Bjorklund
Town Crier Staff Writer
Bjorklund leads pack of locals
Los Altos High's Pete Bjorklund isn't complaining about his third-place finish in the shot put at last Saturday's state track and field finals in Sacramento.
However, he's not entirely satisfied with the way he performed, either.
"Third in the state is real nice," Bjorklund said, "but I know I could've done better."
Bjorklund's best throw of the day was 59 feet, 2 3/4 inches. His top toss for the season was 60-11, which came April 29 in an SCVAL De Anza Division meet against Cupertino.
A throw of that distance Saturday would have landed Bjorklund in second behind Eagle Rock High's Rhuben Williams (62-8 1/2).
Bjorklund came into the state meet with a sore left hamstring - an injury he suffered May 28 at the CCS finals, where he won both the shot and discus.
Although the senior said the injury didn't bother him Saturday, it did limit his training last week. Bjorklund wasn't able to practice until Thursday - a day before the trials - and it was a light practice at that.
This made last weekend's effort even more impressive, according to Los Altos coach Lee Gutierrez.
"I'm real pleased with the way he did," Gutierrez said. "He threw well and he threw consistently, which is what it takes at this level."
Bjorklund also competed in the discus, but he and teammate Micah Goins both failed to get past the trials.
"The discus was kind of a bummer," Bjorklund said. "I should have made it, but it just didn't happen."
He and Goins, also a senior, fouled all their attempts.
"Micah had a good first throw, "Gutierrez said, "but he spun one too many times and stepped out of the back of the ring."
Another Los Altos senior, Andrew Hill, placed 12th in the 3,200-meter run with a time of 9 minutes, 19.05 seconds.
"It wasn't quite as fast CCS, but I'll take it," said Hill, who ran a 19:16.39 the week before. "I'm pretty happy with how I did."
The final Los Altos competitor, Alex Ware, did not get beyond the trials of the 110 hurdles. The senior ran a respectable 14.63, which was good enough for 14th place in a fast field.
"Alex ran a very competitive race," Gutierrez said. "He was close to his personal best (14.4)."
St. Francis sent 800 runner Maureen Marquess and a girls 400 relay team to state, but neither qualified for the finals.
Marquess, a junior, took 17th in the trials by clocking a 2:18.19. The relay team - made up of Casey Caldwell, Annie Leemhuis, Vanessa Speckman and Kacey Bradley - placed 16th with a 48.71.
"They did a good job under the circumstances," St. Francis coach Roberta Chisam said. "They were competitive."
The circumstances involved battling injuries that occurred at the CCS finals. Caldwell, Leemhuis and Bradley all sustained leg injuries, Chisam said, which limited their workouts leading up to the meet.