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Published on 07/21/1997 All articles from this issue

Donecho speeds up on track and soccer field

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By Andy Nystrom / Town Crier Staff Writer

Will it be track and field or soccer? That is the question on the mind of Andrew Donecho.

The St. Simon School of Los Altos seventh-grader has qualified for this week's USA Junior Olympic Track and Field nationals in Baton Rouge, La., but isn't sure if he's going because of several factors.

First, there's a family vacation; second, there's a possible inclusion in the Hershey Track and Field nationals in Pennsylvania in August; and third - and completing the hat trick - he's scheduled to play in a soccer tournament somewhere in between.

According to Betsy Donecho (Andrew's mother), they'll just have to wait and see what happens.

"We didn't expect him to do that well," she said, in reference to her son's fine showings in recent Union City and San Jose City College meets.

At the Hershey NorCal finals in San Jose, Andrew raced to first place in the 400- and 800-meter runs, with times of 1:02.3 and 2:27.1, respectively. And a week later in Union City, he took second in the 800 with a much-improved run of 2:21.3.

"He's a little dynamo," said Coach Jim Bordoni. "I promise a Slurpee to the kids who turn in the most PRs (personal records) at the end of each month. And Andrew has me making a lot of trips to 7-Eleven."

Andrew, 12, who competes in the 11-12-year-old age division, assessed his success at the San Jose City meet: "The track was real fast, and there wasn't a lot of wind (like at other meets). And the coach works us real hard in practice."

Coach Bordoni feels Andrew has yet to reach his peak times this year, and is impressed with his progression in only two years of track and field participation.

"I've been playing soccer and needed to get in shape," said Andrew on his track and field beginnings. In the next few weeks he'll kick off the soccer season as a member of the under-13 De Anza Stingers, a select club team.

"He's so quick, and is real excited because people aren't going to be able to catch him in soccer," Betsy laughed.

Other St. Simon students who did well at the San Jose City meet were Mandy Loretz (third in the 800 with a PR of 2:41.1), Matt Bordoni (third in the 800 with a 2:34.8), McKenzie Plank (third in the softball throw at 149 feet) and the 400 relay team of Donecho, Bordoni, Plank and Matt Loretz (second in 58.1 seconds).