Eagles poised for CCS Eagles poised for CCS (May 20, 2005)

By Scott Campbell

In a dramatic climax to the SCVAL Qualifiers on May 14, Los Altos anchor-leg runner Dana McDaniel and his teammates just barely held off Santa Clara to win the 4x400 meter relay and cement the Eagles' status as league champions.

During the first three legs of the race, Los Altos built a sizable lead over the then-third-place Bruins. With Scott Robinson running anchor for Santa Clara, the Eagles team of Evan Nottage, James Nicholson, Eric Hersey and McDaniel needed every split-second advantage it could get.

After Robinson came from far behind to claim a share of the lead on the last straightaway, McDaniel had just enough left to pull back ahead approaching the finish line and help Los Altos emerge with the victory.

"I didn't really know where he was until I saw him in my side vision," McDaniel said of Robinson, who owns season-best CCS times in three events, including the 400 meter. "I just told [myself] I had to do everything to beat him."

The Eagles finished in 3:26.05, .46 better than second-place Santa Clara, and trail only Riordan's relay team in the CCS. Their victory set off a raucous celebration at the finish line, with Los Altos teammates running to join the victory pile.

"Wasn't that fun? It's always the best," Eagles coach Julia Widstrand said of the last event, in which the Los Altos girls also excelled, breaking their previous best time by eight seconds. "The 4x400s make the whole meet."

The thrilling conclusion highlighted an afternoon at Los Gatos in which the Los Altos boys topped the 14-school field, while the girls rode a few stellar performances to finish a middle-of-the-pack eighth.

The boys (6-0 De Anza) got the day off to a fantastic start with a victory in the 4x100 meter relay. The Los Altos team of David Barth, McDaniel, Nicholson and Hersey ran a season-best 43.11, good for fifth-place standing in the section.

Senior Jeff Clark again showed his tremendous athleticism, winning the high jump at 6-2 and placing second in both the triple jump and long jump.

"It takes a lot of training, a lot of different specialty time ... because we spend one day per event," Clark said of his versatility. "Once you finish with that day, you've got to forget everything about that and focus on the next day, because each event is different. You've got to switch minds a lot."

The Eagles had the strongest team of hurdlers as well. Hersey, Nottage and McDaniel finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 300 meter hurdles, while Hersey took second and Nottage sixth in the 110 meter hurdles.

For the Los Altos girls (2-4 De Anza), sophomore Bria Nelson earned two second-place finishes in setting personal bests in the 200 meter and 400 meter races. Nelson had the lead nearing the finish in the 400 meter, but was passed by Palo Alto's Mia Lattanzi, who won in 56.56. Nevertheless, Nelson's time of 57.04 set a new school record.

The girls relay teams, both third-place finishers, are also peaking at the right time. The 4x100 meter team of Briana Spears, Alyssa Biondi, Kristen Rowsey and Nelson posted a time of 49.70, eighth best in the CCS, while Rowsey, Sarah Lytle, Daphne Owen and Nelson ran the 4x400 meter in 4:01.72, good for fifth-place standing in the section.

After proving itself among competitors from the El Camino and De Anza Divisions, Los Altos now has the chance to perform on the stage it has been shooting for all along.

"Once you get to CCS Finals, then it really is anyone's bag because you really have these amazing teams," said Widstrand. "So then it just comes down to, who has the guts and the courage? Who brings their game that day?"

After adding the SCVAL title to an undefeated regular season and the De Anza Division championship, the Los Altos boys still have some unfinished business to take care of, according to their captain.

"I really think we have a chance to be the top public school at CCS," said Barth. "That was the goal I made for the team at the beginning of the year. ... That would be amazing, just to be on the podium at CCS."

Los Altos begins that pursuit with the CCS Trials at San Jose City College on May 21. The CCS Finals are at SJCC on May 28.
E-mail Scott Campbell at sports@mv-voice.com

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