Life on track after high school

Photo by Paul Robeson, Sports Editor

GOOD START - Jimmy Leonard, former track runner from West Valley, starts out on the track at Shasta College.

Photo by Paul Robeson, Sports Editor

LOOSENING UP - Kayla McBride, former hurdler from West Valley High School, stretches her legs before a run at Shasta College.

Many high school students and athletes go on to college and participate in the activities they enjoyed while in high school. This held true for Jimmy Leonard and Kayla McBride.

Both athletes graduated from West Valley in 2005. That same year Leonard set a school record in the 4x100 meter relay with a 22.9 and he had a 51.1 in the 4x400. He also played basketball while at WVHS. McBride had equally impressive scores in running and hurdles events in high school.

With the track season underway again the two West Valley athletes continue their springtime routine at Shasta College.

“It is no surprise that the two of them are continuing on in track events at Shasta (College),” said West Valley track coach Scott Fairley. “They were both good athletes when they went here and I am glad they are continuing on with track.”

Shasta College head track coach Pete Giachetti, entering his forth season as coach, echoed Fairley’s praise and then added, “You can’t find better kids. They are hard workers and good helpers — I wish I had a dozen more like them.”

Giachetti knows both high school and college coaching as he coached track and volleyball at Burney High School for nine years before coming to Shasta College. In his first season coaching at Shasta College the Lady Knights won the GVC Championship in Track & Field and repeated it again in 2005.

McBride said that the college program was “different” than the high school track program in that it is “not as structured” as it was in high school. “But,” she continued, “if we didn’t have that structured basics I don’t think we would be doing as well as we are here at Shasta.”

This year, in Eureka at the California State University-Humboldt Meet on March 20, Kayla McBride took a first in the 400 hurdles with a 1:19.71 and Jimmy Leonard had a second in the 200 dash at 23.26. At the Santa Rosa meet on March 30, a non-scoring meet with Diablo Valley College and the College of San Mateo, McBride had a third place in the 100 low hurdles at 18.5 and Jimmy Leonard had a third in the 400 dash at 52.2. Leonard also was on the winning 4x100 relay with Davis, Dunbar and Lee with a 43.84 and in the 4x 400 relay they took a second with 3:42.24 with the team of Davis, Beebe and Lee. The next meet for the Knights is at Diablo Valley College on April 20.

“The different events coaches gives us more personalized workouts,” said Leonard of his college track experiences.

“It’s fun that the two of us are staying together with track,” said track team captain Leonard.