SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Aptos senior thrower Ethan Rasmussen said he knew he had to make some changes in the offseason. He needed to get stronger, faster and more technically sound.
He needed to improve. And he did.
Over the offseason, Rasmussen was tucked away in the gym, lifting weights and practicing his discus throws, getting more explosive in his tosses while the memories of the two previous Central Coast Section Championships played in the back of his mind.
After missing out on qualifying for the California Interscholastic Federation State Meet by a few feet as a sophomore and a junior, Rasmussen is back and ready for his final hoorah. Not actively looking to throw at the collegiate level, the two-time Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League discus champion said it’s CIF State Meet or bust.
“That’s my goal for this season but I’m trying to not think about it too much,” Rasmussen said. “I’m just trying to do my own thing.”
His method has worked so far.
Rasmussen has already thrown over the 147-foot mark and says he has plenty more in him. His season record of 147-2 is ranked sixth in the CCS, according to athletic.net, which means he’ll have to continue to improve as the season progresses toward the section finals in late May.
He said he’s up for the challenge.
“I’m excited but it’s also nerve racking,” Rasmussen said. “It’s all or nothing.”
He’s one of several senior Aptos athletes that are trying to make their final seasons memorable.
Senior sprinter Danner Pardue is a powerhouse in the 100-meters, already running in the low 11s, and is fully healthy this season, as he looks to not only challenge for the SCCAL title but qualify for CCS.
Aptos senior pole vaulter Jon Gospodnetich also returns and will duel with the SCCAL’s defending champion, Soquel High’s Kyle Henn.
Junior distance runners Jorge Benitez and Luis Garcia-Ponce have carried the momentum over from their SCCAL cross country championship in the fall and will compete for league titles in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.
Benitez has been the Mariners’ ace through the early season but Aptos distance coach Dan Gruber said he has good depth, which could prove key at league finals when the Mariners will try to pry the SCCAL championship away from San Lorenzo Valley High.
“I’m pretty happy with them as an overall group,” Gruber said.
The Mariners’ duo will try to knock off defending league champs Hugh Chomentowski (800) of Santa Cruz High and SLV’s sophomore Chris Anderson (1,600) come early May, when the teams will gather at Soquel for the SCCAL Finals.
At St. Francis High in Watsonville, head coach Ramona Young said she has a team with a thick bond, which stems from senior distance runner Nathaniel Ramos, who sports a 4.6 grade point average and has already been accepted into Stanford, MIT and Harvard.
“[He’s] important to team dynamics,” she said.
Sophomore Justin Parker is turning heads in the sprints after running a personal best 11.38 last week and has also starred in the long jump. He is just one of a handful of young Sharks, including freshman distance runner Paul Kane, that Young will try to develop over the season.
St. Francis’ returning juniors Carson Cuzick and Jason Gallo have dominated the long jump and triple jump, respectively.
Watsonville High’s star trio of T.J. Trout-Lacy, Jacob Cervantes and Anthony Ramirez, whom combined to win seven events at last year’s Monterey Bay League Pacific division Finals, are all gone and head coach Rob Cornett said he views this season as a “rebuilding” year.
Still, Cornett, now in his 32nd season with the Wildcatz, said he has high hopes for a handful of his athletes.
Senior Marcos Fregoso hopes to build on his second-place finish in the triple jump at the MBL-P Finals, while also running sprints for the Wildcatz.
Junior Jose Villanueva is also back after showing flashes of brilliance in the triple jump last season and has plans of breaking the school record of 44-feet, 5-inches set by Kasem Green in 2014. Cornett said Villanueva has a solid shot at the record and the key will be to keep him healthy by not pushing him too early in the season, especially after breaking a bone in his hip at last year’s MBL Masters Meet.
“With his work ethic there’s a chance,” said Cornett, who boasted that Villanueva has already leapt over 40 feet. “He’s a natural in the event and he’s working his way back to where he was last year.”
Senior thrower Pedro Alcantara is Watsonville’s ace in the discus and shot put and will challenge for a title in both after taking second in the two events at last season’s MBL-P Finals.
The Wildcatz also have a pair of freshman distance runners in Damian Rivas and Miguel Leon that are already running the 1,600 under 5 minutes and are being mentored by new assistant coach David Knight, who was a section qualifier in the 800 during the 2011 season.
Pajaro Valley believed it had enough to compete for the MBL-P title at the beginning of the season but has had several athletes suffer early injuries.
Senior sprinter Jose Sedano holds the school record in the 100 at 11.22 and entered the season ranked in the top 5 of the CCS. He’ll look to recover from an injury he suffered during soccer season and make a run at league and CCS titles.
Monte Vista Christian is also in the MBL-P and has pieced together an undefeated dual meet season so far. The Mustangs returned senior hurdler Jordan Marquez, who placed third in the MBL-P last season in the 110 hurdles.
The Mustangs have also received a boost from senior leapers Darren Selck and Holden Lukin, senior throwers Chris Denning and Damian Haro and senior 400 runner Nate Antepenko.
North Monterey County, meanwhile, will compete in the MBL’s Gabilan division once again and has a few athletes that could reach the CCS Championships, including senior Ryan Orlando, who is the Condors’ star in the triple jump, long jump and high jump.
