Jesuit Track and Field Hoping for Strong Season

The track and field team, anchored by senior leaders in the sprint, distance and throwing events, appears poised to make another strong showing in league, section and state meets this season.

The team won the California state meet this past season and, with more underclassmen competing this year, student-athletes and coaches are hopeful for more success on and off the track.

"Recently, (weather) conditions have been challenging," said head track and field coach Tom McGuire. "We've got about 100 students in track (and field) this year so we're hopeful for some success."

Sprints

Senior Tommy Krotine and sophomore Austin Mitsch lead the sprinters, who are coached by Rod Jett.

"Our team has been plagued by injuries so far this season," said Krotine, who said he has run a personal-best time of 11 seconds in the 100 meters sprint and jumped 21'8" in the long jump.

"We all get along really well and that pushes us to do well," said Mitsch, whose top times are 10.84 in the 100 and 22.36 in the 200.

Krotine said he will attend Notre Dame in the fall and hopes to walk on to the track team.

Distance

Senior Cormac McCullaugh leads the long distance runners.

McCullaugh said he has personal-best times of about 2 minutes flat in the 800 meter run at the Sacramento Track Classic at Sacramento State, 4:26 in the 1600 at Stanford and 9:43 in the 3200 at Davis High School.

"We have a pretty good senior group," he said. "We're looking forward to the Arcadia (High School) meet in mid-April as the fastest meet in terms of competition."

McCullaugh said he will compete for St. Mary's College in Moraga in the fall.

"Hopefully, I'll be a contributor to their team," he said. "I have family there and I like the area."

Throwing

Senior Stephen Boals leads the throwing team coached by David Badovinac.

"We lost good throwers in Josh and Jeremy Hines (who graduated and are attending Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and Stanford, respectively)," Boals said. "It's good to get some new faces though. We've got a lot of hardworking kids out here now."

Boals said his top mark in the shot put is 62 feet, thrown at the Granite Bay Invitational. His top throw in the discus is 178 feet in a league meet.

Boals starting in the fall.