With hard work and dedication, Golden Valley’s Ryan Pust became an elite pole vaulter in the state, finishing fifth at the CIF State Track and Field Championships.Buhach Colony’s Brandy Coward already is one of the top sprinters in the Sac-Joaquin Section. Her next step is excelling at the state level.Both Pust and Coward are repeating as the Sun-Star Track and Field Athletes of the Year; Coward has earned the honor three consecutive years.Pust entered the season with lofty expectations, including breaking the Golden Valley school record by clearing 17 feet.Pust’s highest mark came at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters when he won by clearing 16 feet, 7 inches. He stalled at 16 feet the following week at the state meet. “At first I was little disappointed, I thought I’d do better,” Pust said. “I hadn’t performed like I had been doing the last couple weeks. At the end of the day, I’m happy it ended that way. I still have two more meets left. I still had a decent season.” Pust will compete June 28 at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramentoand July 6 at Junior Nationals in Eugene, Ore. Despite falling short on some of his goals, the season was hardly a disappointment. The Golden Valley senior was at his best late as he won Central California Conference, Sac-Joaquin Section Division I and Masters championships. He reached new heights each week. “I’m happy I (broke my personal record),” Pust said. “The first half of the season I didn’t move very far. I was kind of stuck at the same spot.” That’s where Pust’s maturity showed. In the past, his frustration would carry over to practice and he’d soon find himself in a tailspin. This year, Pust said he had maybe one bad practice. “I learned from last year that if I let it get to me, I do bad things,” he said. “I’ve learned to forget about it and move on to the next meet.”
