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Blanchard sisters a force for La Reina
For the past two years, junior Sasha Blanchard has helped lead the Regents girls' track and field team to glory. In 2007, the team has improved even more with Sasha's freshman sister Tara joining the squad. With the Ventura County Championships taking place Friday at Moorpark High, La Reina head coach Robert Lopez knows the Regents are in good shape with the Blanchard sisters on his side. "They are an amazing family, let alone a set of sisters," Lopez said. "Both of them pretty much cover all the running events, and it seems I can put them in any event and they will have a chance to win." Although the sisters both compete in various events, they hardly ever go against each other. Sasha Blanchard runs the sprint events such as the 100, 200 and 400 meters. She also runs the 100 and 300 hurdles.
"When I first started track and field in the United Youth League, I didn't know what I was doing, but I knew you got a little trophy if you competed in every event," Sasha Blanchard said. "That's how I started competing in the hurdles. I had no idea that I would end up being as good as I am now in the event, but I like competing in the hurdles more than any other event now." Even without the hurdles on the track, Blanchard doesn't seem to have any trouble. Earlier this year against Oak Park, Blanchard improved on her school record in the 100 by posting a time of 12.73. While the older Blanchard has been dominating in the sprint events, her younger sister has excelled in the distance runs. Tara Blanchard competes in the 400, 800 and the 1,500. Earlier this season against Oaks Christian, Tara Blanchard won the 800 with a time of 2:25. While both sisters have been earning their keep for La Reina in their individual events, their biggest highlight may have occurred at the Arcadia Invitational when they ran together in the 4x400 relay. La Reina finished in second place with a time of 3:57.84, a new school record and the first time the team had placed under four minutes. "We run very well together," Sasha Blanchard said. "I run the fourth leg of the race, and my sister runs the third. Obviously, I know her face very well, so it's easy for me when she hands the baton to me." Lopez said Sasha Blanchard has shown a great attitude since joining the team three years ago and is considered one of the leaders on the team. "When I think of Sasha Blanchard, I think of her presence and what she brings to the team every day in practice," Lopez said. "She has a great way of handling herself day in and day out, and that motivates the rest of the team. It seems that she makes it a point to have the team have a positive attitude every day." The upbeat attitude seems to have rubbed off on the rest of the girls, especially her younger sister. "I've been competing in track and field since I was eight, and it's been great running with her," Tara Blanchard said. "We are best friends off the track and on the track, so it's been fun." Although the two have a great relationship, the sisters competed against each other for the first time a week ago when they squared off in the 400. "It was a little nerve-racking looking across the track and seeing her racing also," Tara Blanchard said. "The main thing we wanted to do is push ourselves to run faster in the race. But we weren't mean to each other before it." The only thing La Reina may be treating badly is their opponents this weekend at the Ventura County Championships. Last year Sasha Blanchard won in the 100 and 300 hurdles after finishing in second place her freshman year. This time she's hoping to improve even more in the annual event. "This year there's a little more pressure because I've done well before, and now I want to place well so I can get into a good college in two years," Sasha Blanchard said. "I'm aiming for a time around a 14.6 in the 100 hurdles, while a time of around 44 (seconds) flat would be great in the 300 hurdles." |
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