Ceres High’s boys track and field program’s 4x800 relay team broke its own school record for the sixth time this season while competing at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Championships on Saturday in Folsom.
“It’s quite an accomplishment,” Bulldogs’ head coach Paul Smith stated. “They kept getting better. They maximized their ability and efficiency. That’s all you can hope for.”
Ceres High’s 4x800 relay team of Sergio Torres, Jamesdean Robertson, Andrew Alfaro and Julian Barrera placed eighth in a field of 13 at the Masters competition.
They posted a personal-best time of 8:11.07 in the event.
The top two relay teams qualified for the CIF State Meet.
“They knew they had to break eight minutes (to advance to state),” Smith said. “That was a tall task. They did their best. It was an amazing run.”
Torres, Robertson, Alfaro and Barrera lowered their time by more than 24 seconds during the course of the season.
“We started the year without a 4x800 relay team,” Smith said. “It’s a race nobody wanted to run. The 800 is a tough race. It’s hard on your body. You really got to push yourself to the limit.”
Torres, Robertson, Alfaro and Barrera brought home third-place medals (8:11.59) from the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-IV finals on May 9 at Oakmont High School.
They posted the fastest time (8:11.59) en route to a first-place showing at the Western Athletic Conference Championships on May 2 at Johansen High School.
Torres, Robertson, Alfaro and Barrera took first against Central Valley, Beyer, Grace Davis, Lathrop and Pacheco during the WAC regular season.
They finished in second place (8:35.35) while teaming up for the first time at the County Clash on May 27 at Oakdale High School.
Robertson bounced back after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the football season.
Alfaro finished the year off strong despite being slowed by back spasms.
“To watch them be successful was very cool,” Smith said. “They put it all together and clicked. The camaraderie was there. They did a great job of listening to the coaches and taking care of their bodies. They believed in the training and continued to improve. They were running super competitive times. It’s such a great group. They’re fun to be around.”
Torres, a four-year varsity contributor, was the X-factor.
“Once we moved Sergio into the group, it took them to another level,” Smith said. “He elevated the whole group. We leaned on him and he delivered. He’s a great competitor and teammate.”
