Preseason Picks Boys:

[Frontier]

Lets have some fun. I think it'd be great to pick the Section Champions since most teams are going into condition tomorrow or the following Monday. Here's my choice.

BOYS ONLY.

4x100: Stockdale.
100m: Dillon Root (Redwood).
200m: Dillon Root (Redwood).
400m: Evan Crayton-Crogan (Bullard).
800m: Caleb Barger (Frontier).
1 mile: Justin Vilhauer (Redwood).
2 mile: CJ Albertson (Buchanan).
4x400: Frontier or Centennial.
LJ: Dillon Root (Redwood).
HJ: Evan Eggenberg (Stockdale).
TJ: Shannon Edwards (Ridgeview).
PV: Andrew Ramay (Liberty-Bakersfield).
SP: Cody Temple (Liberty).
Discus: Cody Temple (Liberty).

[jeraf]

Lets have some fun. I think it'd be great to pick the Section Champions since most teams are going into condition tomorrow or the following Monday. Here's my choice.

BOYS ONLY.

4x100: Stockdale.
100m: Dillon Root (Redwood).
200m: Dillon Root (Redwood).
400m: Evan Crayton-Crogan (Bullard).
800m: Caleb Barger (Frontier).
1 mile: Justin Vilhauer (Redwood).
2 mile: CJ Albertson (Buchanan).
4x400: Frontier or Centennial.
LJ: Dillon Root (Redwood).
HJ: Evan Eggenberg (Stockdale).
TJ: Shannon Edwards (Ridgeview).
PV: Andrew Ramay (Liberty-Bakersfield).
SP: Cody Temple (Liberty).
Discus: Cody Temple (Liberty).

Frontier, not bad, but you can't disrespect the fact that Brendon Bigelow may run this year.  Also BJ Kelly from Central is a threat also.  Here are my picks, and NOT IN ORDER:

100m  Root(Redw), Bigelow(Cent), Kelly(Cent), Kemp(Buch), Hobbs(RidgeV), Hunt(Bako)
200m  Root, Bigelow, Kelly, Kemp, Hobbs, Hunt
400m  Crayton(Bullard), Meadows(TW), Towne(CN), Cantu(Hanford), Greene(Edison)
800m  CJ Albertson(Buch), Barger(Front), Burke(Stock), Brazeal(Buch)
1600m Vilhauer(Redw), CJ Albertson(Buch), Brazeal(Buch), Lorenzo(Mad-South), Phillips(Clovis)
3200m CJ Albertson(Buch), Vilhauer(Redw), Brazeal(Buch)
4X400  Centennial, Tulare Western, Stockdale, Bullard, Frontier
4X100  Central, Centennial, Ridgeview, Stockdale, Redwood, Buchanan
Long Jump   Root(Redw), Edwards(RidgeV), Grimes(Centr), Singh(Indep), Alexander(Centr), Meadows(Stock)
Triple Jump  Edwards(RidgeV), Barserian(Clovis), Winding(Exeter), Walker(MWhit), Alexander(Central)
High Jump  Eggenberg(Stock), Becker(Bullard), Wemhoff(Frontier), Robinson(CW), Roberson(Granite Hills)
Pole Vault  Ramey(Lib), Fraley(Lemoore), Greenman(Clovis)
Shot Put    Temple(Lib), Zuniga(Centr), Flores(E Bako), Newman(El D), Contreras(Mad), Stevenson(MWhit)
Discus       Temple(Lib), Flores(East Bako), Zuniga(Central), Fuentes(Central), Dickey(Frontier)
110HH       Kelly(Central), Law(El D), King(Centennial), Alexander(Central), Dhillon(Sanger)
300MH       Kelly(Centr), King(Cent), Brinson(CE), Law(El D), Talley(CW), Brown(Redw), Dhillon(Sanger),     
                 Moran(TU)

[flexmac3]

Long jumper DJ Martin should contend

[Frontier]

I think DJ will be a better sprinter this year, which is why I have them winning the 4x100 with Josh Meadows, Bruce Jennings, Ellis Gibson and DJ anchoring. That's a good team put together and lots of athleticism. If they run a good race, I don't see who could beat them.

I forgot to mention hurdles. Christian King has bulked up a llittle bit. But, is a true competitor. I'd say it's out for him and Kelley for the 300's. Then Kelley or the guy from El. D in the 100's (Christian is terrible in those.)

Side note, I thought about Bigelow. And I thought, if anything .. he has the best chance in the 200. I feel as though the 100 will go to Root.

[illinjoe]

Frontier- if Biggelow runs the 1,2, or 4 he will win it. You seem to underestimate how fast he really is. I've been around a lot of blazing fast athletes and nobody is as fast as he is, in this valley at least. If he would ere get those starts down he would run 10.3 no problem. No joke!

[flexmac3]

Frontier- if Biggelow runs the 1,2, or 4 he will win it. You seem to underestimate how fast he really is. I've been around a lot of blazing fast athletes and nobody is as fast as he is, in this valley at least. If he would ere get those starts down he would run 10.3 no problem. No joke!

Tend to agree Joe, but Bigelow has been out for awhile, you have to wonder about that knee, and his conditioning.
With that scholarship in hand, football will be his first priority, so track might not be a concern competition wise.
Its unfortunate that his HS school years were about his injuries, because he was that good.
But theres no dont about his speed. cant wait for the season to begin.

[illinjoe]

Tend to agree Joe, but Bigelow has been out for awhile, you have to wonder about that knee, and his conditioning.
With that scholarship in hand, football will be his first priority, so track might not be a concern competition wise.
Its unfortunate that his HS school years were about his injuries, because he was that good.
But theres no dont about his speed. cant wait for the season to begin.

I agree with everything you said, except the conditioning part. That kid works out like a freak.

[flexmac3]

I agree with everything you said, except the conditioning part. That kid works out like a freak.

Joe, I was really meaning more like track shape, you know, sprinting drills, running curves, handing off the baton, those reps are not like football, its more technical. His knee will be tested, with dirt tracks, and all weather surfaces, im sure he will know how well he's recovered from his injury.
Im guessing that he will start off slow, like the sprint relay, and then add an individual event later, maybe the 100m. nothing over the top, if hes good, then add another event later in the season.
Bigelow has not ran track for two years, so he will need to get in that track mode again.  As you know track is all about peeking at the end of  the season. So his climb towards valley and qualifying meets should be patient and methodical.
no doubt if he is in that right frame of mind, then he should be fine.

[ole hooker]

Bigelow is a natural. Won't matter. 6 weeks of workouts and he will be tops in the valley. If he is kept in check and his meets are picked wisely being out 2 years won't matter. Body adjusts in 6 weeks to training,,, plenty of time to get ready... will agree with you about the turn and the knee,,, but won't take long just have to re-adjust the strategy...

[ole hooker]

anyone of those top teams of the 4*100m go to the under hand sweep.... they win... it all about the handoffs...

[Frontier]

His marks as a freshman would dominate the section just like that.. But I really don't think he could win the 400. Evan is a pure athlete in that. He can run a 200 quite fast, the fastest 400, and he can probably win the 800m in the valley if he wanted to. He's a lot faster than Barger or Albertson. Evan probably weighs a good .. 140? If that and he ran a mid 48 last year. I wouldn't be surprised if he hit a 47 this year.

[illinjoe]

His marks as a freshman would dominate the section just like that.. But I really don't think he could win the 400. Evan is a pure athlete in that. He can run a 200 quite fast, the fastest 400, and he can probably win the 800m in the valley if he wanted to. He's a lot faster than Barger or Albertson. Evan probably weighs a good .. 140? If that and he ran a mid 48 last year. I wouldn't be surprised if he hit a 47 this year.

Brendon ran 48.04 as a sophomore.

[jeraf]

Frontier- if Biggelow runs the 1,2, or 4 he will win it. You seem to underestimate how fast he really is. I've been around a lot of blazing fast athletes and nobody is as fast as he is, in this valley at least. If he would ere get those starts down he would run 10.3 no problem. No joke!

illinjoe, no disrespect, but you and me both know that on paper he SHOULD win, but that's why they run the races, ANYTHING can happen, and probably will.  Look at the 2009 season that BB went in favored to win the 100m-200m, he was injured and (I think) they brought him back too fast.  He won the 400m, but placed 13th in the 100m and didn't run the 200m.  BB didn't go and compete in the 400m at the State Championships.  Look at last years 100m, the favorite, Korey Thieleke scratched at the VC.  The year prior to that Hanford West's Vontrail Love never made it out of the Area Championships because he scratched.  Look at last year's 4x100(my son) Redwood's first leg dropped the baton, and because of that lost the VC to Buchanan by 4 points.  Redwood's 4x100 was favored to place 3rd, which would have given them 6 points.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to this season, and hopefully BB will run track this season. 

[illinjoe]

illinjoe, no disrespect, but you and me both know that on paper he SHOULD win, but that's why they run the races, ANYTHING can happen, and probably will.  Look at the 2009 season that BB went in favored to win the 100m-200m, he was injured and (I think) they brought him back too fast.  He won the 400m, but placed 13th in the 100m and didn't run the 200m.  BB didn't go and compete in the 400m at the State Championships.  Look at last years 100m, the favorite, Korey Thieleke scratched at the VC.  The year prior to that Hanford West's Vontrail Love never made it out of the Area Championships because he scratched.  Look at last year's 4x100(my son) Redwood's first leg dropped the baton, and because of that lost the VC to Buchanan by 4 points.  Redwood's 4x100 was favored to place 3rd, which would have given them 6 points.  Anyway, I'm looking forward to this season, and hopefully BB will run track this season. 

You're absolutely right Jeraf, I don't even know if he will run it all. He probably won't. I just really like talking about the kid, as you already know.

[Frontier]

I haven't seen him run - personally. But, I've seen him on the football field. I'ma say that he's gonna give this year a shot.
I feel as though lots of the distance people in this section can go down and run a 800 or so, and knock of specific people in that event - such as Burke and Barger, who are primarily 800 or 400m. The guy from Hoover did it, a Buchanan runner did it, Crayton-Crogan did it, as well as Villhauer a few times last year. It's going to be a great season. Two weeks from this Saturday is the qualifier!!

[Frontier]