Returning from a second place finish in the De Anza league championships last year, the boys’ varsity track and field team is looking to make placing in the championships a tradition.
The coaches are instilling new tactics in order to succeed this season. Long distance coach Jeff Billing hopes to concentrate more on avoiding athlete injuries this year, which he says are a main problem in long distance running.
“Our big focus is new drills and stretching exercises focused on preventing injuries,” Billing said.
Throws coach Chris Berg, who oversees shot put and discus, wishes to implement the saying “practice makes perfect” and create a basis of friendly competition for his athletes.
“I’ve tried to increase repetition by threefold,” Berg said. “I’m separating varsity from junior varsity and trying to create more competition within the team. We’re trying to make it an honor to be training with these [varsity] guys.”
Head coach Jason Fung seems to consider the saying “the more, the merrier” as an important factor in helping the team reach league championships.
“If we can get more spots filled, we have a good chance of getting leagues,” Fung said.
The boys track and field team returns this year without the top two distance runners. Francis Reynolds and Scott Himmelberger, who both graduated last year, were two of the best runners in the conference last year, according to Billing.
“Last year distance running was our strength,” Billing said. “This year we have to pull our own weight.”
The team will have strong competition from Gunn, Los Gatos and Los Altos, according to the coaches. Billing sees potential in cross-town rival Gunn’s team this year.
“Last year, most of Gunn’s big people were juniors,” Billing said. “They lost one big jumper; other than that I think they’re pretty solid. They had the best frosh-soph team last year.”
Yet Billing believes that the boys’ track and field team can handle Gunn’s strength.
“Us and Gunn are matched really evenly this year,” Billing said.
Despite the challenges the team faces this year, the coaches seem optimistic for this year’s boys track team.
Fung looks to count on returning athletes, seniors Will Frazier, Fred Koloto, and Sam Margevicius, as well as juniors Mohammed Abid and Michael Scott. Coaches also have high expectations for newcomer freshman Philip Macquitty.
“This year, we’re replacing two seasoned veterans [Reynolds and Himmelberger] with a freshman [Macquitty] who’s a superstar,” Billing said.
Fung also sees potential in many of the other young athletes, in addition to Macquitty.
“We have good up-and-coming freshmen and replacements,” Fung said.
To guarantee a strong position in league championships this year, the coaches have all set different goals for the group.
Berg has set high goals for his throwers, hoping to earn complete shutouts in as many of the meets as possible.
“This would be the year that we’re gonna try to get first, second, and third in as many dual meets as possible,” Berg said.
Billing’s goal for this upcoming season is to prevent his athletes from becoming sick. He also plans to develop this year’s young distance team for the years to come.
“My biggest goal is to keep everyone healthy,” Billing said. “For the boys, we’re building for the future.”
Fung’s goal is to take athletes as far up in competition as the Central Coast Section championships this year. He plans to take this progression “one step at a time.”
Yet for now, all coach’s eyes are strongly glued on taking the team to a league championship first. Though it seems quite simple, the coaches expect athletes to give their best efforts to help achieve this goal.
“We’re going to have to perform really well to get into leagues,” Billing said. “I don’t think any of those is a given. We have to work really hard.”