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Redwood Times

By Ted Kogon

South Fork’s track teams easily won the Little Five Conference finals last week (May 2) at Eureka High. It was the eighth straight title for the Cubs, the 12th in 13 years for the girls.

Winning the conference title once meant something, but not these days. South Fork was the only school present with TEAMS (boys and girls) last week. The other conference schools had but a few individual representatives to the meet.

Behind us, for now, are the days when Ferndale and St. Bernard took track and field seriously, or had the numbers to field teams. That being said, we won’t bother with the team scores. South Fork’s boys won every event but the pole vault, the Lady Cubs won all but three events.

The day was far from an exercise in futility, however. At stake for the first four finishers in each event was the right to compete in the North Coast Section finals, on May 17 at College of San Mateo. Virtually everyone on both SFHS teams qualified for NCS, in at least one event.

“The LFC meet went as we expected,” coach Tom Olsen said. “Winning wasn’t a problem. We were more concentrating on getting our kids qualified

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for the sectional meet. But we did have many kids who set personal records last Friday.”

The meet was hosted by South Fork, and with Olsen in charge, the meet went very smoothly, with the results posted that night on the internet. Many from the SFHS track family aided the coach, with roles as timers, result keepers, setting up the hurdles, keeping score, etc.

Ten of coach Olsen’s athletes set personal records in total, some in more than one event. But it was his weight men (shot put, discus) who had major breakthroughs.

In the shot put, Josh “Boo” McDonald (42-8.25), Nick Anderson (42-8), Alan Peterson (39-9.5), and Casey Finch (38-3) each had personal records in finishing first through fourth. The top two are in striking distance of coach Olsen’s locally famous Top Ten List of all-time track and field marks at SFHS.

Finch and McDonald really outdid themselves in the discus. Finch, a junior and first-year thrower, placed first with a mark of 148-4, 12 feet better than his previous best! He’s now third all-time at SFHS in the event. “Boo” went a foot past his previous best with a throw of 138-8 (#4 on the List).

McDonald, a senior, is defending county champion. He and Finch are rated #2 and #1, respectively, in the county in the discus event, going into Friday’s H-DNL championships at Eureka High. Too bad the H-DNL only gives an All-County white star to the winner!

Others who set personal records in the LFC meet were: Gabe Miclette (pole vault, 9-6); Loren Lair (high jump, 5-9; long jump, 18-9); Taylor Neill (pole vault, 8-6); Louise Henninger (100-meter high hurdles, 17.66; triple jump, 28-11); and Miriam Schwaaf (200-meters, 28.34).

Henninger’s high hurdle mark moves her up to #5 on the List, and Neill, a sophomore, is now in a tie for #6 all-time in the pole vault, an event the Lady Cubs have specialized in under Olsen’s tutelage. Schwaaf, a German exchange student, moved into a tie for sixth all-time in the 200-meters.

The Cub stalwarts -- middle-distance runners Hank Carl, Mike Radenbaugh, Lucas Wilhelm and Marshall Moore, the sprinters/relay runners Austin Clary, Jazper Strange, Nick Anderson and Brent Manus -- all waltzed through their events as a tune-up for the county and NCS finals to follow.

Defending league, county and sectional champ Alana Nulph of Hoopa easily won her events, the shot and discus. McKenzie Alameda of Ferndale won the girls’ long jump, and Frankie Griggs of Ferndale won the boys’ pole vault, the only three athletes from schools other than South Fork to win events.

This week’s (Friday, May 9) H-DNL championships will be at Eureka High, with the field events commencing at 4 p.m. The first running event is at 5 p.m.

Coach Olsen, in his 33-year tenure as SFHS track coach, has seen his athletes win seven white stars in one county meet (2002, in four events including the relays), and has had five event winners (1982, by three boys).

This year’s team enters the meet with seniors Hank Rocket Carl (1600- and 3200-meters) and Mike Radenbaugh (800-meters) as favorites to win. Fellow senior “Boo” McDonald will defend his discus title, although teammate Casey Finch appears the favorite. Junior sprinter Austin Clary has a shot at the 100- and 200-meter titles, with Brent Manus and the boys’ 4x100 relay in the mix.

It would be a great retirement send-off for their coach if these Cubs can break one of TOM OLSEN’S RECORDS for county meet performance!