Jeff Tully
Sasha Vujic knows what it's like to run by himself.
A 1988 Burroughs High graduate, Vujic was able to be successful
and excel in track and field and cross-country with limited coaching
assistance.
So when the former Cal State Northridge standout came on board at
Burbank High in 2000 to assist with the school's distance runners,
Vujic wanted to make sure his athletes would never have to go at it
alone.
"When I competed at Burroughs, I really didn't have a coach who
specialized in distance running," Vujic said. "Mostly, I had to train
and compete on my own and teach myself about running.
"That became a problem when I was in big races, and I would just
fall apart sometimes because I didn't have the coaching support."
Vujic vowed his runners would never have to endure what he went
through in high school.
One of the athletes on the 2000 Burbank cross-country and track
and field teams was a skinny sophomore who didn't know what to make
of Vujic.
Three years later, under the guidance of Vujic and Coach Bob Shaw,
that unassuming Bulldog competitor has grown into one of the finest
runners in the state.
Senior Kyle Ivie has cemented his place among the outstanding
runners who have represented the school through the years, in one of
the richest distance traditions in the Southern Section.
On Friday, Ivie has a chance to add to his outstanding season in
the CIF-State Track and Field Championship prelims at Cerritos
College in Norwalk. The time of his race is yet to be determined.
Ivie will be competing in the 1,600 meters, and a good showing in
the preliminaries would put him into Saturday's final at Cerritos
College.
"I just want to run [well] enough to make the finals," Ivie said.
"I know there will be some very good runners in all the races, but
I hope I will keep on improving and I can run on Saturday."
It is a monumental accomplishment for Ivie. He qualified for the
meet by finishing sixth in 4 minutes 13.63 seconds Friday at the
Master's Meet.
In training this track and field season, Vujic said all of his
efforts have been geared to have Ivie peak for the Master's Meet.
"That's because if you don't do well in the Master's Meet, you're
season is over," he said.
"This season wouldn't have been complete for Kyle if he didn't get
to the Master's Meet."
Ivie is the first Burbank athlete to run in the State Meet in 10
years, as Issac Turner qualified in the 800 in 1993.
The Bulldog athlete has also made school history. He is the first
