Menlo iGreyhounds TC relay team is national champion

“We all knew if our kids ran close to their [personal records] that something like this was possible,” said Jorge Chen, Greyhounds coach. “We were seeded … fifth. Top eight (relay teams) get All-American (status). That was kind of our goal. It just required every kid to perform.

“Sure enough. That’s exactly what happened.”

Chen, who also coaches the Menlo School cross country and track teams, said he knew the foursome could be in the running for the win. The question was if they could put everything together at the right time. Chen said because the runners are preparing for the upcoming cross country season, there has been little focus on relay training, saying they may spend one day a week working on track-specific work.

All four had already enjoyed success during the high school track season, with Voyles, Nandakumar and Deffner all setting PRs this season, breaking the 2-minute mark in the process.

Pretre, although a gifted 800 runner, focused more on the 1,600 this past spring.

So Chen knew they had it in them to compete for the championship, but started to wonder when they posted a 8:21.12 at a regional qualifying event at Modesto Junior College the last weekend of June.

He wasn’t expecting the quartet to put a smoking time on the 100-degree day. But he expected more than they gave that day in June.

“It was super hot. We didn’t have much competition,” Chen said of that qualifying race. “But 8:21? Not very happy.”

A month later, with the glow of the recently completed world track and field championships at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus still shining, the Greyhound contingent went out and put together a race of a lifetime. Voyles led off the race and improved dramatically from his qualifying split time of 2:14, which was well off his PR. In Sacramento, however, Voyles took his game to another level, clocking a time of 1:59, Chen said.

“He had a really bad race at regionals,” Chen said. “He stepped it big (at the Junior Olympics). He really set the tone.”

Nandakumar race his two-lap leg in a time of 1:59 before handing off to the Menlo runners, who put the race away. Deffner clocked a 1:57 before giving the baton to Pretre, who finished with a flourish.

“The entire race was close,” Chen said. “The last leg … it was between four teams. Aiden gave Justin a little of a lead and on the last lap and he just poured it on. His last lap was a 55 (seconds).”

Pretre ended up burning to a time of 1:54, just off his PR of 1:54.26.

“This was the first race where I was pumping my fist after every single leg,” Chen said. “If one of the boys didn’t do their job, there is no possibility to win this race.

“We had to have a perfect race. At the end of the day, all of us were just, like, ‘I can’t believe that just happened.’”

In addition to the Greyhounds’ title, the San Mateo Track Club also had a strong showing at the Junior Olympics. The 4x800 team finished seventh in the boys’ 15-16 age group final.

Hillsdale’s Kyle Fukumoto, Miles Kim and Dylan Robinson were joined by San Mateo’s Andrew Song to combine to run a 9:29.31. While they were well off the pace, the winning team of LV Speed-Nevada won the event with an 8:10.95, by simply making the final, they earned All-American honors.

“For my team, I wanted them to have fun and enjoy the experience. How often do you get to run in a national championship event?” said SMTC coach Chris Lucey, who is also on the coaching staff at Hillsdale. “They improved their time from the qualifying race.”

SMTC’s Ethan McKillop, running in the 17-18 open 800, set a new PR with a time of 1:58.02 to finishing 11th in qualifying. Only the top eight advanced to the finals.

The recent Sequoia graduate was injured for most of the high school season this past spring. But he made up for it at the Junior Olympics. Running at the regional qualifier in Modesto in June, he dropped his time to 2:00.67 before blowing past the 2-minute barrier in Sacramento.

“He ran a really nice 800,” Lucey said. “He was eighth with about 300 to go and went on to finish third in his heat.”