As eight runners approach the starting line for the 400m run, seven hunch down to get in their blocks while one stays upright.
Some may see this as a surefire way to lose, yet senior Mike Marshall is ranked third in CCS in the 400m with an amazing time of 49.48.
“I find that [using blocks] makes me tired and I like to have as much energy as possible to make sure I don’t tire out,” said Marshall.
According to hurdles coach Allison Burzio, blocks are useful for getting a “stronger push-off at the start,” making the arms move faster and the leg turnover quicker. But usage varies upon the individual runner.
“[Blocks are] kind of a hit and miss for people,” said Burzio. “It really depends on your style.”
And still, not using blocks works well for Marshall. He had a strong fourth place finish at the CCS Top 8 meet at Los Gatos High on April 18 with a time of 50.45. Marshall also anchored in the 4x400m relay with sophomore Trevor Teerlink and juniors Alan Menezes and Kian Banks, which finished ninth at the meet.
Banks ran in the 800m in 1:58.63, finishing fourth overall. Menezes finished ninth in the 1600m run with a personal record of 4:27.44.
The girls’ 4x400m relay team, consisting of seniors Rachel and Nicole Sabes and junior Katie and Claire marsh, won their race with a time of 4:04.18. The same team ran the 4x100m relay, finishing sixth in 50.64 and running a PR.
N. Sabes also won the 800m with a PR of 2:16.48. R. Sabes finished sixth in the 400m in 1:01.25.
Junior Katie Nast doubled in the CCS Top 8, finishing 13th in the 1600m and ninth in the 3200m with a time of 11:36.26.
The varsity girls’ team ran strong at their last league dual meet on April 24, beating the Lynbrook Vikings to have a record of 6-0.
“As we were hoping, and expecting, [the varsity girls] won their 10th meet in a row,” said head coach Peter Jordan. “They were consistently strong.”
Nast won the 1600m, followed by sophomore Jordan Leonard in third. Junior Katie Gasik finished first in the 100m hurdles and 300m hurdles. R. Sabes won the 400m, followed closely by the Marsh twins.
The varsity boys, however, were not quite as strong overall. They lost to the Vikings, who are ranked first in the league.
“Lynbrook has a really good team this season,” said Jordan. “Despite that, we did well in some areas.”
The 4×100 team, consisting of Teerlink, Marshall and juniors Michael Guercio and Tim Yen, won handily, starting the meet off on a good note. Their good fortune continued with Banks winning the 1600m and sophomore Nick Olsen finishing fourth.
In the 400m, Teerlink ran hard and finished second. Menezes placed second in the 800m followed by Marshall, who ran the 800m for the first time since middle school, in third.
“It’s a nice way to end the season,” said Jordan. “It felt good.”
Many varsity, JV and frosh-soph athletes competed at League finals this past week on Monday and Wednesday, but The Falcon could not print results due to printing deadlines.