| Track annihilates its opponents with style (5/09) | | Print | |
| Written by Laura Zhen | |
| Friday, 22 May 2009 | |
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The track team doesn't need this heinous pick-up line to lure spectators in — their talent alone is enough to turn heads. “Are you tired? Because you've been running in my mind all night long.” The track team doesn't need this heinous pick-up line to lure spectators in — their talent alone is enough to turn heads. The team certainly caught the attention of Lincoln, Galileo and Washington on May 14. Despite the fog mulling over the track at McAteer, there was nothing eerie about the concentration the short-shorts-clad athletes sported. Senior runner Manon Zouai placed first in the intense varsity girls’ 100-meter hurdles and junior runner Katherine Jarvis bolted 100-meters across the chalked cement indicating her first place win. Leading the pack in the girls’ varsity 400-meter run, junior runner Tamara Purpura crossed the finish line in a blur. Galileo, Mission, ISA, Balboa and Burton witnessed the Cardinals performing similar feats May 7 at McAteer. The crowd cheered as junior runner Shane McCarthy crossed the finish line before any other runner in the boys’ varsity 800-meter run. Likewise, senior runner Victor Chin’s win was well-received after he passed his competition in the boys’ varsity 300-meter race. At the Bay Area Frosh-Soph Championships on May 2 at Castlemont High in Oakland, the varsity athletes didn’t have a chance to steal the limelight from the freshman and sophomore runners. Sophomore jumper Alex Cheung launched 18 feet, 9 inches into second place in the boys’ long jump and sophomore runner Katherine Gao impressed with her second place in the girls’ 100-meter hurdles and fourth place in the 400-meter hurdles. The team’s performance in Santa Rosa at the Viking Classic on April 26 was no exception to this season’s success. Junior runner Casey Lee came in first in the boys’ 1600-meter run, followed by senior runner Hondson Kuang in the boys’ 400-meter dash. Both the girls’ and the boys’ 4x100 meter varsity relay teams placed second. However, the Viking Classic snapped the boys’ varsity 4x400 meter relay team’s winning streak after they lost their first match of the season to Petaluma by an 11th of a second — 3:29.77 to 3:29.88. Still, the race remained an accomplishment, as dream team senior runners Nate Banks and Wang Han and junior runners Safa Mannah and McCarthy, broke a time of 3:30, a phenomenon that hasn’t occurred since 2003, according to assistant sprint coach Michael Speech. Though the team didn’t come in first, they gained perspective. “The thing about track is that you can lose a race and still come out feeling pleased about your effort,” head coach Andy Leong said. During what Speech calls the height of the season, come support the team on May 27 for the All-City Trials at Kezar, or they will “track” you down. Most Valuable Players The Lowell’s choices for MVP are, not surprisingly, Purpura and Banks, who both have performed at the state level consecutive years. The pair was invited to compete among the best athletes in northern California at the Sacramento Meet of Champions on May 2, where Bank’s varsity boys’ 200-meter dash time set his amazing first place win and Purpura graced second for the women’s 800-meter run. Some people know Purpura as the girl who dons a pair of funky sunglasses and sports a ponytail with side-swept bangs, but she deserves more admiration for looking so composed while running, which is apparently a very hard task to accomplish, and also for her speed. “She is not only the fastest 800-meter runner for girls this year; she is the school and AAA record holder,” Leong said. Banks, who lit up a bright smile when he heard the news, doesn’t do so shabby himself. According to Leong, he holds the city’s current 400-meter record. “He probably has the best time for the 200, too,” Leong said. Watch out for them at up-and-coming meets, but don’t blink — you just might miss them. Share this article:           |
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