Speaking of his top four throwers, Andrew Bayot, Angel Srioudom, Angel Leyva, and Angelica Smith – the “Angel Corps” – University City throwing coach David Brewer says, “It’s all about accountability. It’s about putting in the work, and safety.”
You don’t hear too many coaches in any sport talk about safety. “With throws, you’re only as safe in the ring as you make yourself,” elaborates the fifth-year assistant of the Centurions weight athletes, who coached 11 years at Valhalla previously. “You’re responsible for your own safety. You have to take care of yourself in the sector. No one is going to babysit you.”
On their progress and prowess, the walk-on coach, who is a private business owner, starts with Bayot, a senior. All four athletes throw both the shot put and the discus, except Leyva, who concentrates on the discus. “Andrew just PR’ed (set a personal record) in the discus at 124 feet, 3 inches,” said Bayot as the first UCHS Track Classic was underway. “He goes 125 feet in the discus, 42 in the shot. He is a four-year track person. Since his freshman year, he has put about 60 feet on his discus, 20 feet on his shot.”
Bayot’s intangibles include “his work ethic and athleticism. He also plays football. He shows up and puts the work in, no matter how hard I am on him.”
Srioudom (pronounced SHREE-uh-dum) “goes about 40 feet in the shot and 115 in the discus. A senior, she has medaled every year in CIF. That means she’s good.”
“Angel has a very competitive and aggressive mentality,” her coach says, “She always wants to throw farther.”
Regarding Leyva, a senior who throws 40 feet and 115 feet in the shot and discus, respectively: “He is probably one of the hardest working kids I have. He has only done this sport for two years. Before that, his only competitive sport was boxing.”
Smith “is a two-year varsity athlete. As a keynote for her, she has brains to go with her athleticism. The same (work) ethic she puts in in the class, she does that out here.” Her marks are 85-feet 10-inches in the discus and 30-feet 2-inches in the shot.
The conditions couldn’t have been better for 28-year head coach John Hutsel’s first UC Track Classic, with the long winter season of rains giving way to a beautiful, 75-degree day at the upgraded Centurion stadium. Twenty area schools, including Bishop’s, Country Day, and La Jolla High, participated.
High-jumpers for UCHS, coached by Sean Stevenson, include senior Kimmie Weiss, who jumps 5-feet 3-inches and also competes in the long jump (16’11″) and triple jump (33’8″); and 15-year-old sophomores Devean Greene, also a hurdler, and Wesley Clarkson. “We have 10 high-jumpers, and things are going well,” reports Stevenson.
Vaulters for Coach Mike Hogan are led by twins Rebecca and Vanessa Rogers, as well as Abrianna Sebastiani, all juniors. “Abrianna is a very good athlete,” says Hogan. “She can be really good on the vault.” She set a PR at the UC Track Classic with a vault of 10-feet 7-inches.