Sunday, December 30, 2012

2013 NCS Distance State Meet Contenders

Here is what I have so far.  Remember only top 3 make state this year unless you make the 2013 At-Large Time Standards.  Additions?  Changes?  Comments?
Girls 800m.
The favorite:  Madison Ricks California HS
Threats:  Nijae Jones San Leandro HS, Sadia Ibrahim Santa Rosa HS
Wildcards:  Maria Barragan Healdsburg HS, Keisha May Bishop O'Dowd HS, Aida Julien Head Royce HS, Molly Carleton Urban HS, Chloe Jenkins St. Mary's Berkeley

Boys 800m.
The favorite:  Eugene Hamilton III Bishop O'Dowd HS
Threats:  Connor Mckinnon Amador Valley HS, Adler Faulkner Acalanes HS
Wildcards:  Dante Hay Maria Carillo, Carl Wilke San Ramon Valley HS

Girls 1600m.
The favorite:  Jennie Callan San Francisco University HS
Threats:  Ashley Moffett Casa Grande HS
Wildcards:   Chloe Pigg Arcata HS, Megan McCandless Granada HS, Brooke Starn Monte Vista HS, Chloe Hansel Las Lomas HS

Boys 1600m.
The favorite:  Connor Clark San Francisco University HS
Threats:  Ryan Douglas Petaluma HS, Clayton Hutchins Sir Francis Drake HS
Wildcards:  Louis Rodriguez St. Joseph Notre Dame, Michael Wang Acalanes HS, Stephen Carlson Alameda HS
The Freshman:  Matt Salazar Casa Grande HS

Girls 3200m.
The favorite:  Julia Maxwell Branson HS
Threats:  Jena Pianin Amador Valley HS, Diribe Abdo Berkeley HS
Wildcards:   Christine Bayliss San Ramon Valley HS, Maryann Gong Granada HS

Boys 3200m.
The favorite:  John Lawson Sir Francis Drake HS
Threats:  Aidan Goltra Campolindo HS, Tyler Hanson Miramonte HS, Fred Huxham Redwood HS
Wildcards:  Blair Hurlock De La Salle HS, Danny Stalters Northgate HS, Clayton Hutchins Sir Francis Drake HS

Next:  2013 CCS Distance State Meet Contenders

Coming up...

Section favorites for the 800, 1600 and 3200 in NCS (3), CCS (3), SJS (3) and NS (1).

While I am working on that post, feel free to chime in on the contenders for each section in both the boys and girls divisions.  The amount of state meet qualifiers are noted above.  Who are the biggest favorites?  Who are the most solid state meet contenders?  What runners will make an impact at the state meet?  Who are the freshmen contenders and in what races?  What is the most competitive race distance in any section?  Anything else?  What else would you like to see?

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

2012 SJS ALL-SECTION TEAMS - GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

2012 SJS ALL-SECTION TEAMS - GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY
Runner of the Year
Maggie Bell FR Granite Bay HS - D2 SJS Champion 17:45, D2 State Champion 17:29
First Team All-SJS
Madeleine Anhkhelyi SR Vista Del Lago HS - D3 SJS Champion 17:44, 3rd Place at State 17:54
Peyton Bilo SO St Francis HS - 18:54 at Sections, 18:31 at State
Eleanor Ferguson SR St Francis HS - 18:51 at Sections, 18:34 at State
Lauren LaRocco JR St Francis HS - 18:22 at Sections, 18:10 at State
Fiona O'Keeffe FR Davis HS - D1 SJS Champion 18:08, 6th Place at State 17:49
Madison Rawson JR St Francis HS - 18:34 at Sections, 18:38 at State
    Ankhelyi and O'Keeffe qualified for Foot Locker Nationals
    Bell was invited to Nike Cross Nationals and won the Junior Olympic National Title (Youth Girls)
Second Team All-SJS
Clare Carroll JR Vista Del Lago HS - 18:46 at Sections, 19:00 at State
Kendall Derry FR Bella Vista HS - 18:57 at Sections, 19:00 at State
Faith Makau SR Enochs HS - 18:40 at Sections, 18:56 at State
Mikayla Florez JR Riverbank HS - D4 SJS Champion 19:03, 7th Place at State 18:44
Giulia McIsaac SO Davis HS - 18:45 at Sections, 19:06 at State
Miranda Myers SO St Francis HS - 18:52 at Sections, 18:49 at State
Karina Nunes SR Woodcreek HS - 19:01 at Sections, 18:50 at State
Honorable Mention
Alex Balph SR Pleasant Grove HS - 18:59 at Sections, 19:40 at State
Megan Gentes SR Del Oro HS - 19:00 at Sections, 19:01 at State
Lauren Mason FR Woodcreek HS - 19:11 at Sections, 19:03 at State
Maggie McManis SO Davis HS - 19:14 at Sections, 19:10 at State
Katie Mersereau JR Granite Bay HS - 19:01 at Sections, 19:09 at State
Mackenzie Mills SR Vintage HS - 18:50 at Sections, 19:22 at State
Macauley Porter SR Rio Americano HS - 19:16 at Sections, 18:54 at State
Christine Redor SR Ponderosa HS - 19:11 at Sections, 19:03 at State
SJS All-Freshman Team
Maggie Bell Granite Bay HS - D2 SJS Champion 17:45, D2 State Champion 17:29
Kaitlin Derry Bella Vista HS - 19:49 at Sections, 19:19 at State
Kendall Derry Bella Vista HS - 18:57 at Sections, 19:00 at State
Briana Dulgar Oak Ridge HS - 19:33 at Sections, DNQ for State
Maddy Lyons Del Oro HS - 19:21 at Sections, 20:04 at State
Lauren Mason Woodcreek HS - 19:11 at Sections, 19:03 at State
Sedona McNerney Bella Vista HS - 19:45 at Sections, 19:12 at State
Fiona O'Keeffe Davis HS - D1 SJS Champion 18:08, 6th Place at State 17:49
Senior of the Year
Madeleine Anhkhelyi Vista.Del Lago HS - D3 SJS Champion 17:44, 3rd Place at State 17:54
Junior of the Year
Lauren LaRocco St Francis HS - 18:22 at Sections, 18:10 at State
Sophomore of the Year
Peyton Bilo St Francis HS - 18:54 at Sections, 18:31 at State
Freshman of the Year
Maggie Bell Granite Bay HS - D2 SJS Champion 17:45, D2 State Champion 17:29

LINK = http://www.eteamz.com/buffalobabes/news/index.cfm?subsite=1541612&cat=214235#news5509713

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!

I hope everybody enjoys today's festivities with their loved ones and get what they asked for on this day.  

Regular programming on this site will resume tomorrow.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

2012 Northern California Cross Country Awards

Now that the 2012 XC season is in the books, here are my awards for this past cross country season (here are last year's winners).  Feel free to share your comments below.

Most Valuable Runner (boys)-John Lawson Sir Francis Drake HS
Most Valuable Runner (girls)-Julia Maxwell Branson HS

Most Impressive Performance (boys)-John Lawson Sir Francis Drake HS 9th at National Footlocker
Most Impressive Performance (girls)-Maggie Bell Granite Bay HS winning State Div. II race

Most Impressive Performance (boys' team)-St. Joseph Notre Dame winning Division V state meet
Most Impressive Performance (girls' team)-St. Francis, Sacramento, 2nd place in Division I at State

Most Inspirational (boys)-Yohaness Estifanos Milpitas HS
Most Inspirational (girls)-Sophie Hartley Granada HS

Most Improved Runner (boys)-Daniel Bereket Carlmont HS
Most Improved Runner (girls)-Danielle Katz Los Gatos HS

Lifetime Achievement Award (boys)-Richard Ho Leland HS
Lifetime Achievement Award (girls)-Madeleine Ankhelyi Vista del Lago HS

Buster Posey (rookie of the year)-Ben Zaeske Los Altos HS
Buster Posey (rookie of the year)-Maggie Bell Granite Bay HS

Best Robin to Batman (best supporting actor)-Clayton Hutchins Sir Francis Drake HS
Best Robin to Batman (best supporting actress)-Anna Harleen Branson HS

Boys Coach of the Year (Directing)-Tony Fong St. Joseph Notre Dame
Girls Coach of the Year (Directing)-John Du Cray St. Francis, Sacramento

Transfer of the Year (boys)-Aidan Goltra Campolindo HS
Transfer of the Year (girls)-I am stumped!

Any other awards?

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Catching up with St. Francis (Sacramento) XC coach, John Du Cray...

Today we chat with St. Francis, Sacramento cross country and track and field coach, John Du Cray.  This past season, his varsity girls team had quite a season as they were the first Northern California girls' team to reach the podium in Division I at the state meet with a 2nd place finish.  They were not only the 2nd best team in Division I but the 2nd best girls team in the entire state trailing only Great Oak.  With their impressive performance, the Troubadours were also invited to the Nike Cross Nationals.  Previous to the CA state meet, the St. Francis girls won the 9th SJS championship in school history.  John has been the only head cross country coach at St. Francis as he started the XC team in 1982.  Coincidentally, he also started the TF team in 1977.

1)  What was your athletic experience during your youth?  What sports did you play?  Highlights?
I was a football, basketball, baseball, and a little track and field athlete in my youth and high school days...Highlights-Athlete of the Year, in 8th grade at St. Mary's...Athlete of the Year, in 9th grade at Kit Carson Jr High...MVP in football, in 10th grade, at Sacramento High School...Prep of the Week, twice, in football, my senior year, at Sacramento High School...My position was Quarterback.

2)  What led you into coaching?  What else do you do besides coaching?
Quite often I was the captain on the many teams I competed on and had a good feel on leading my teammates.  From being a captain to coaching was an easy transition.  I enjoy the chess match with other teams and coaches.  I have a small house painting business with a partner and I'm also a retired elementary PE teacher.  I retired 4-1/2 years ago.

3)  Who were your coaching mentors when you first started coaching?
My dad was my first mentor as he was my football and baseball coach when I was young.  He told me one very important principle which was, if you don't get the skills mastered by game time, you will be in big trouble.  It's too late to try to teach the skills during the game.  Coach Walt Lange (Jesuit) helped me out in my early days at St. Francis.

4)  What was your first coaching job?  What did you learn from that experience?
My first coaching job was coaching middle school (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) football at St. Mary's School, in Sacramento, in 1970.  What I learned from that experience was the need to scout my opposition better.

5)  How did you end up at St. Francis?  How long have you been coaching there?
I had been coaching T/F at St. Mary's (3rd-8th grade) for six years and for most of those years my girls teams were pretty dominant.  Most of the 8th grade girls would go to St. Francis, which was just down the street from St. Mary's.  Three of my former athletes came to me in the Fall of 1976 to tell me they had just found out, there was high school track and could I come to St. Francis and try to start a team.  I went over and talked to the principal and I ended up starting the T/F program, in the spring of 1977.  I then started the XC program in 1982.  I have been at SF for 35 years.

6)  What is the size of your team in a typical year?  What is the running experience of most of your runners as they enter high school?
We have gone from 35 athletes in 2010 to 55 in 2012.  Normally, we would be around 35 but I hope to stay above 50.  I get all range of running experience from the girls as they enter St. Francis.  The range is from zero experience to four years.

7)  What are your expectations for your runners during the summer?  Is there a summer camp?
Run, run, and run some more.  We have 4-days of fun runs scheduled each week from the middle of June, to the start of the season.  I encourage the girls to make the fun runs whenever possible.  The more experienced runners will hopefully be running 5 days a week.  I keep my fingers crossed.  We do have a summer camp in the first week or so in August.  This year it will be in Truckee.

8)  How do you go about putting your racing schedule together?  What determines what races your team attends?
About 75% of my racing schedule is the same from year to year.  There are some races that I really like and I go back to them each year.  The other 25% are the bigger meets like Mt. SAC, and the coaches get together and decide if the girls are ready to travel and compete on the bigger stage.  What type of course, distance of the races for all three divisions (F/S, JV, and Var), how far to travel, all works in to determining which races we attend.

9)  Your girls finished in 4th place in the 2011 XC season.  Where did you think your girls should be ranked going into this past XC season?
With the 4th place finish in 2011 and only losing one senior, I thought we would be ranked in the top four.

10)  Tell us a little about this past season and how it unfolded and ended.
With 6 of the top 7 coming back and a pretty good track season in the spring, the coaches thought we could have a good to very good year.  Well, the season started even better than we thought.  Five wins in a row, and the big one was winning the seeded race at Stanford.  That was a first for St. Francis.  By October, it was, okay coaches, let's not mess this up.  The biggest worry for all coaches was staying healthy.  We got lucky and stayed quite healthy all season.  We were aiming for a top 3 finish at State and maybe a shot at Nike Nationals.  We finished 2nd and got invited to Nike.  Great finish for this year.

11)  What does a typical week look like for your girls training wise during the early part of the season?
In the early part of the season, it's building miles, 2 types of hill work, and 2-3 types of tempo running.

12)  What changes as you approach the section meet and then the state meet?
Good question.  We did change our approach after the Clovis Invite for the Varsity.  The girls had been rock solid in all their races from the beginning of the season, so we decided to eliminate one race to give them a mental break before league and section championships.  The coaches believed it worked great.  We might have worked a little too hard approaching State.  That was my call and I probably will change the training for next year.

13)  Who are the programs in the SJS who have helped push your girls to their current level?
In our Delta River League, it has been Oak Ridge and at the Section level, it's Davis High School.

14)  What is your advice for coaches who have aspirations to make the podium at the CA state XC meet?
My Dad would say, you always need a couple of blue chippers to compete at the top so, we/coaches keep trying to get the best possible athletes out that are at St. Francis.  Having good numbers coming out helps.  Some way, you got to convince the girls to train during the off-season.  That's key.  Run track and have a sound training plan.

15)  Anything else you would like to add.
I want to say thanks for picking me for this interview.  I'm grateful.  I have a great coaching staff in Mason Myers, Rich Willett, Joe Poggi and Megan Quirk.  But, all the credit goes to all the girls who ran and raced for St. Francis.  They worked extremely hard in a sport that doesn't always get a lot of press.  One of my former Asst Coaches, Tom Laythe, said it succinctly a few years back, "I didn't even had to run a step".  Thanks again.

Thank you very much for your time John!  AJC

Monday, December 17, 2012

All-NorCal XC Teams

Now that the Cross Country season is officially over, it's time to select the All-Norcal XC teams (boys and girls).  Feel free to comment on who you think deserves to be on the teams as well as make note on the various leaders such as NorCal runners of the year (boy and girl), section best, freshman of the year etc.

You can find the State Meet results just for NorCal runners at this link.

All Section results can be found at:
 http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2012/2012.htm

Just scroll down to the bottom of the page to find them.  This link can also help you view the top runners of CCS:
http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2012/ccs_rank.htm

We will vote for 1st, 2nd, 3rd teams (7 each) and Honorable mention (20) for guys & gals.  Also, we will vote for Runner of year as well as Frosh, Sophomore, Junior & Senior of the year AND vote for Section Best Runner of year.  Also vote for 10 All-Frosh.  Deadline for us is to turn in our selections by Dec 24 (one week from today).

Last years sample:
http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2011/allnorca.htm

Friday, December 14, 2012

North Coast Section loses one qualifying spot to CA State Track and Field meet

The following was sent to me by Northgate coach Peter Brewer:

"I just confirmed with Hal Harkness that the NCS 4th state qualifier in track has been moved to the Southern Section.  This will take effect for the 2013 State Meet.  This was a recommendation of a the Advisory Committee in 2011, and was voted on by the CIF in 2012.

The rationales were two-fold:  first, the NCS had one more qualifier than other sections of similar size.  This was a holdover from the time when the current CCS was still part of the NCS.  Research has shown that in the last 10 years, the 4th qualifier from the NCS has hardly ever made an impact at the State Meet, rarely making the finals in any event.  The Southern section routinely has had non-qualifiers post times fast enough to make finals.  Hence that move.
Second, the process of the having the at-large time standards ensures that truly qualified athletes move on regardless of place, so long as they post that mark at the section finals.

National Federation of State HS Associations Points of Emphasis for 2013 Track and Field season

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Coaches Clinic at San Ramon Valley High School

January 12th at 10am

Coaches Clinic at SRVHS.

Speakers are:    Jeff Messer of Xavier Prep of Arizona
                                Dan Gruber of Aptos
                                Bill Gregg of Davis
                                Maybe one more to add to this list.

Topics will focus on the distance events of high school track (800, 1600, 3200)

The clinic will take place in the SRVHS Library.

The cost is $25 per coach (just bring to the clinic)

Please RSVP to Tim Hunter at thunter@srvhs.org

Thanks.

Bay Area Track Club clinic at Campolindo HS on Saturday, January 19th

You can find the clinic flyer at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B52TA0E_qub5eEpGZHFXTXdYbE0

We are pleased to announce that the Bay Area Track Club will once again be providing a clinic for area athletes at Campolindo High School!

This year's BATC clinic will take place on Saturday, January 19th, from 10:00am to 2:00pm in Cougar Stadium.

300 Moraga Road
Moraga CA 94523

This year's event will feature Olympian and National Champion Shannon Rowbury, Olympian Magdalena Boulet, CAL record holder David Torrence, recent USATF National Champion Chelsea Reilly, NCAA All-American Clara Peterson, and Mexican National Record Holder Pablo Solares.

We are incredibly lucky to have this oppoortunity to work with these world class athletes! We hope that you will encourage your athletes to attend.

Please put it on your calendars!

Parents and youth athletes are also welcome to attend! General registration is $25. Participants also receive BATC t-shirt and stretching rope.

We look forward to a wonderful clinic!

San Mateo Daily Journal Cross Country Athlete's of the Year

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Catching up with Marin Academy runner, Trevor Reinhart

Today we chat with Marin Academy sophomore runner, Trevor Reinhart.  This past Cross Country season, Reinhart won the Stanford Invitational  Division V race, the BCL West individual championship, the NCS Division V race and claimed the state Division V title with a come from behind victory over league rival Connor Clark and pre-meet favorite John Whelan of Etna HS.  Reinhart was a freshman phenom the previous Cross Country season but was a bit of a wildcard going into his second XC season following this past spring season on the MA Lacrosse team.  Despite not running Track and Field, Reinhart completed one of the best seasons every by a Division V runner and with two years to go in his high school career, Reinhart will have a shot at matching Tim Nelson's 3 state meet victories (2000-2002).

1) How did you get your start in running?
While I ran a lot as a kid, my first introduction to formal races was through the Marin Memorial Day runs and the Dipsea. My success was fairly limited, however, until I moved abroad for a year to live in Paris. I joined the high school team as a 7th grader and, experiencing training for the first time, realized I had potential. I instantly fell in love with the sport. I valued the concept that success could only come from hard work, and cutting corners wasn’t an option. Every race was a testimony to who wanted it more, and the sense of achievement and satisfaction of winning a race seemed unparalleled. My parents were supportive of my endeavor and accompanied me in various larger scale races before high school, exposing me to races bigger than the ones I ran in middle school.

2) What other sports have you played besides cross country?
I have participated in almost every sport available to me over the years: baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis, lacrosse, and skiing, if that counts. Every sport captivates me, and selecting which ones to drop and which ones to continue has been a huge challenge.

3) How did you end up at Marin Academy?
When considering what schools to apply to, aspects of MA caught my eye. The community was inviting, and every student seemed to be happy overall. The campus contained an air of rigorous academics and athletics, yet incorporated a sense of joy in its students. I love the school and its community and haven’t ever regretted this choice.

4) Tell us a little about your freshman season in cross country. Highlights?
Originally having no clue where I stood in terms of talent and ability, I looked up to my teammates for guidance. My first race I simply followed my team, and feeling good well into the race, surged to the front and actually won. This instilled a sense of self-confidence, and until racing Connor Clark, I remained undefeated in league meets with my teammate James Kinney. My highlights last year were placing second in my league, top ten in the Stanford invitational, earning fourth in NCS and ninth overall in State.

5) You played Lacrosse in the spring. How often have people tried to convince you to run track?
Constant bombardments to try and make me run track had almost convinced me, but still I chose lacrosse for this year. Although cross country and track are team sports, lacrosse has a stronger sense of camaraderie, for individual success is hardly possible without the team. The sport requires a completely different set of skills and training which I find rewarding and satisfying. The contrast between the two sports makes me appreciate running more as well. I was fortunate enough to start on Marin Academy’s team last year, which won the NCS Title. It was quite an experience and by the end of the season our team had become a family.

6) What did you do differently (training wise) this summer heading into your 2nd cross country season? 
The summer before my freshman year, I actually didn’t do much training before the season. Unaware of it's importance, my only preparation was a five day trip to Tahoe with my team a couple weeks before the commencement of school. This past summer, I took my training more seriously. I ran on a regular basis and participated in a runner camp at Stanford for a week. I began the summer by training for the Dipsea Race. The work this summer made the transition to this year’s cross country season much easier, having built a strong base during the summer months.

7) What was the race that gave you the confidence that you could run with the best runners in the state?
There wasn’t one individual race that gave me self confidence, but rather it came in steps. When I won the D-V Stanford Invitational earlier this season, I was ecstatic, but my time didn’t compare to some of the other D-V runners who competed in the seeded race. My first big win in a BCL meet happened several weeks later when I beat Connor Clark who was the best runner in our league and a really tough competitor. This win and a first place finish at NCS opened my eyes to the fact that I could stay in the field with great runners and gave me the confidence to run against any competitor.

8) Tell us a little about your coach and how he has helped you develop into the runner you are today. 
My team is coached by numerous coaches and each one is fantastic, but the head coach is Ken Ellingboe. He cares a lot about each runner and dedicates huge amounts of time to our training program, which proved effective as our team peaked during NCS and State. His ability to motivate the team is exceptional and is only one of many factors that set him apart. He keeps us focused on the big picture and the goals we have set for ourselves. He puts a lot of emphasis on teamwork and how we can support each other throughout the season. A huge portion of both my and the team’s success is purely due to Ken’s and the other coaches’ efforts.

9) What about James Kinney? You have given him a lot of credit for your success. How has he helped you? 
James was our team captain this year and has been the ideal leader for our team. I can’t recall any practice during which he hasn’t been present to lead. He adds a mixture of humor and tenaciousness to every workout, inspiring everyone to do their best, yet making sure people also enjoy themselves. He has been an essential training partner for me as well. He constantly pushes me during training and even races when I needed some extra motivation. Having someone who can match your speed is a huge advantage because you can push and work off each other. As I stated earlier, I don’t think I would have been able to win State without his help throughout the season.

10) Favorite xc course? Favorite xc invitational? Favorite xc workout? Favorite long run? Favorite opponent(s)?
My favorite XC course has to be the State course at Woodward Park. It incorporates hills and different terrain, yet it’s fast, allowing runners to get a PR. Also the final stretch of this course has a perfect view of the finish line which allowed me to judge better when I needed to start my kick. My favorite XC Invitational is, without a doubt, the Stanford Invitational. This is a colossal race including many high schools and colleges. Running before or after a college race is an incredible experience, and shows you a glimpse of the sport at the next level. My favorite workout would have to be 400-800 repeats. The distance is short enough to be fast, yet after multiple laps you immediately feel its effect. Luckily I live next to Phoenix Lake in Marin County where I can enjoy long runs around the reservoir or in the hills of Mt Tam. I don’t have any particular favorite trail, but the scenery and trails are phenomenal. My favorite opponent would probably be Connor Clark of University High School. Not only do our schools have a great sports rivalry, but we have competed head to head over the last two years during many XC races. Connor is a great athlete, a good guy and a real competitor. I’ll miss the challenge he consistently presents next year.

11) Tell us about your state meet race. What was the plan going into the race? How did the race unfold and when did you think you had a chance to win?
To be honest I didn’t have much of a plan entering the race, only the notion to stick with John Whelan. I had never raced John before, but I knew he had a great reputation. John likes to be out front in races and was predicted to win but still there were several other runners who had the chance for the title. For the first mile, the front pack was huge, consisting of eight plus runners, but slowly the pack started to separate. At the second mile mark, I was in third place, behind both John and Connor. Hurting, I decided to let them fight each other and just get into range where I could sprint if I had the energy. With about 200m left, I saw the finish line, giving me enough incentive to kick into high gear. It was quite the battle at the end, but luckily I crossed the finish line first.

12) Anything else you would like to add? 
I would like to thank my family and coaches for providing unparalleled support and encouragement. Your belief in me made me reach higher and achieve things I never thought conceivable. I can’t thank you all enough.

Thank you very much for your time Trevor!  AJC

Nikki Hiltz commits to University of Oregon

From the twitter account of Santa Cruz Sentinel writer, Ryan Silapan:
"Well it's official Aptos High running sensation Nikki Hiltz (@Nikki_Hiltz) has committed to the University of Oregon. #scsnews #scscore"

Aptos High track and cross country star Nikki Hiltz commits to University of Oregon (newspaper article)

Any other college commitments from California runners?

2012 Junior Olympic Cross Country Results

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

CIF California State Meet 1985 Boys 3200


Pretty cool find for those of you that remember the runners involved in this race.  The winner here was Roman Gomez of Belmont HS who turned the 3200/1600 double at the state meet for the second year in a row in 1985.  The 3200 is listed first as the track schedule at the time had the 3200 (about middle of the meet) first followed by the 1600 which preceded the final event, the 1600m. relay.  In 2nd place was Castro Valley runner Calvin Gaziano who was quite the legend in the early 80s.  His course record for the Canyon Middle School course (used at the Castro Valley Invitational) is ridiculous and I don't see it being broken for a very long time.  3rd placer, Eric Mastalir of Jesuit HS, would return the following track and field season to win this race.  Twin brother Mark won the 1600m.

Footlocker Cross Country Championship Live Webcast

http://www.footlockercc.com/2012/webcast.shtml
This Saturday, December 8th at Balboa Park.

Monday, December 03, 2012

CA State XC Entries for 2013

Thanks to former Gunn HS coach Ernie Lee for figuring out the changes for next season.  Please keep in mind that the following numbers are unofficial and definitely not set in stone.

DI boys - CCS up to 3, SDS down to 2
DI girls - no change
DII boys - SDS up to 4, CS down to 2
DII girls - NCS down to 2, no one qualifies for the vacant spot. I don't know how this will be resolved
DIII boys - no change
DIII girls - SDS up to 4, CCS down to 2
DIV boys - SDS up to 3, NS up to 3, CCS down to 2, CS down to 2
DIV girls - no change
DV boys - SDS up to 3, NS down to 1
DV girls - no change

For reference, here are the entries for this season.
http://www.cifstate.org/images/Cross_Country/2012_XC_Team_Entries.pdf

Here is an explanation on how the process works from Ernie:
"Basically, you count up the number of top 10 finishes in the past 4 years for each section and the fraction of those out of the 40 total possible positions is the fraction of the "extra" team spots available (note, because the baseline numbers are different for the different divisions, there are 5 extra spots in DI, 7 in DIV, and 8 in the other divisions). If sections are tied, then the tie breaker is the section with the most recent top 10 finish and if it's still tied then it's the highest placement for the most recent top 10 finish."

Former North Monterey County runner Danny Tapia wins CIM

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