End of an era in CCS distance running

Both have reached the state podium in previous years. As a sophomore in 2023, Bouie teamed in the 4x800 relay for a sixth-place finish. Last season, the Crystal trailblazer took fourth in the 1,600. Pretre earned hardware last season for his seventh-place state finish in the 3,200. As a sophomore in 2023, he opted to not run the 3,200 at the state meet after winning the CCS title, instead teaming for a second-place finish in the 4x800 relay in Clovis.

“It’s going to be a burner out there next weekend,” Pretre said last Saturday after his 3,200 win in the CCS finals. “So, I’m going to be looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun. Today was fun. ... So, yeah, I’m just super grateful for everything I’ve been able to do for these four years, and I’m just looking forward to closing it out strong.”

Both runners set CCS meet records in their individual races.

Bouie repeats in two CCS events

Bouie looked in fine form on the track, but looked as gassed as he even has after crossing the finish line with the only PR in an event he’s recorded this season.

“I went through three laps feeling good,” Bouie said. “‘Good’ is a relative term in this sport. But feeling like I was ready for that last lap when the bell came. And so I was just on the back stretch at some point: ‘I’m just going to go for it, see what happens.’ And so I did, and it felt good. It really hurt but it feels good and it’s gratifying.”

The meet record was just a byproduct of the work the Harvard commit has put in through four varsity seasons. The hardware, though, speaks for itself. Bouie also anchored the 4x800 relay team to the CCS title last Saturday, and now has four career CCS track championships to his credit. He also claimed a CCS Division V individual championship in cross country as a junior.

“I thought I could get it but it was not ever something that I look for as a goal,” Bouie said of Saturday’s 1,600 triumph. “You run fast to compete, to win, for all of the reasons that you have intrinsically, and then the time takes care of itself.”

It was during the race itself Bouie committed to leaving it all on the track, ultimately recording the fourth-best 1,600 time in the state this season.

As Bouie showed in the 4x800, however, the senior always has something left in the tank. When Crystal won the CCS title in the event last year, Bouie ran the second leg, with Tarik Baker bringing home the anchor leg. After Bouie dazzled in his two turns around the oval, he didn’t stop running, using the second half of the race to emerge as Crystal’s biggest fan by running across the infield to shout encouragement to Baker as he closed out the first-place performance.

“I think this time we were kind of doing it for a tactical thing,” Baker said. “We have four strong runners, we’ve always had four strong runners. We know where each of are pace wise as well ... so, this was the most optimal racing that we could have done.”

This year, instead of using the end of the race to wind down, Bouie used the first two legs to warm up, jogging back and forth on the infield to cheer for his teammates before he took the baton. It was indeed an effective warmup as Crystal’s Cameron Kani, Baker, Conrad Chern and Bouie finished the race in 7:51,87, with Bouie scorching an 800-meter split of 1:50.3.

“This is different,” Baker said. “This is so a Crystal moment. Every single race that we go to, you can see us in the blue just racing across, just cheering each other on, even though that we know we still have our leg coming up. That really boosts us as a team, as well as makes us run faster.”

Menlo qualifies three distance runners for states

Pretre, a Wake Forrest commit, was as well positioned as any runner could be for the departure of longtime Menlo head coach Jorge Chen this season. Chen — the 2023 CCS Honor Coach for track and field — was a distance running specialist, but is now coaching at Harker. Keith Larson took the helm at Menlo this season, while Miles Bennett-Smith took over as assistant in charge of the distance runners.

“It’s definitely different,” Pretre said. “We’re trying to make the most of it and not really change anything too much, because we know what’s worked for the last year. I’ve had the pleasure to be coached by Jorge for three years, so I’ve got experience under me. I’ve been able to take some of his ideology, and take some of our new coach’s ideology. It’s been different. They both have their strengths, so I’m just trying to find the best of both worlds there.”

Chen’s legacy at Menlo will reverberate into Clovis, as Pretre, senior Will Hauser (boys’ 1,600) and senior Veronica Taira (girls’ 3,200) all qualified for the state meet.

Taira is a bolt from the blue this season, who claimed the CCS championship in the girls’ 3,200 in 10:48.53. It is just the fourth race of any distance, including the regular season, she’s won all year. Last season she earned the West Bay Athletic League championship in the 800, shifting her focus to distance events after running primarily as a sprinter as an underclassman.

“This season I feel like has kind of been my breakout season,” Taira said. “The first year I did cross country was last year, and so I had like one year to kind of feel it out. This year, cross country I started to build up and so it’s what really allowed me to do well this track season.”