San Diego Prep Review : Qualifying for State Track Meet Can Be Costly

Many San Diego County track and field coaches, who were celebrating their athletes’ victories in the warm afternoon sun Thursday at the San Diego Section finals, found themselves in anguish contemplating the next step on the prep track ladder.

One of the rewards for finishing in the top three places at the Section finals is a trip to the state meet at Sacramento on May 31 and June 1. And the funds necessary for the trip send the coaches searching for help.

“The coaches are penalized for having a successful track program,” Morse Coach Mike Klepper said. “My job is to coach, not raise funds. It doesn’t say anything in my contract about fund-raising. If I spend more time fund-raising than coaching, it takes away from the kids. And that’s wrong.”

Morse, which won the boys’ team title and finished second in the girls’ competition, had 11 athletes qualify for the state meet. Klepper said he estimates he will need $1,300 to $1,500 to pay for the athletes and coaches.

“We’ll take a Toyota truck, which has a shell on it and a Volkswagen van,” Klepper said. “We need $600 alone for rooms. And we’re not staying in fancy rooms like everyone else.”

Klepper said he received some financial support from the school’s Associated Student Body and John D. Shacklett, Morse’s athletic director. Should the athletes be unsuccessful in raising the balance, Klepper said everyone will have to partially for their own trip.

But Klepper is not alone in his scurrying to raise money. In fact, those alone are the few who don’t have such problems.

Valhalla track Coach Don Roberson has just two athletes and two coaches to worry about. The smaller numbers, however, do not necessarily mean fewer problems.

“We got only $100 from the school from the athletic director,” Roberson said. “Our ASB says no to anything we do.”

Like most teams with fewer qualifiers, Valhalla will fly to Sacramento. Roberson estimated the trip will cost about $1,200. The Valhalla track fund will have about $300 left after paying the season’s bills to put toward the trip.

“The kids raise that money all season for the track fund,” Roberson said. “And we have to use it for one or two kids.”

Roberson said the district will pay for his trip, about $300. Still, Roberson is about $500 short of the total cost. And he is responsible for putting all the money up front and then relying on reimbursement.

“We had our (girls’ 1,600) relay team finish fifth,” Roberson said. “You pull for them to make it, but had they qualified it would’ve been $300 more per kid.”

The Fallbrook boys’ 1,600 relay team was outleaned by Serra for third place Thursday. Despite the initial heartbreak suffered by the Fallbrook faithful, Fallbrook track coach Tim Oder admitted the loss saved the team about $600.

Oder said it will cost about $2,000 for five athletes and two coaches. As of now, Oder said he did not know where the money will come from.

“Instead of being able to enjoy the end of the season,” Oder said. “I’ve got to go out and beg these people. Some of these people gave money for other things during the year. $2,000, hell, that’s a lot of money.”

Mount Carmel Coach Dennis McClanahan said the seven athletes and three coaches, like Morse, will take the 10- to 12-hour drive to Sacramento. Admittedly fortunate, McClanahan said the school’s ASB donated the $1,000 he estimates he’ll need for the trip.

Still, he is not fortunate enough to travel by plane.

Add track: Just one day after winning the San Diego Section track titles in the 400 and 800, Lesley Noll of Mount Carmel, announced she will sign a letter of intent to attend USC.

On Thursday, Noll, a senior, set Section records in winning the 400 (55.82) and 800 (2:08.00) and anchored the winning 1,600 relay team in the season’s best time (3:54.31).

Prep Notes

Lesley Noll will drop the 400 at the state meet to run the 800 and 1,600 relay. Grossmont’s Darcy Arreola will drop the 1,600 relay to run the 800 and 1,600. University City’s Laura Chapel will drop the 1,600 to concentrate on the 800. So, the 800 trio of Noll, Arreola (2:09.06) and Chapel (2:09.17), which produced the state’s three best marks this season at Thursday’s San Diego Section finals, is intact for the state meet. . . . The Patrick Henry baseball team, which will play Mira Mesa for the San Diego Section 3-A baseball title Thursday at 7 p.m. at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, has been ranked No. 2 in state in the 4-A Division by Cal-Hi Sports. San Pasqual, No. 4 in the state 2-A Division, will play Hilltop for the 2-A title prior to the 3-A game at 4 p.m. The 1-A title game will match Parker, No. 2 in the state Class B Division, and Santa Fe Christian at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Stadium.