Serra left the Penn Relays over the weekend with a bittersweet feeling.
Its 4 x 100 relay team did not qualify for the Championship of America small schools final, but the Cavaliers did see the long-awaited return of junior Malik Roberson.
Roberson, who tore an anterior cruciate ligament at last year’s CIF Masters meet, ran the anchor leg as Serra won its heat in 42.88 seconds. It was 10th-fastest among small schools and validated Cavaliers Chris Faulknor’s decision to bring him to the relays.
“He asked me last week if I was still sure about taking him and I told him yes,” Faulknor said, “He’s been coming around day by day and he really looked good.”
Roberson missed the 2013 football season to recover from the injury. Faulknor said Roberson would compete in the 100 meters, his natural event, as well as both relays when the team heads to the Del Rey League preliminaries this weekend. But he cautioned the road back isn’t complete yet.
“He still has to execute and prove he wants the spot,” he said. “My goal is to get a 10.7 out of him and the closer we get to state, he should be the man.”
— Evan Barnes
Its 4 x 100 relay team did not qualify for the Championship of America small schools final, but the Cavaliers did see the long-awaited return of junior Malik Roberson.
Roberson, who tore an anterior cruciate ligament at last year’s CIF Masters meet, ran the anchor leg as Serra won its heat in 42.88 seconds. It was 10th-fastest among small schools and validated Cavaliers Chris Faulknor’s decision to bring him to the relays.
“He asked me last week if I was still sure about taking him and I told him yes,” Faulknor said, “He’s been coming around day by day and he really looked good.”
Roberson missed the 2013 football season to recover from the injury. Faulknor said Roberson would compete in the 100 meters, his natural event, as well as both relays when the team heads to the Del Rey League preliminaries this weekend. But he cautioned the road back isn’t complete yet.
“He still has to execute and prove he wants the spot,” he said. “My goal is to get a 10.7 out of him and the closer we get to state, he should be the man.”
— Evan Barnes