Area girls track
The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:35 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:37 PM

Track and field meets, espcially as they become bigger and more prestigious, are about the individual. Just two or three quality athletes can win you a meet.

That’s what makes a league meet so special — it takes a whole team to win it — and what made Centennial’s girls season great this year.

“We had a lot of kids come through that day,” said Ryan Renz, who with Randy Jones is a Californian Co-Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year.

Kids like Jessica Crowe, primarily a hurdler and runner, who was asked to pole vault that day. She responded with a personal-record eight-foot vault and a Southwest Yosemite League championship. Or April Cacuyog, who ran herself dizzy that day.

The result was an SWYL team title for the Golden Hawks.

“As a coach, that’s what you love to see,” Renz said. “They have their best meet at the league meet, and we’ve been fortunate to have kids who have bought into that, who enjoy the team part more than the individual part.”

The championship and Coach of the Year honor is also a cap to a great career for Jones, who’s retiring.

“Randy’s a really quiet guy, and he doesn’t want much said about him,” Renz said. “But he means a lot to the whole track and field community. It’s going to be tough. Centennial will never be the same.”

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BRUSHAY WANDICK by casey christie

Originally uploaded by andynoise

2008 All-Area girls track and field selections
The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:35 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:51 PM

Athlete of the Year

ANNA JELMINI

Shafter, junior

– Dominated California with 169-4 discus and 48-3.5 shot put throws

– Could have won both state championships with any of her shot throws and three of her discus throws

– Despite the state’s best competition, easily won area and section meets

– Fired a 183-11 at Salinas for a provisional Olympic Trials qualifying mark

ALANA ALEXANDER

Centennial, junior

– Qualified for state finals in long jump and triple jump, finishing seventh and ninth

– Central Section champion in triple jump with 38-3.75

– Was top three in four different Southwest Yosemite League events: third in 100 hurdles, second in 300 hurdles, long jump and triple jump champion

ALEX COLLATZ

Stockdale, freshman

– Perhaps area’s most versatile athlete, she qualified for state in discus and triple jump

– Finished fourth in state discus finals with throw of 150-3

– Best discus mark of 159-4 ranked in nation’s top 10 and was No. 8 freshman throw in state history

– Ended state triple-jump run in 17th place

TAYLOR JACKSON

Frontier, sophomore

– Dominated hurdles in Kern County, with best time in 100 and 300 by nearly a second

– Was second in 300 hurdles and third in 100 hurdles at section meet and finished in state’s top 25 in both

– Double champion at league and area meets

AMANDA KLINCHUCH

Liberty, junior

– Area’s premier pole vaulter cleared season-best 11-6 at Central Section meet, finishing second in a vault-off

– Hit 11-3 in state prelims to finish in a tie for 13th, one spot from a vault-off for the finals

– Won South Area meet by nearly three feet

KAYLA KOVAR

Burroughs, junior

– Threw better than 150 in discus five times at state meet, finishing third with 154-10 in finals

– Finished second in Southern Section with 153-1

– Season-high throw of 157-8 in state prelims ranks top 10 in nation

ASHLEE THOMAS

Centennial, senior

– South Area champion in 800 and second in 400

– Fourth in section in 800 (2:19.77) and seventh in 400 (58.90)

– Southwest Yosemite League champion in both events

CAREY TUUAMALEMALO

Taft, senior

– Qualified for state meet in discus with 130-9 throw at section meet

– Finished 13th in state prelims with 128-1 throw

– Led Wildcats to South Sequoia League team title with top-three finishes in both throwing events

BRUSHAY WANDICK

Bakersfield, junior

– Triple champion at area meet, winning 400 relay, 100 and 200

– After narrowly missing state in 400 relay and 100 (fourth in both), finished third in 200 meters in 24.69

– Finished 21st in state, running a 25.60Second team

SECOND TEAM

Shanea Anderson, Stockdale

Sarah Baker, Bakersfield

Candace Carlson, North

Shinead McDonald, Bakersfield

Melissa Merrill, Bakersfield Christian

Monica Morley, Centennial

Cassandra Salazar, Shafter

Erica Wilcox, Liberty

HONORABLE MENTION

Boron: Morgan Frier

Foothill: Natalie Fernandez

Frontier: Kirby Ellis, Halle Meadows

Garces: Monica Guzman, Kelly Hosey, Victoria Riley

Golden Valley: Shanesha Epps

Rosamond: Jasmine Moore

South: Candice Nichols

Stockdale: Jenise Anderson

Taft: Bryanna Bacot

Shafter’s Jelmini named All-Area Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year
BY ZACH EWING, Californian staff writer
zewing@bakersfield.com | Friday, Jun 20 2008 10:33 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jun 20 2008 10:53 PM

Everything Anna Jelmini did this year — from the undefeated season to the 183-11 discus throw to, of course, the double state championship — can be traced back to a crowded, noisy Body Xchange gym on Calloway Drive and the next set of weights.

“Every time it got hard,” Jelmini said, “I thought of the state meet. Then I kept working harder.”

That singular determination in the fall made the spring’s competitions a formality. Jelmini went unbeaten — and never really was tested — in winning state championships in the shot put and discus.

The Shafter junior, who single-handedly lifted the Generals to fourth place in the state, is an easy choice for The Californian’s Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Jelmini herself can tell you how dominant she was with a story of how other throwers treated her — if you don’t mind her blushing.

“Everyone was really nice, and they’re like, ‘If you want to see real throwing, look at her,’” Jelmini said. “It sounds weird hearing them say that.”

Competitors so impressed they turned into fans? Yowza.

“I didn’t expect to come out and dominate right away; I had to work after it,” Jelmini said. “But once I was up there, I just continued to work to stay up there.”

“Up there” meant having top-5 marks nationally in both events, and, after a mid-season trip to Salinas, the No. 1 mark in the discus, a spectacular 183-11 that sent her into the Central Section record books and allows her to compete in this month’s U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore.

“It was unreal,” Jelmini said of the big throw. “It was amazing. I was like, ‘Was that me? Did that really go that far?’”

Salinas is famous for its windy discus arena, often propelling throwers to big marks, but Jelmini is no fluke. She won the state discus crown with a throw of 169-4 (no one within eight feet) and the shot put title with a 48-3.5 (winner by more than five feet). She had a discus throw well past 180 at state, but it was a foul by inches.

“She is very athletic, she’s very responsive, she picks things up well and she’s very quickly able to adjust,” Shafter throwing coach Matt Godbehere said.

Godbehere or his wife, former Bakersfield High and UCLA great Dawn Dumble, have been coaching Jelmini since she was in grade school. After she finished fourth in the discus and seventh in the shot at last year’s state finals, he primed for a breakout junior season.

“We sat down last summer and discussed goals and how we were going to get there,” Godbehere said. “Based on that conversation, we set a schedule for training. … Numbers I wanted in the weight room that I was shooting for this time of year, she was doing it in the fall.

“From the get-go, she stayed way ahead of the curve. It was exciting.”

Now, Jelmini has bigger meets in mind than even the state. She won the discus Friday at the USA Junior Outdoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio, and will compete in the shot put today. Next is the World Junior Championships July 8-13 in Poland — and the Olympic trials.

When she’s done with that, she’ll come back to Shafter, Bakersfield and Body Xchange and continue working on a career that already has her on the short list of Kern County greats.

“It seems like those other people are on a whole different pedestal,” Jelmini said. “But it’s pretty cool that I’m up there with them.”

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2008 All-Area boys track and field selections
The Bakersfield Californian | Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:35 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jun 20 2008 8:53 PM

Athlete of the Year

Foothill, senior

– Area, Central Section and CIF State champion in shot put and discus

– Best marks were high throws of 203-7 in discus and 63-7.75 in shot put

– Two-time All-Area Athlete of the Year headed to Cal State Bakersfield

JOHNNY CARTER

Ridgeview, freshman

– State champion in triple jump as freshman with mark of 49-0.75

– Mark would have been a state freshman record if it hadn’t been wind-aided

– Section-winning mark of 48-3 was one inch from section freshman record

MATT DARR

Frontier, sophomore

– Finished second in the Central Section with 52-8.75 shot put throw

– Fourth in discus at section meet with 157-7

– Threw discus 180-5 in the wind in Salinas and recently had a postseason shot put mark of 55-3; both are second-best in the section

CHRIS KELLY

Ridgeview, senior

– Had season-best triple jump of 47-11 at state finals to finish third

– Also finished third at section meet with 46-10.5 jump

– Long-jump mark of 22-0.5 was sixth-best in section all year

ANTHONY MITCHELL

North, senior

– Fifth in the state in the 800 meters

– Central Section champion in 800; SWYL champion in 400 and 800

– Second-team All-Area selection last year had a top time in the 800 of 1:53.60

ISAIAH PURVIS

Liberty, junior

– Finished second in the Central Section in 200 (21.96) and 400 (49.13)

– Same time in 200 gave him 16th place in the state preliminaries

– Also ran anchor leg of Liberty’s 1,600 relay team, second in section and 13th in state

CHRIS SCHWARTZ

Foothil, junior

– Ran personal-record time of 8:58.50 in 3,200-meter state finals to finish second

– Central Section and South Area champion in 1,600 and 3,200

– Triple SEYL champion (800, 1,600 and 3,200) also was state Division I cross-country champion

TYLER THOMPSON

Shafter, senior

– Finished second in Central Section in long jump and triple jump

– State qualifier in both jumping events

– South Sequoia League champion in four events: 200, high jump, long jump and triple jump

EMANUEL TURNER

Bakersfield, junior

– Kern County’s fastest boy had times of 10.81 in the 100 and 22.05 in the 200

– Finished second in the 100 at the section meet, but focused on relays at state

– Ran legs in BHS’ 400 relay team (section champs, 14th at state) and 1,600 relay team (third in section, 17th in state)

SECOND TEAM

Isiah Griggs, Bakersfield

Daniel Lozano, Stockdale

Phillip McCullum, Garces

Eddie Morrow, East

Kevin Norwood, Golden Valley

Arturo Ramirez, Centennial

George Robbins, West

Matt Sumlin, Garces

HONORABLE MENTION

Bakersfield: Collin Ellis, Walter Hunt

Burroughs: Matt Johnson

Desert: Michael Vaughan

Golden Valley: Emmett Hodges

North: Cody Gragg

Shafter: Alex Thompson

Stockdale: Jay Garber, David Mitchell, Steve Silva

Tehachapi: John Roemer

Wasco: Robert Hernandez

Foothill’s Ragans honored as Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year
BY ZACH EWING, Californian staff writer
zewing@bakersfield.com | Friday, Jun 20 2008 10:33 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Jun 20 2008 10:52 PM

His high school state championships are behind him, but Foothill graduate Dayshan Ragans keeps throwing — and continues to amaze coach Wayne Brewer.

“I was practicing discus with him the other day,” Brewer said last week. “And he wasn’t turning his feet, just trying to throw it far.

“And his arm is just ‘WHOOOM!’ You cannot teach that, you cannot coach that. I’m standing way back, and I can feel his arm, feel the wind it makes.”

Say hello — or just stand back as he creates a nice breeze — to your Californian Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Ragans finished his career with the Trojans by winning state titles in both the shot put and discus May 31. He was undefeated in both events this season — maxing out with a 63-7.75 shot put throw and 203-7 in the discus — and will throw for Cal State Bakersfield next year.

“It’s like everything we worked for from the beginning of the year to the end of the year,” Ragans said. “It even goes back to freshman all the way through senior year. Everything you worked for is right there. It comes down to that point — Who’s going to be a state champion?”

All of those accomplishments shine brighter when you consider that Ragans had never picked up a shot put until his freshman-year P.E. class came around to its track unit.

“(I said,) ‘All right, I’ll do track.’” Ragans said. “Went to a few track meets, then ‘OK, it’s kind of fun, I think I’ll keep doing it.’ Then a couple more meets, ‘OK, this is something I want to do.’”

Even with his career in its infancy, Ragans garnered attention at meets with his raw talent. Brewer, who was then at North High, remembers Ragans throwing the shot 50-plus feet without spinning, the favored technique by high-level throwers.

“That just tells you how remarkable of an athlete he is,” Brewer said. “You look at (other elite throwers), they’ve been throwing since they were little. Imagine if he’d been throwing that long.”

In fact, Ragans didn’t truly take the sport seriously — often skipping practices and being held out of meets — until late in his sophomore year, when he qualified for the state meet in the shot put and finished 13th.

“If I knew then what I know now,” Ragans said, “I would have never missed a day of practice.”

Imbued with Brewer’s love of the sport, Ragans has made up for it since then.

“Everything he’s done, he’s really worked hard for and he really deserves,” Brewer said. “He deserves being a state champion. He deserves setting all the records he has. He deserved getting that 3.5 GPA. Everything.

“He’s worked hard, he’s put in the extra time. We throw, we lift, we go in the weight room after practice to jump boxes. Everybody else tries to get out of there; not Dayshan. He doesn’t care. He goes and does it. Those medals he has around his neck, he deserves every single little bit of that.”

The gold medals could increase at CSUB — Ragans, the sixth of seven children in his family, is the first to attend a four-year college, and he said he refuses to waste this opportunity.

“It’s somewhere he never thought he’d be, and he wants to take full advantage of it,” Brewer said. “He’s excited to start this chapter in his life.”

One look in Ragans’ eyes will tell you that’s true. He’s become a standout (a Central Section meet record in the discus and several school records), thanks to determination, hard work and a little bit of WHOOOM! to go with it.

“People can have a love for football, basketball, baseball, anything,” Ragans said. “I just have a love for track. I don’t know where I’d be right now if it weren’t for track.”