Photograph by George Sakkestad

Sophomore Heather Hennessey ran to a first-place finish in the 800 meters at the K-Bell invitational last week. Freshman Michelle Beritzhoff, running behind Hennessey in this early season dual meet, finished fourth overall at the K-Bell.

Big finish for Hennessy

Sophomore fights back from injury

By Dick Sparrer

It's been a long run for Heather Hennessy.

But it ended last Saturday with a quick two-lap trip around the track at Los Gatos High School.

Hennessy finished first in the 800 meters at the K-Bell Invitational at Los Gatos last weekend, heading up an outstanding Gatos finish that found three Wildcats among the top four finishers in the 78-runner field.

But it's more than Hennessy's time and place that makes her finish special--it's the long road she's traveled to get there.

Hennessy suffered a stress fracture to her shin in the midst of an outstanding freshman season at Mitty. At the time, her best of 2:16.8 was the top time in the state among frosh girls in the 800 meters. The injury ended her season, and she was unable to run for the cross country team when she transferred to Los Gatos in the fall.

"She couldn't run a stop for seven months," said Los Gatos girls coach Willie Harmatz. "But she kept her focus by doing pool workouts, lifting weights and biking."

"It was a long road to her comeback," added the coach.

But come back she did.

Hennessy covered the two laps in 2:18.7 last Saturday to win the 800 meters at the K-Bell.

Gatos senior Amy LaPine was second to Hennessy in the 800 in 2:19.6, with freshman Michelle Beritzhoff fourth in 2:23.8.

LaPine, who finished third in the two-lapper at the Central Coast Section meet last season and won a berth in the state meet, was leading the race with 300 meters to go. "She had six or seven yards on Heather coming off the turn, until Heather just caught her in the last 70 yards," said Harmatz. "This was Amy's first 800 this year, and the best start in her career."

Beritzhoff won her 800 heat, one of six heats contested in the meet, and ended up with the fourth best time overall. "She was the 800 county junior high school champion at Fisher last year," said Harmatz. "She's going to be the next great 800 runner along with Heather and Amy."

LaPine, Hennessy and Beritzhoff teamed with Karisse Leis to claim a fifth in the mile relay in 4:16.5. Hennessy nailed a 60.2 split, and LaPine was clocked at 61.7 on her leg.

Hennessy was one of two Los Gatos runners to win in the 800 meters at the K-Bell. Gatos sophomore Jeff Hoeft took the frosh-soph 800 in 2:03.8. Hoeft came from behind in the final 30 yards to pull out the victory.

Matt Bates, the co-most valuable runner for the Los Gatos cross country team, took the frosh-soph mile in 4:38.9. "He ran a great, even-paced race," said Harmatz of Bates. "He led for almost the entire race."

Sophomore Russ Martin, who shared the most valuable cross country runner award with Bates, rambled to a frosh-soph victory in the 2-mile in 9:54.1. "He dominated the field after the fifth lap," said Harmatz of Martin, the top freshman 2-miler in the CCS a year ago.

Junior Zack Regner and sophomores Eric Medefessor and Tomas Viramontes were other placers for Los Gatos at the K-Bell.

Regner was fifth in the varsity 2-mile in 10:01.7. "He looked real strong," said Harmatz of Regner, another co-mvr from the cross country team. "He's off to a good start this season."

Medefessor was fourth in the frosh-soph high jump at 5-6, and Viramontes was eighth in the frosh-soph 2-mile in a lifetime best 10:39.0.

Harmatz indicated other top marks for Wildcats included: boys varsity--Seong Lee's 11.8 in the 100 meters; girls varsity--Annie Farnady's 107-5 in the discus, Sarah McAleer's 5:39.1 in the mile, Kristina Roskos' 19.6 in the 100 hurdles, Kathy Falkenhagen's 13.7 in the 100, and Rebecca Fong's 56.1 in the 300 hurdles; and girls junior varsity--Cristen McClenathan's 65.9 in the 400, Katie Zuparko's 29.1 in the 200, and Kim Christiansen's 30-1 in the triple jump.

Los Gatos will head to Milpitas March 18 for a 3:15 p.m. dual meet against the Trojans in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

The Cats will take part in the West Valley Relays at West Valley Community College in Saratoga this weekend. Frosh-soph competition is Friday, with varsity events set for Saturday.

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