Serra claims CCS track title

Bellarmine did not run the 4x400. So, with Serra entering the event trailing 54-51, it was something of a formality for the Padres, who entered the day with the best time in the event throughout the CCS on the season.

“Honestly, it wouldn’t have felt right if we had just squeaked out the win on that one,” Serra head coach Jim Marheineke said. “These guys, they really wanted it.”

Seniors Anthony Ovalle, Tyler Mak, Scott Fitzpatrick and sophomore Nate Sanchez put the Padres over the top with the 4x400 relay win with a time of 3 minutes, 18.72 seconds, a new season-best in CCS. It marked Serra’s third win in an individual event of the day. Mak took first place in the boys’ 300 hurdles in 38.37, and senior Elijah Folau took first in the shot put with a throw of 53 feet, 11.75 inches.

Serra totaled 61 points on the day, topping second-place Bellarmine (54), third-place St. Francis (38), fourth-place Valley Christian (31) and fifth-place Los Gatos (27).

The Padres last won the CCS team title in 2003.

“I wasn’t even thinking CCS title, honestly,” Marheineke said. “I was just thinking, let’s get the pieces together and the chips will fall … wherever.”

One of the biggest obstacles for Serra was the health of its relay team. Serra entered the playoffs at a disadvantage, having lost Brandon Carbullido to injury midway through the regular season. Sophomore Dylan Eaton stepped up to take over for Carbullido, but he too suffered a season-ending injury, going out in the West Catholic Athletic League championship meet.

“That right there, I thought any chance we had of winning league or CCS went down the tubes right there,” Marheineke said.

That’s when Sanchez emerged, though. Generally a specialist in the 100 and 200, the sophomore backed off his individual events at CCS to focus on the relay. The strategy worked as the Padres led nearly wire to wire, including a third leg by Mak who had a lead when he got the baton to Fitzpatrick for the anchor leg.

Fitzpatrick — who earlier in the week was named Serra’s co-track and field blanket award winner, along with Folau — did the rest, flying to a big lead to finish off the title in style.

“Coach is always talking … to the first three runners, ‘oh yeah, just get it to Scott equal or a little bit behind and we’ve won,’” Mak said. “He ran a low 48 split. So, you give it to him, very few people are going to catch him.”

Mak attack

Mak’s win in the 300 hurdles was marked by a painful looking finish. The senior was leading with two hurdles to go when he broke stride, forcing him to run through the last two hurdles to hold on for the win.

“The second to last hurdle, I kind of stumbled and hit it with my ankle,” Mak said. “I was stumbling to the last hurdle and then, the last hurdle, I was a little bit off balance I smacked my knee into the hurdle. I was lucky to land on my feet.”

The collisions left Mak with a gash on his knee, which he had to wrap going into the 4x400.

“By the end I was hurting enough,” Mak said. “Another bang to the knee wasn’t going to hurt.”

Mak transferred to Serra as a sophomore, relocating from Sydney, Australia. He is a San Mateo native, but moved to Australia with his family in grammar school. It was there where he discovered track and field. When he returned to the U.S. though, he rowed crew as a sophomore at Serra. It wasn’t until midway through his junior year that he opted to change to track.

Folau crowned in shot

Last season, Folau settled for eighth place in the shot put at CCS. So, his mission as a senior was simply — redemption.

“This season was pretty much for redemption,” Folau said. “Working hard to stand on top of the podium for shot. So, getting there is one of the best feelings ever.”

It has been a banner senior year for Folau, who as a lineman helped lead the Serra football team to a state championship. His throw of 53-11.75 in the shot wasn’t his best of the year. But it was enough to top the second-place throw of Santa Teresa’s Bennett Yasin (51-2.25) by over two feet.

“I was hoping to throw a little further,” Folau said. “I was hoping to hit 55. But I’m happy with 54-plus. … But I’m hoping to hit it big at state.”

His performance in the discus was the real surprise. Qualifying for the finals after earning the eighth and final spot at the CCS qualifiers, Folau took second place with a throw of 151-5. Mills senior Michael Skyriotis topped the podium with a first-place throw of 153-6.

“I wasn’t even expecting to get to the podium,” Folau said.

Serra’s depth wins the day

The Padres were familiar fixtures on the podium.

In the boys’ high jump, junior Parker McDonald took second place with a distance of 6-4, while his fellow junior Sai Patel took sixth place with a 6-2.

In the boys’ 400, Fitzpatrick took second place with a 49.28, and Ovalle took fifth with a 50.32.

“It was one of those things, all the guys came together, all the stars aligned, and it worked well,” Marheineke said.