Arizona state track meet
Jumbo leads Chinle girls at state meet
By Candace Begody
Navajo Times
MESA, Ariz., May 20, 2011
(Courtesy photo - AIA/paynterpics.com)
TChinle's Rolonda Jumbo places third in the 1,600-meter run last Friday during the Division III state track meet last weekend in Mesa, Ariz.
Competing at Mesa Community College, the team had only one first-place medal - from senior Rolonda Jumbo in the 3,200-meter run - but the future only looks brighter, according to head coach Shaun Martin.
"The big thing that the state championships teaches us is the intrinsic reward of hard work," Martin said. "Everyone worked their butts off for a year to quality and just by competing, they're rewarded.
"They're feeling great because they earned their spot here and in a hard division," he said, "competing in a foreign place and going up against very hard competition."
With regional and sectional meets eliminated this year, which allowed many area athletes a chance to compete at the state meet, Martin said it devastated many teams. But some Wildcats rose to the challenge.
"Being able to bring 10 to the meet shows you a little bit of how hard they worked all year long," he said. "We had some compete in multiple events but that was due to a whole group effort. We had great leaders on the team, an awesome athletic director who bends over backwards to get us to the Valley meets, and the support of parents."
On the girls' side, Angelica Bedonie, Garilena Cly, Deriann Yazzie and anchor Annette Brown placed 13th with a 10:44:76 in the 4x800 relay.
Brown, who replaced the team's usual anchor, Stephanie Yazzie, who had graduation obligations, received the most credit.
"She's always done sprint hurdles and did everything she could but didn't qualify for state," Martin said. "When we needed someone, she stepped up and having never ran the 4x800, she helped the team set a new season best.
Jumbo, the only Wildcat in the 1,600-meter run, placed third with a time of 5:08:78 behind first-place finisher Haley Stenquist of Sabino and Aeoleone Bristow of Rio Rico, in 5:04:75 and 5:08:72, respectively.
"She might be a little upset with her mile performance but I know there was some underlying fatigue," Martin said.
Jumbo had run the two-mile the night before.
"It's hard to recover after a run like that especially if you're running in heat you're not use to," she said.
Of the one mile, Jumbo said, "I just thought of it as another race in the Valley. But I just had a bad day."
In the 800-meter run, Jumbo was also the first local girl to cross the finish line. She finished fourth behind Liberty, Sahuarita and Rio Rico runners with a time of 2:19:12 followed closely by Tuba City's Brianne Loughran, who finished fifth (2:20:29).
Jumbo defended her title in the 3,200 as she led the pack and finished in a time of 10:50:13. Following in 10th was Jumbo's teammate Anjelica Bedonie (11:57:20). Deriann Yazzie placed 18th (12:20:12) and Garilena Cly finished in 22nd place (12:39:64).
"Her race was right on," Martin said. "It's a lot easier to run with a pack. If you're racing by yourself, there's more time to think about all the pain your body is going through. But she didn't have anyone to push her after the first lap and did all the work while all the others were keying off her."
The only one competing in a Wildcat jersey in the girls' high jump was senior Tia Dalton, who placed 11th overall, clearing 5 feet. Her personal best was 5-3.
"Tia didn't have the meet that she wanted," Martin said. "I think everything that comes down on a senior was coming down on her. She had graduation the very next morning, the stress of finals and even though she was really upset, she did everything she could."
Despite her performance, Martin said Dalton - one of four Gates Millennium scholars at Chinle High - accepted her finish.
Boys
On the boys' side, leadoff runner Searle Tracey and Justin Yazzie, Charles Manymules, and anchor Jonathan Yazzie placed 6th in the 4x800 relay (8:26:09).
A lot of credit was given to Yazzie who, according to Martin, "held back" in his prior race - the 1,600 - in order to race in the 4x800.
"He had a slight strain above his ankle," Martin said. "He felt the pain coming back in the last lap of the mile so he had no choice but to hold back for the 4x800."
Tracey later finished the 1,600 in 10th (4:32:25) followed by Jonathan Yazzie, who finished 17th (4:41:68).
"I am very satisfied with my performances," Tracey said. "I just wanted to compete and try to PR. The tough part was getting used to the heat."
Tracey later placed 8th in the 800 (2:01:64) behind Tuba City's Matthew Murray who took the first-place medal with a time of 1:54:87.
"For Searle to run the times that he did as a sophomore was awesome," Martin said. "Not only did he show speed, but his times are attributed to his strength considering his short recovery time."
In the 3,200, Charles Manymules finished 15th (10:05:18) followed by Tuba City's Eddie Loughran in 18th (10:11:28).
Taking first-place in the 3,200 was Tuba City's Billy Orman (8:48:63), 32 seconds ahead of Catalina's Alejandro Montano. Justin Secakuku of Hopi placed fifth (9:37:27).