 Braynt Canada Boy's Group III Fourth Place Finisher at 200 Meters |
SAN JOSE - Hundreds of the top athletes in the Bay Area took part in Saturday's Hershey State Finals in San Jose, California. As usual, a strong contingent of talent showed up to compete for a chance to qualify for the Hershey North American Finals held in Hershey, Pennsylvania on July 30 - August 2, 2009. Anticipation will most likely build throughout the month, as fans, parents and coaches will wait to see who out of the top finishers will actually travel to Pennsylvania for the North American Finals, but regardless. this year's Hershey State Finals would prove to be as exciting as ever.
Some new comers had a chance to prove themselves against notable veteran competition. One young talent to watch was our own Sydnie Bunel of LSI. Sydnie came up big having the most surprising race with her second place finish in the Girls Group I 200 Meter Final. Just a week ago Sydnie came up big in at The Pacific association Championships when she set a PR of 14.64 in the 100 Meter Finals and another personal best in the 200 in a time of 31.74. Both performances would give her a load of confidence heading into this weekend. At the gun Sydnie was all business, quickly accelerating to make up the stagger on lanes 6 and 7. As they came around the corner Sydnie would position herself in second place showing great posture and rhythm as she headed down the stretch. But quickly approaching was lane 3 and with only 10 meters left Sydnie would make a last minute surge dipping at the line finishing a strong second in 31.86.
Easily the top performance of the day came from Alexandra Diaz of LSI. Alex once again showed that she is one of the better age group runners in the Bay Area. Entering the race as the notable favorite, the former 200 Meter Champion seemed poised to set the tone early on when she qualified easily in the 100 meters and the only athlete under 13 seconds. She quickly established herself as the one to beat when she ran to another top qualifying mark in the Girls Group III 200 meter and the only athlete under 26 seconds.
 Alexandra Diaz Two Time, 100 and 200 Meter State Champion |
Alex would later return in the finals to double in both events. A slight slip at the start of the 100 final would almost cost her the win but would definitely cost her time. But the returning 100 meter champion would show confidence and control that only few can afford as she fought back to take the tape for the victory. In the 200 meter finals and arguably her best event she would be all business. Looking strong the defending champion built a 10 meter lead coming off the curve and in the final straight, it became clear that she would take home another State title, this time in a time of 25.41.
Dealing with a slight toe injury this year Alex showed signs of her old self, running with confidence and poise, which means if she's healthy this next weekend she'll be in the mix for a top three finish at the Youth Outdoor Nationals. Says Coach Al "she struggled a bit since the discomfort in her toe, but her training is the best its been in a long while. I think by next week hard work will pay off".
 Sydnie Bunel 200 Meter State Finalist and Silver Medalists |
While Alexandra captured most of the headlines from Saturday's action, the Boy's Group III race had its own highlights. While he certainly isn't the fastest contestant in the field, he certainly has the capability to run in the top range. That someone is Bryant Canada of LSI.
Says Coach Al "He's been training very well over the past few months and seems to be hitting his stride just in time. He ran a good race and showed that she's taken a big step in his training. There's still a lot to install technically but were coming along"
Bryant smooth and steady race style paid off with a top 4 finish in the 200 Meters. It would be his only event of the day.
