Crusaders have lofty expectations
Strake Jesuit’s boys aren’t looking for moral victories at this week’s Class 6A-Region III track and field meet at Clear Creek ISD’s Challenger Columbia Stadium in Webster.
Head coach Chad Collier doesn’t just want to send athletes to the finals of their respective events at the two-day competition on Friday and Saturday, April 29-30. Collier would prefer that the majority of them to advance to the University Interscholastic League Class 6A state next month at the University of Texas in Austin.
“We have kids in 13 events at regionals and we believe all of them have a shot at state,” Collier said.
Greedy or not, Collier has a point. After claiming the District 19-6A crown, Strake Jesuit was perhaps even more impressive at the recent District 19-6A/20-6A area meet. The Crusaders tallied 115 points to hold off host Katy Seven Lakes with 122 and Katy with 108.
Collier, though, understands the competition will be intense at regionals, with only the top two in each event automatically qualifying for state. There’s an outside chance a thirdplace finisher might land an at-large spot.
Strake Jesuit’s 4x400meter relay is attempting to reach state for the second year in a row. The
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Crusaders’ foursome of seniors Ryan Duff, Andrew Price and Christian McStravick and junior Jeff Price won the area meet with a time of 3:16.89.
“We should be one of the favorites, but anything can happen in a relay,” Collier said.
The 4x100 relay was in the mix, but an injury to senior Brandon Walwyn dropped Strake Jesuit into fifth place (43.53), missing regionals by only one spot.
Individually, the Crusaders are solid in the distance races. Senior Andrew Hebert was the area champ in the 1,600 (4:16.27), while junior Jason Bugg took second (4:22.09). Hebert also was third in the 3,200 (9:39.51).
But Strake Jesuit’s marquis event is, without question, the 800. Three Crusaders made the regional field, with Jeff Price (1:55.30), senior Hugo Gonzalez (1:57.05) and Bugg (1:59.57) completing a 1-2-3 area sweep.
“It would awesome if at least two of those 800 guys made it through,” Collier said.
McStravick was second in the 400 (49.99) and is trying to make it back to state.
“Obviously, Christian’s been to state before, but there are a lot of really good quarter-milers,” Collier said.
Strake Jesuit should be a factor in the field events, with senior Eje Ojo winning the high jump (6 feet, 4 inches), senior Nathan Fisher grabbing the pole vault (15-6) and senior Howard Grant placing fourth in the long jump (20-9 ½).
“Eje and Nathan should be in the mix,” Collier said. “Howard PR’ed at the Rice Invitational a couple of weeks ago.
“He wasn’t at his best at the district and area meets, but we know what he’s capable of.” Water polo
Strake Jesuit is headed back to the Texas Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association High School Water Polo State Championships this week at the Texas A&M University Natatorium in College Station.
The Crusaders missed the state tourney a year ago, but they’ve enjoyed success in the past. Strake Jesuit claimed the boys’ state water polo crown in 2012.
Strake Jesuit head water polo coach Kevin Kehoe rates his squad one of the favorites along with defending state champ Dallas St. Mark’s, Flower Mound and Jersey Village, which edged the Crusaders 7-6 in the Region III-East finals.
“There are three or four teams that have a real chance and we’re one of them,” Kehoe said.