Photograph by Robert Scheer
Los Gatos sprinter Rose Sczawinski finishes second in the 100 in last week's loss to Gunn.
The junior was first in the 200 meters in 26.61 in the same meet.
By Dick Sparrer
Butch Lumby didn't know whether to smile or frown after his Los Gatos track and field team opened the league season against Gunn last week.
He had to smile after his Cats ran to a tight 64-63 win over the Titans in the boys' varsity division. But a tough 78-49 loss for the girls had to temper his enthusiasm.
Lumby had taken his two teams into league competition expecting both to contend for titles in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. And they still might. It's just that the girls got off to a rocky start last week.
The boys, meanwhile, got off to a thrilling start with the tight win over the Titans. Los Gatos is chasing its seventh straight league championship this season.
Lumby expects the Gatos boys to be "strong in the sprints and distances this season," he said. "We are aiming at repeating as league champions against this season."
Distance and middle distance stars Craig Conley, Beebe Rutledge and Tom Newman join hurdlers Manny Austin to head up the Los Gatos hopes on the track.
Weightman Dan McGilvray is a top returner in the shot put and discus.
Lumby expects all five of the seniors to qualify for the state meet, and he also expects big things from senior distance-man Ben Abeln.
Newcomers Dustin Kicinski, a sophomore sprinter, and juniors Chris Lipp and Mike Pugh are also expected to help the varsity. Lipp will run the middle-distance events, and Pugh is a weightman who was injured last season.
Los Gatos rolled through the league with a 6-0 record last spring and romped to a fifth at CCS.
McGilvray, Austin and Rutledge all got off to great starts this year, winning two events each in the 64-63 win over Gunn.
McGilvray was tops in the shot put at 45-3 and the discus at 145-7 1/2, and Austin won both hurdle events, taking the 110 highs in 16.75 and the 300 intermediates in 42.48. Rutledge romped to a win in the mile in 4:37.6, and took the 800 meters in 1:57.9.
Conley took the 400 meters in 52.62 and teamed with Lipp, Newman and Rutledge to take the mile relay in 3:29.6.
Things didn't go quite as smoothly for the Los Gatos girls.
Gatos dominated competition on the track, but the Wildcats were swept in the field events to drop the league decision.
Solid sophomore Lina Biber-Ferro was tops in the mile in 5:37.5, and freshman Amy LaPine won the 800 meters in 2:36.6.
Freshman Stacey Caro took the 100 low hurdles in 18.36, senior Ally Lombardi was tops in the 400 meters in 1:01.73 and junior Rose Sczawinski was first in the 200 meters in 26.61.
Los Gatos was running without premier sprinter Stephanie Chavez, the defending Central Coast Section champion in the 100 and 200. With her on the track, running alongside Sczawinski, the Wildcats should dominate the sprints.
Lombardi and junior Kelly Lumby are other top sprinters for Los Gatos. Biber-Ferro returns to the track after finishing third in the CCS 800 last spring.
Sophomore hurdler Jasmine France and sophomore distance specialist Sarah High are other top returners for the Cats.
Caro and LaPine are talented freshmen on the track for Gatos, and sophomore hurdler Erin Peebles is a top newcomer. Peebles is a transfer from the East coast.
The Gatos girls will be chasing their fourth straight league title this season, but the loss to Gunn has them off to a tough start.
Los Gatos posted a 6-0 record to win the division title last season, and the Wildcats went on to place third in the CCS meet behind the strong performances of Chavez, Biber-Ferro and Sczawinski, who was fourth in the 200 at last year's finals.
The Cats can ill afford another defeat during the dual meet season if they hope to claim that fourth straight title. They'll get another shot at the Titans, though, at the league meet in May.
The Wildcats will be back in action when they visit Los Altos on March 14, 3 p.m. The Cats will host the K-Bell Invitational on March 16.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, March 13, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved