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NBL TRACK Finals
May 13, 2005

Maria Carrillo girls, Santa Rosa boys capture championships

By DEWEY FORGET
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

It’s beginning to look like the year of the Pumas. They
captured both the boys and girls North Bay League cross country in the
fall, and now the Maria Carrillo girls can add the NBL Track and Field
Championship to their trophy case.
On Friday the Pumas amassed 193 points, the second highest NBL meet point
total ever, to run away with the title. Montgomery finished second and
Santa Rosa third. It was the sixth league title in seven years for
Carrillo.
The Santa Rosa boys edged Montgomery, 119-115, to garner the first-place
medal. The Panthers, who finished second to Montgomery in dual meets, will
share the league title with the Vikings, who entered the championship meet
undefeated.
“We’re kind of excited about what’s going on,” said Carrillo coach Danny 
Aldridge, who has put together a top-notch staff that he credits for the 
Pumas’ success.
“We try to make it fun, and everyone on the team is treated equally. We
have Mike Tillinghast working with the vaulters; Tom Nyhan does a great job
with the throwers (discus and shot put); Jim Lanz with the jumpers and now
I have my daughter Jenny working here along with Richard Flores assisting
me with the runners.”
Kristen Sanzari, one of the top middle distance runners in the Empire, won
three events for Carrillo. The sophomore ran 1,600 meters in a scintillating
5:03.1, an Empire best and eight seconds faster than her personal best. She
added the 800 to her win column and capped off the day with a first-place
medal in the long jump, going 15 feet, 10 inches. Teammate and top-seeded
Amy Robinson, who was nursing a cold, placed second in the 1,600 after
leading for much of the race.
The top four finishers move on to the Redwood Area meet next week at Santa
Rosa High School.
“I felt pretty good, so I decided to go for it,” said Sanzari, who has run
limited 1,600s this season. “Before the race I was a little tired. I was
just trying to hang with Amy through 1,200 meters. I wanted to stay right
behind her.”
Sanzari said the 1,600 wasn’t originally in her plans for postseason meets.
“The 800 is my best race,” Sanzari said. “I didn’t know about trying the
1,600, but now with that time maybe I will. But I really want to
go on with the 800.”
Robinson, a top distance runner for four years, came back strong in the
3,200, running 11:34.9 to out-finish teammate Jacqui Wentz. Robinson said
she has had trouble focusing her senior year.
“It’s a mental thing,” she said. “The 3,200 is so repetitive you kind of
zone out. You run the first mile, then you think, ‘Oh my, I have to do that
again.’ Right now at the end of the season, I’m tired.”
Maria Carrillo’s Michael Brew won the boys’ 1,600. Alex Wolf-Root
(Carrillo) ran 9:59 in the boys’ 3,200 to finish ahead of three teammates —
Brew, Ryan Aldridge and Tim Cumbo.
“I did my job. I led a 1-2-3-4 Pumas finish,” Wolf-Root said. “Team is the
important thing. We work as a team. We’re building a dynasty.”

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