Three Devils are masters of their universes
SACRAMENTO — Initially there was the Delta Valley Conference crown. Then the Davis High boys captured their first-ever Sac-Joaquin Section championship.
Then, with dramatic performances in both track and field events, the Blue Devils provided a lion’s share of the drama at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Meet at Hughes Stadium on Thursday and Friday.
“We just couldn’t have asked for any more from our athletes,” DHS head track coach Spencer Elliott said Saturday, thinking back on all the blue-and-white drama of those action-packed two days, including a stunning win by a Davis freshman girl.
Where to start?
* Ian Rock won the long jump with an effort of 23-07. His school-record leap was just a Thursday teaser of what was to come.
* Then on Friday, as shadows grew long and track events started to buzz around him, Rock waltzed through the pole vault, going 15-6 and packing his poles for next week’s state meet.
* Later that evening, Devil ninth-grader Sophie Meads ran a 3,200-meter race that would have made the great Secretariat happy. Winning by almost 15 yards, Meads’ 10:56.74 was a lifetime best by more than 12 seconds.
* Not to be outdone, moments after Meads’ heart- and clock-stopping effort, DHS’ own Batman and Robin of Distance — Trevor Halsted and Brian De La Mora — ran 1-2 in the boys 3,200.
* In the meet’s final event, the Blue Devils were still stirring the pot, as the local 4×400 relay team finished second to Del Oro. Along the way, Rock ran an eye-popping 48.2 third leg that almost gave Davis yet another crown.
Asked how he expected to replace the versatile senior Rock next year, Elliott didn’t want to think about the question:
“You really don’t. Just like we didn’t replace a (Derek) Nelson last year,” he said. “But this season was terrific. For our boys, you look at what’s been, and is being, accomplished and you have to feel pretty good.
“How happy these guys are … how supportive of each other they’ve been. It’s pretty special.”
While Rock was one of four performers to earn gold medals in two events during the two-day meet, the show-stopper came from DHS’ Meads.
Given a new running strategy from distance coach Bill Gregg, Meads stuck to the script and, after the first lap, had to pass every one of the other 23 competitors in the race.
By the time she ran down once-front-running Brooke Holt of Granite Bay (with about 200 yards left), Meads had the crowd of more than 800 on their feet, cheering her home.
“Sophie was awesome,” Elliott said afterward. “She didn’t panic, she showed patience … especially for a ninth-grader.”
Then there were Halsted and De La Mora. Accompanied by teammate Braeden Van Deynze in a crowded and talent-laden 3,200 field, the race started off as a mystery to everyone up front.
“Trevor told me it was like nobody wanted the lead,” Gregg explained.
So Halsted, with sidekick De La Mora in third or fourth for most of the first two laps, took the lead. Things got even slower in the third and fourth laps, confusing the solid cast at the head of the pack.
In about 10 yards, Halsted went from first to fifth, then said “enough” with the goofy pace and regained the lead.
Halsted (9:14.45) and De La Mora (9:14.99) went off and hid from the brilliant Chris Kigar of El Camino (9:17.17). In the backstretch of the final lap, De La Mora looked repeatedly over his shoulder. Nobody was closing. The state meet secure. No Bat Signal. No problems to the finish line.
After Rock erased Devil two-sport legend Marc Hicks’ 27-year-old long jump record (23-01.25) the day before, he handily won the pole vault, but saved his best for last in the 4×400.
With Vinny Herthel running the first leg, Davis was in sixth. The baton pass to Lee LeVerrier saw the swift sophomore make a dent in the field, with the Blue Devils climbing to third. When Rock took the stick, he quickly dispatched both leaders, vaulted into first (his 48.2 split would have won the individual 400) and asked anchorman Alec Zavala to hold off Del Oro’s Blake Covey.
Covey managed to pull in front down the homestretch and nip DHS 3:19.70 to 3:20.08.
“I was pleased with our distance efforts … I thought Braeden in the 3,200 gave a really good effort. It (9:39.33) was a personal best,” Gregg added.
Elliott believes, “while we’re taking a small group to state, we can put people on the podium.”
Notes: In addition to Rock, double winners at the Masters included Fairfield’s Deja Pugh in the 100 (13.90) and 300 (43.08) hurdles and Breonntae Snelling of Kennedy, who won the 100-meter dash and the 200 in 10.66 and 21.57, respectively. Hurdler Nick Martinez of Elk Grove won his specialties, taking the 110 in 14.39 and the 300 in 37.92. … Upon graduation, Rock will take his blocks and poles to Duke University, where he will become a decathlete. ”He is one of the finest athletes ever at Davis High School,” Elliott said of Rock. “His leadership and work ethic were key to our (overall) success.”
— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at bgallaudet@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8047. View galleries and purchase prints of Blue Devil sports photos at http://davisenterprise.zenfolio.com
Short URL: http://www.davisenterprise.com/?p=49448
Posted by Bruce Gallaudet
on May 28 2011.
Last Login: Wed 16 May 2012 11:36:53 AM PDT
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