Track and Field off to a Running Start at Rancho

The weather was good for the first week of track and field at Ranch Cotate and longtime coach John Anderson that meant one thing: time to get outdoors and get in shape.

Anderson, the head coach at The Ranch since 1987, is not a stern taskmaster. That's not what this unique individual sport calls for. As Anderson said, track and field is as serious as the participant wants it to be.

"There are 16 events and you can go out for any of them," said Anderson, who also is the head coach of cross country in the fall. "Track and field can be laid back and very comfortable."

It's both serious and fun to some athletes, such as junior April Hoffman. She made league finals in the 100 meter dash as a freshman and a sophomore.

Hoffman likes the team aspect when it comes to rooting for teammates and practicing with friends. But she's also aware of the fact that good finishes in meets are a direct product of hard work.

"It's fun and you can be supportive, but it's up to the individual to push yourself," Hoffman said. "Some days, like days for speed drills, are more difficult than others.

Hoffman has played other sports, but agrees there's a special team bonding within the individual sport of track and field at the high school level. She can remember meets where the entire boys and girls teams are on the side rooting for just one Rancho Cotate participant. The bus rides to meets are fun, too, says Hoffman. Other co-ed sports, such as basketball, are distinctly separated.

Michael Puccetti is a Rancho senior who said he appreciates being on the track. That's because he missed his sophomore year for a difficult appendix removal and used last season to just try and build up his strength.

Puccetti grew up playing all kinds of sports, but latched onto track as a middle-schooler for reasons he's not fully sure. He was so anxious for track and field season to arrive, he'd hop the fence at the Rancho track with a friend weeks ago just to get the feel of the synthetic surface under his feet.

Puccetti runs the 400 and the 4x400 relay. He has run 400's in the low 50's (seconds) and has been told by college coaches that a 49.5 could land him a scholarship. He's only 5-foot-8 and 138 pounds, hardly making him a 400 prototype. That's were mental perserverance takes over and Puccetti has plenty of that.

"I played nine years of baseball and that was great, but this really is a sport where you rely on yourself rather than others," he said. Puccetti has gotten close to Anderson, also his history teacher. During summer they run the hills together as Puccetti tried to build up his endurance.

Puccetti who talks track every day with friend David Hernandez, a sprinter at The Ranch; and he said he loves practices and conditioning. His only dislike in the sport are rainy days.

Anderson said this year's turnout of about 80 student-athletes is average for track and field. The boys' team figures to be fairly strong, especially in the sprints and relays.

Last year the Cougar boys set a school record in the 4x100 relay, and half of that team — senior Sean Fish and sophomore David Forman — return. Forman, also a jumper, could take part in 6-8 events.

Three-sport standout Ricky Garcia is a triple jumper and high jumper, Nick DeSoto is a long jumper, shot putter and discus thrower and top girls on the team figure to include Hoffman and multi-sport star Holly Cramer (a triple jumper).

Anderson said it's nice to win, but it's just as nice to work with the kids and watch them improve. "They have a lot more choices how to spend their time," Anderson said. "The sport does take dedication and that makes it harder."

Track practices include all the participants warming up together and then splitting up according to the various events.

Rancho has had its share of preeminent athletes in track and field, such as sprinter Blair Gabler, a school record holder in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x100 relay; Chris Stevens, school record holder in the 100 and Jason Andrews, who holds the second fastest time in the Empire in the 300 hurdles and twice a state participant.

Anderson is as competitive as most of his athletes. His message is individual improvement comes from hard workouts during pratice.

"Handling the pressure of meets is one thing and practice time is important. You don't want to learn limits. They have to go full out," he said.

Anderson said he brings his team to at least one top-notch Southern California meet. A kick-off meet, the Big Cat, put on by both the Santa Rosa Panthers and Rancho Cotate Cougars, is scheduled for March 5 at Santa Rosa.