“There’s no room for mistakes. I’m counting down the days. If there’s a chance that I can win [the events], then I’ll try to accomplish that.”
The meet will be held Friday and Saturday. The Vaqueros will leave for San Mateo today and hope to return with several state titles in tow on the return trip Sunday.
Bogatz should come into the meet with plenty of generated momentum. At the Southern California Championships at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut on Saturday, Bogatz captured the 100 in a school-record time of 11.77 seconds and took the 200 in 24.33. She also anchored the Vaqueros’ 4x100 relay team, which includes Crescenta Valley High graduate Ashley Baucham, Janette Morfin and Melani Artoun-Livaskan, to a third-place finish (47.75).
Glendale college men’s distance runner Nathan Sellers, a Crescenta Valley High graduate, will be the lone Vaquero to compete Friday. He will take part in the 10,000 race at noon before competing in the 5,000 at 4:50 p.m. Saturday.
“I’m pretty confident in myself that I can compete with these guys,” said Sellers, who was tabbed the News-Press All-Area Boys’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year in 2005. “In the last few races, I haven’t pushed myself to the limit.
“Now will be the best time to push myself. It will be one event and one lap at a time. This weekend, I want to try to win something.”
Sellers placed second in the 5,000 at the Southern California Championships with a mark of 15 minutes 2.44 seconds.
Bogatz and Sellers will be accompanied by several of their teammates, all of whom will compete Saturday.
