Marina track

Workouts take a little creativity and imagination when you don't have a track to train on.
 A blacktop isn't ideal, especially when the length is less than 100 meters. Neither is running through the campus halls at Marina High.
 "We have to get creative in our workouts," Marina track coach Jacob Bermel said.
 For five years Bermel has struggled to land a dozen or so athletes to the sport. Yet, this spring 35 kids came out for track.
 "We don't have the best facilities,'' Bermel said.
 What Bermel meant to say is he has no facilities for track, period. No pits for the jumps, to rings for the weight events. And of course, no track.
 "We're making it work,'' Bermel said. "We have some great attitudes."
 Numbers help. Marina had 15 of the 16 events filled last week in the boys narrow loss to Pacific Grove.
 Once a week, the team is being allowed to practice on CSU Monterey Bay's worn down all-weather track -- which hasn't been used for a meet in nearly 20 years.
 "We can get some block work in and relay handoffs,'' Bermel said. "We've also got those hurdles that collapse to teach our kids."
 No doubt, Marina is at a disadvantage when it comes to establishing itself in a sport where several events are about timing and steps.
 Learning on the fly often means learning at the meets.
 "We had a kid come out for the high jump and clear 5-feet-8 in his first meet," Bermel said. "We're going to try and get him over to MPC once a week so he can jump into a pit."
 Bermel has established a blue collar attitude that kids are gravitating towards. It's not about feeling sorry for themselves as it is overcoming the barriers in their path.
 Last week sophomore Aaliyah Carreras may have put the Mariners on the map when she rewrote school records in the 100 (12.68) and 200 (25.99) at the Pacific Grove Invitational.
 "She's only been out for a month," Bermel said.
 Both times have put her in the top 10 in the Central Coast Section. There's a good chance she will become the first Marina athlete to compete in the Top Eight Meet in two weeks.
 Distance ace Chris Plascencia is feeding off his state meet appearance in cross country last fall, rewriting the school record in the 1,600 meter run last week.
 "Most of our team is underclassmen,'' Bermel said. "What I'm seeing is true enjoyment of the sport. I think the kids see how much they can stand on their own."