Woodside Track in the Running for PAL Champions

Photo Credit: All photos by Junior Stephanie Cerini

Freshman Maddy Warman's track spikes

Abby Taussig, Arts & Entertainment Editor
April 25, 2012
Filed under Sports

Woodside’s varsity track and field team has gone undefeated in its league, and the athletes are poised to make a good run to be PAL champions.  The boys’ team last year took a close second last year to Menlo-Atherton, while the girls took third behind M-A and Westmoor, giving them even more motivation to take the trophy this time.

Christopher Waschura (2012), Joab Camarena (2012), Elijah Pryse (2014), Michael Degnan (2013), and Jose Franco (2013) run the 800 meters.

An accomplished runner on the team currently is senior Christopher Waschura who took fifth in the state championships last year.  In addition, according to senior John McLucas, a thrower on the varsity team, “We have a lot of young, new talent that is going to kick butt.”

With the skilled new and returning athletes,  winning league championships is definitely within view.  Sophomore Katherine Luttrell, a varsity hurdler, speculated, “I think we have a chance at doing very well at the [league championships]. This year, we have a strong team overall, and  we have very strong individuals that will help our team win more points.”

Some of those individuals are freshman Maddy Warman and junior Stephanie Cerini that are ranked second and third in the league for the 100 meters.  Cerini remarked, “I’m going to try my best” at the league trials, but she also admitted, “It always depends on who you are racing against.”

Jared Pockalny (2012) can high jump 5'8.

Senior Jared Pockalny, the second ranked high jumper in the league, remarked, “Coach says I can jump high!” which shocks Pockalny compared to when he “was garbage last year.”  He attributes this sudden improvement to cross country season that “gave [his] legs the power to jump.”

Sophomore Tianna Williams, a sprinter on the varsity 4×100 relay, wants to do more than just go; she even hopes “to beat everyone in CCS.”  Luttrell agrees with this proclamation: “Many people have the potential to make it to CCS and possibly State this year.”

Some of the team’s strongest athletes graduated last year, dampening the team’s victorious spirit.  Hurdler Christina Dobbins (first in PAL for the 100 hurdles and

Alex Herrera (2013) sprints the 200 meter dash.

first for the high jump), distance runner Kyle Feuerhelm (third in PAL for the 800 and the 1600), and sprinter Jason Chandler (first in PAL for the 400) have all moved on from Woodside.

However, Luttrell still has high hopes for the team even without last year’s seniors: “I was definitely sad to see them leave the team, but I wasn’t discouraged that they left because our whole team was and still is strong.” Pockalny was “a little” disappointed, and he “thought the team this year wouldn’t be as good, but it is [better than he thought].”  Additionally, Cerini declared, “I think we are just as strong as last year.”

Tags: Abby Taussig, high jump, hurdles, PAL, PAL Championships, PAL Finals, PAL Trials, sports, track, track and field, Woodside

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