Surviving the TCAL Trials was on everyone's to-do list Tuesday at North Salinas High School, where only those who found themselves as one of the top nine in each event earned a spot in Friday's TCAL Championships at Gilroy High School.

When shooting for a top-nine finish is suddenly more important than taking first, the trials are a little bit backwards, but for Gilroy's Elise Ogle, they provided a little added recovery time as well.

Ogle returned to the track Monday after sitting out two weeks with a sprained ankle.

A sophomore, Ogle was limited to walking, not running, during her two weeks on the sidelines, so Tuesday's TCAL Trials marked the triumphant return for the Mustang, who said her ankle was about 75 percent healthy.

"I didn't want to hurt myself today, so the coaches just told me to take top nine," Ogle said. "It was kind of weird being behind people."

Bum ankle or not, though, Ogle clocked 5:35.12 in the 1,600 and finished fifth among 15 recorded times to qualify for Friday's final. In fact, her time was just nine seconds behind San Benito's Courtney Allen, whose 5:26.53 was tops at the trials.

Nine of Ogle's teammates qualified from Tuesday as well, while competitors in the pole vault, the 3,200, the girls 800 and all the relay teams advance due to a lack of competitors.

Come Friday, though, the focus will be reverted back to finishing with a top spot in order to advance to next week's Central Coast Section meet.

Peter Guenther will certainly make his case for a CCS bid at TCALs. The Gilroy junior qualified in a team-high three events from Tuesday, including the 100 (1st, 11.45), the 110 high hurdles (3rd, 15.92) and the 300 low hurdles (2nd, 41.59).

"I'm trying to PR every meet, but all we're trying to do is get into the finals," Guenther said.

As an added wrinkle, however, the shorter-distance running events at the trials used starting blocks that were not anchored to the ground. As a result, other athletes had to sit behind the blocks and hold them in place when the race started, making a push off the blocks less than ideal.

"It was rough, but I had a good reaction," Guenther said. "I anticipated it a little bit."

Other qualifiers from Tuesday included Sarah Una Dia (100, high jump), Alison Green (high jump), Julianne Leong (triple jump), Melisa Garcia (discus), Steven Heisey (400), Derek Pesta (1,600), Tyler Hill (110 hurdles, 300 hurdles), and Travis Reyes, who'll be making appearances in the 100- and 200-meter races.

Reyes' 11.70 in the 100 and 23.65 in the 200 placed him in sixth and seventh, respectively. Although he felt he did not run up to par, like many runners Tuesday, he noted the starting blocks.

"That's where the 100 is won," he said. "You know coming in that you don't want to be first and be gone for Friday. You want to save yourself for Friday, but not where you don't qualify."

Gilroy is hosting the TCAL Championships at the Garcia-Elder Sports Complex at 3:30 p.m., on Friday.

For those who qualified, surviving the trials is complete. But the season now hinges on a top-two finish in order to advance to the CCS semifinals.

"Friday will be a different day," Reyes said. "You just have those days when you don't run too good. But hopefully I'll do better Friday and make it to CCS."

SIDEBAR:

TCAL Trials, North Salinas High School

Elise Ogle - 1,600: 5th, 5:35.12

Sarah Una Dia - 100: 1st, 16.87

High Jump: T-1st, 4-06

Alison Green - High Jump: T-1st, 4-06

Julianne Leong - Triple Jump: 9th, 30-05

Melisa Garcia - Discus: 6th, 92-01

Peter Guenther - 100: 1st, 11.45

110 Hurdles: 3rd, 15.92

300 Hurdles: 2nd, 41.59

Travis Reyes - 100: 6th, 11.70

200: 7th, 23.65

Steven Heisey - 400: 5th, 52.53

Derek Pesta - 1,600: 2nd, 4:39.30

Tyler Hill - 110 Hurdles: 9th, 16.88

300 Hurdles: 9th, 44.07