The girls distance medley relay team of (l-r) Carolyn Penner, Michelle Beritzhoff, Ali Dodson and Ashley Caldwell are all smiles after setting a new school record at the Indoor Nationals in New York City. Their time of 12:14.21 was good for third in the race, earning them All-American status.

Photograph by Bill Dodson

Los Gatos girls are All-Americans

Distance medley team sets a school record

By Dick Sparrer

Frank Sinatra said it best:"If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere." And the four girls who make up the distance medley relay for the Los Gatos girls track team made it big in the Big Apple over the March 8-10 weekend when they raced to a new school record and earned All-American honors at the Indoor Nationals in New York City.

Seniors Michelle Beritzhoff and Ashley Caldwell teamed with sophomores Ali Dodson and Carolyn Penner to cruise to a 12:14.21 in the 4,000-meter relay. The effort crushed the school mark of 12:18.50 set just a year ago.

Beritzhoff opened with a blistering 3:44.9 to record the fastest 1,200 leg in school history, and Dodson followed with a 60.7 in 400 meters. Penner ran a personal best 2:16.9 in the 800, and Caldwell anchored with a 5:10.9, which ranks as the fastest 1,600 split in school history.

The time was good for a third-place finish in a rugged national field, and that was good enough for All-American honors. The time also ranks as the best in California.

Caldwell came back to run a solid 2:11.84 to finish fifth in the "National 800."

"This barn-burner produced the best times in the nation," said Los Gatos coach Monica Townsend. "Ashley's time is leading the state."

Caldwell was also a member of the Los Gatos 4x400 relay team, which finished seventh overall. Joining Caldwell (58.0 split) on the squad were Dodson (61.6), Penner (59.1) and sophomore Sally Stanton (62.7).

"The team time of 4:02.43 is a season best," said Townsend, "and the girls blew away the second fastest heat for seventh overall."

In other events in New York, Stanton set a new school record by soaring 9 feet in the pole vault; Beritzhoff (5:15.8), Erica Williams (5:20.4), Lynsey Harris (5:52.2) and Shannon Kehrig (5:49.9) ran 22:20.36 in the 4xmile relay to rank fourth on the Los Gatos all-time list; Dodson ran 8.28 in the 60-meter dash; Williams ran 5:27.5 and Kehrig 5:47.7 in the mile; Penner ran a personal best 2:18.89 in the 800; and Clay McKell ran 2:02.72 in the boys 800.

The Gatos girls came back with a strong showing last weekend at the West Valley Relays at West Valley College in Saratoga.

Stanton, Dodson, Penner and Caldwell joined forces to set yet another record, this time in the sprint medley relay. The foursome ran 4:09.27 to set new meet and school records, breaking last year's mark of 4:09.95 set by the Wildcats.

Stanton ran a 27.9 200 and Dodson followed with a quick 26.1 200. Penner ran a 58.9 400 and Caldwell anchored with a 2:15.7 800.

Stanton broke the school pole vault record she had set a week earlier in New York, topping the bar at 10 feet to finish second in the meet. Teammate Kristen Turner finished ninth with a personal best 8-6.

Karen Rossmassler was third in the high jump at 4-10 and Dodson was fourth in the 100 in 12.84.

Beritzhoff was fifth in the 1,500 in 4:50.08, running in a race with the best milers in the Central Coast Section. Kehrig was 28th in 5:32.60 and Allison Lemon was 34th in 5:43.03.

Turner was 10th in the 100 hurdles in 17.64 and Shana Ravel ran a personal best 12:20.5 in the 3,000 meters.

Los Gatos ran its dual meet record to 2-0 with a 98-10 win over Santa Clara last Thursday afternoon.

Lynsey Erickson, Dodson, Stanton and Penner opened the meet with a win in the 4x100 relay in 52.54.

Stanton won two events for the Wildcats in the win over the Bruins. She took the 100 hurdles in 17.42, with Turner second in 17.62, and she won the 300 hurdles in 50.48 with Turner second in 53.18 and Mel Lopes third in 54.41.

Dodson, Kehrig and Erickson were other double winners for the Wildcats.

Dodson was first in the 100 in 13.42, with Alexandra Schartz second in 14.98, and she won the 200 in 30.16, with Michelle Johnson second in 30.47 and Erickson third in 31.10.

Kehrig took the 800 in 2:33.67, with Lemon second in 2:48.16, and she won the 3,200 in 13:07.8, with Ravel third in 13:51.2.

Erickson soared to a win in the long jump at 16-3.5, with Michelle Johnson second at 14-6, and she took the triple jump at 33-4, with Jodi Christiansen second at 25-9.

Lemon led a Gatos sweep in the 1,600, finishing first in 6:03.90. Ravel was second in 6:05.59 with Marissa Teel third in 6:09.65.

Kristi Yackle took the 400 in 66.15.

Johnson was a winner in the high jump at 4-8 with Rossmassler third at 4-6.

Emily Myer picked up a second in the shot put at 24-2.5 and Katie Weed was second in the discus at 62-8, with Myer third at 56-8.

In junior varsity competition, Jenna Bertocci had two solid marks in the weight events. She was first in the shot put at 26-3 and first in the discus at 71-0.

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