Tuesday, September 30, 2014

NorCal Cross Country Rankings (Post Stanford Edition)

Boys Teams
1) Los Gatos HS (CCS) Division II
2) Bellarmine HS (CCS) Division I
3) Davis HS (SJS) Division I
4) King City HS (CCS) Division IV
5) Jesuit HS (SJS) Division II
6) Granite Bay HS (SJS) Division I
7) Placer HS (SJS) Division III
8) Bishop O'Dowd HS (NCS) Division III
9) Granada HS (NCS) Division II
10) Willow Glen (CCS) Division III

Girls Teams
1) Davis HS (SJS) Division I
2) Bella Vista HS (SJS) Division I
3) Campolindo HS (NCS) Division III
4) Aptos HS (CCS) Division III
5) St. Francis, Sacramento (SJS) Division I
6) St. Francis, Mt. View (CCS) Division II
7) Monta Vista HS (CCS) Division I
8) Monte Vista HS (NCS) Division I
9) Henry M. Gunn HS (CCS) Division I
10) Bishop O'Dowd HS (NCS) Division III
10) Woodcreek HS (SJS) Division I

Boys Individuals
1) Chris Foster Los Gatos HS CCS Division II
2) Colin Burke Bishop O'Dowd HS NCS Division III
3) Steven Sum Saratoga HS CCS Division III
4) Jackson Crose Livermore HS NCS Division II
5) Paul Zeiss Granite Bay HS SJS Division I
6) Trevor Reinhart Marin Academy NCS Division V
7) Matt Schumann De La Salle HS NCS Division I
8) Drew Childs Bella Vista HS SJS Division I
9) Jose Pina Lincoln SJ HS CCS Division II
10) Sean Kurdy Jesuit HS SJS Division II

Girls Individuals
1) Fiona O'Keeffe Davis HS SJS Division I
2) Chloe Hansel Las Lomas HS NCS Division III
3) Gillian Meeks Henry M. Gunn HS CCS Division I
4) Caroline Gee Cupertino HS CCS Division I
5) Megan McCandless Granada HS NCS Division II
6) Brighie Leach Campolindo HS NCS Division III
7) Kathryn Loken Del Campo HS SJS Division II
8) Toni Finnane Campolindo HS NCS Division III
9) Elizabeth Lacy Menlo School CCS Division IV
10) Rylee Bowen Sonoma Academy NCS Division V

Comments? Who is missing? Who should move up?

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Stanford Invitational Photos courtesy of Spencer Allen

Stanford Invitational Results (NorCal Individuals and Teams)

Thanks to Hank Lawson you can find those results HERE.

Just for reference, here are the top 10 individuals and teams below in a giant combined race which of course will skew the results. So who was most impressive today? Biggest surprise?


PLACE Plce  Name (Age)                     Team                      Time    Pace Sex
===== ==== =============================== ======================== =======  ==== ===
 1    1    Fiona O'Keeffe (11)             DAVIS SENIOR-Stanford    16:39.8  5:22  F
 2    2    Chloe Hansel (11)               LAS LOMAS-Stanford       17:28.5  5:38  F
 3    3    Gillian Meeks (11)              HENRY M. GUNN-Stanford   17:41.3  5:42  F
 4    4    Caroline Gee (9)                CUPERTINO-Stanford       17:42.6  5:42  F
 5    5    Brighie Leach (12)              CAMPOLINDO-Stanford      17:45.3  5:43  F
 6    6    Kathryn Loken (10)              DEL CAMPO-Stanford       17:48.4  5:44  F
 7    7    Toni Finnane (12)               CAMPOLINDO-Stanford      17:48.9  5:44  F
 8    8    Elizabeth Lacy (12)             MENLO-Stanford           17:58.0  5:47  F
 9    9    Rylee Bowen (9)                 SONOMA ACADEMY-Stanford  17:58.5  5:47  F
 10  10    Sofia Castiglioni (10)          DAVIS SENIOR-Stanford    17:59.8  5:48  F

PLACE Plce  Name (Age)                     Team                      Time    Pace Sex
===== ==== =============================== ======================== =======  ==== ===
 1    1    Chris Foster (12)               LOS GATOS-Stanford       15:02.8  4:51  M
 2    2    Colin Burke (12)                BISHOP O'DOWD-Stanford   15:07.7  4:52  M
 3    3    Steven Sum (12)                 SARATOGA-Stanford        15:09.8  4:53  M
 4    4    Paul Zeiss (12)                 GRANITE BAY-Stanford     15:11.5  4:54  M
 5    5    Trevor Reinhart (12)            MARIN ACADEMY-Stanford   15:15.0  4:55  M
 6    6    Drew Childs (12)                BELLA VISTA-Stanford     15:22.4  4:57  M
 7    7    Jose Pina (12)                  LINCOLN-Stanford         15:25.3  4:58  M
 8    6    Sean Kurdy (11)                 JESUIT-Stanford          15:29.8  4:59  M
 9    7    Matt Salazar (11)               CASA GRANDE-Stanford     15:31.5  5:00  M
 10   8    Nolan Gerlach (12)              DIXON-Stanford           15:32.2  5:00  M

Pl   School                  Point  Team Score Order                               Time       Avg    Spread 
==   ======================  =====  ====================================         =========  =======  =======
 1   BELLA VISTA-Stanford     122   13 - 14 - 22 - 36 - 37  [133-187]            1:32:44.3  18:32.8  00:36.8
 2   DAVIS SENIOR-Stanford    134   1 - 9 - 26 - 47 - 51  [90-172]               1:31:21.3  18:16.2  02:23.0
 3   CAMPOLINDO-Stanford      138   5 - 7 - 25 - 49 - 52  [102-115]              1:32:19.9  18:27.9  01:20.4
 4   APTOS-Stanford           215   17 - 30 - 45 - 55 - 68  [83-138]             1:34:46.1  18:57.2  01:03.2
 5   ST. FRANCIS-MV-Stanford  306   48 - 56 - 63 - 64 - 75  [154-195]            1:36:29.4  19:17.8  00:31.9
 6   MONTA VISTA-Stanford     324   12 - 39 - 53 - 58 - 162  [178-206]           1:35:43.4  19:08.6  02:07.8
 7   MONTE VISTA-Stanford     351   10 - 18 - 103 - 108 - 112  [132-140]         1:35:58.7  19:11.7  01:45.2
 8   BISHOP O'DOWD-Stanford   363   33 - 59 - 72 - 76 - 123  [163-174]           1:37:04.3  19:24.8  01:09.1
 9   HENRY M. GUNN-Stanford   365   3 - 40 - 65 - 105 - 152  [260-346]           1:35:57.0  19:11.4  02:31.1
 10  WOODCREEK-Stanford       444   19 - 50 - 91 - 124 - 160  [177-268]          1:37:27.8  19:29.5  01:47.1

Pl   School                  Point  Team Score Order                               Time       Avg    Spread 
==   ======================  =====  ====================================         =========  =======  =======
 1   LOS GATOS-Stanford       181   1 - 31 - 32 - 50 - 67  [146-197]             1:19:07.0  15:49.4  01:09.1
 2   BELLARMINE-Stanford      182   11 - 17 - 29 - 57 - 68  [69-70]              1:19:35.4  15:55.0  00:32.7
 3   DAVIS SENIOR-Stanford    262   9 - 12 - 45 - 94 - 102  [106-140]            1:20:05.7  16:01.1  00:51.0
 4   KING CITY-Stanford       337   10 - 43 - 59 - 109 - 116  [313-337]          1:20:45.0  16:09.0  00:54.1
 5   JESUIT-Stanford          357   6 - 47 - 85 - 100 - 119  [123-132]           1:20:48.0  16:09.6  01:02.3
 6   GRANITE BAY-Stanford     367   4 - 26 - 101 - 115 - 121  [210-316]          1:20:33.5  16:06.7  01:21.0
 7   PLACER-Stanford          430   23 - 73 - 83 - 99 - 152  [222-388]           1:21:31.8  16:18.3  00:54.7
 8   BISHOP O'DOWD-Stanford   478   2 - 34 - 51 - 178 - 213  [332-505]           1:21:00.7  16:12.1  01:54.5
 9   WILLOW GLEN-Stanford     529   27 - 52 - 139 - 153 - 158  [205-254]         1:22:07.7  16:25.5  00:54.0
 10  ST. FRANCIS-MV-Stanford  571   19 - 55 - 93 - 125 - 279  [353]              1:22:14.6  16:26.9  01:36.0

Friday, September 26, 2014

Stanford Invitational tomorrow

Tomorrow, the Stanford golf course will host the 41st Annual Stanford Invitational which will pit the majority of the top teams in Northern California as well as some of the better teams from the South as well as other states. Teams will more than likely put their best lineups at the starting line and we will get to find out who are the top teams and individuals in this part of the state. 

All the pertinent information for this meet can be found here:
http://www.gostanford.com/pdf9/2762597.pdf

High School Entries:
http://www.rtspt.com/events/stanford/xcinvite14/hs_entries.pdf

Directions:
http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/stan/sports/c-xc/auto_pdf/ParkingInfo.pdf

The first set of Northern California rankings have been posted below. For now, what are the teams that you think will shine at this meet? What about individuals? What teams are ready to make a big statement at this meet?

Feel free to comment in the section below. 

Aragon HS track to be named after Bill Daskarolis

As reported by Mark Foyer of the Half Moon Bay Review, the San Mateo Union High School District Board of Trustees voted last night to name the Aragon HS track after Bill Daskarolis. He started at Aragon over 50 years ago and has served as a teacher, athletic director and coach during that era. Bill has since retired from his teaching and administrative duties but is still coaching the cross country and track and field teams as well as meet directing the Crystal Springs Center and CCS championship meets (when they are held on the Crystal Springs XC course). He was named CCS XC Honor Coach in 1993. He was inducted into the Aragon HS Hall of Fame in 2008. Last year, he received Dan Fukushima Lifetime Achievement Award as reported here by the San Mateo Journal. Congratulations to Bill on a great honor and it's great to see his name will be long remembered after he hangs up his whistle and watch.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Northern California Top 10 Individuals

Boys
1) Trevor Reinhart Marin Academy (NCS)
2) Steven Sum Saratoga (CCS)
3) Jackson Crose Livermore (NCS)
4) Chris Foster Los Gatos (CCS)
5) Lucas Matison Palo Alto (CCS)
6) Jose Pina Lincoln, San Jose (CCS)
7) Alex Sasser Bellarmine (CCS)
8) Matt Schumann De La Salle (NCS)
9) Moshe McCarter-Ribak Placer (SJS)
10) Brian Song Davis (SJS)

Honorable Mention
Kevin Lehr St. Ignatius (CCS)
Edward Chance Del Campo (SJS)
Paul Zeiss Granite Bay (SJS)
Matt Salazar Casa Grande (NCS)
Andy Ehrenberg Redwood (NCS)
Gregory Aitken Folsom (SJS)

Girls
1) Fiona O'Keeffe Davis (SJS)
2) Chloe Hansel Las Lomas (NCS)
3) Riley Bowen Sonoma Academy (NCS)
4) Kendall Derry Bella Vista (SJS)
5) Megan McCandless Granada (NCS)
6) Cate Ratliff Santa Cruz (CCS)
7) Gillian Meeks Gunn (CCS)
8) Brooke Starn Monte Vista (NCS)
9) Niki Iyer Harker (CCS)
10) Riley Mason Leland (CCS)

Honorable Mention
Brighie Leach Campolindo (NCS)
Caroline Gee Cupertino (CCS)
Kathryn Loken Del Campo (SJS)
Morgin Coonfield McKinleyville (NCS)
Sofia Castiglioni Davis (SJS)
JJ Escalara Fremont (CCS)
Elena Kamas Homestead (CCS)
Lindsey Allen Homestead (CCS)
Lizzie Lacy Menlo (CCS)

It's very possible that I missed a runner (or two). Please add any runners that you think belong in the two lists above in the comment section below. I will continue to add runners as they are named.

Northern California Cross Country Team Rankings heading into Stanford Invite

Boys Teams
1) Bellarmine (CCS)
2) Davis (SJS)
3) Jesuit (SJS)
4) Los Gatos (CCS)
5) Bishop O'Dowd (NCS)
6) Granada (NCS)
7) Dublin (NCS)
8) De La Salle (NCS)
9) Willow Glen (CCS)
10) Bellarmine B (CCS)

Girls Teams
1) Davis (SJS)
2) Campolindo (NCS)
3) Bella Vista (SJS)
4) St. Francis, Sacramento (SJS)
5) Aptos (CCS)
6) Oak Ridge (SJS)
7) St. Francis, Mt. View (CCS)
8) Monta Vista (CCS)
9) Archbishop Mitty (CCS)
10) Monte Vista (NCS)

This is a work in progress as in many teams have not fielded their full varsity or ran similar type courses. We will have a much better idea after Stanford Invite.

Cross Country Travels to Chicago for Palatine Invitational

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The St. Francis cross country team will travel to Chicago, Ill., to compete in the Palatine Invitational this weekend. The meet serves a gathering between St. Francis and sister-school Assumption High School from Louisville, Ky.

“It will be a great experience for the girls,” said Head Coach John DuCray. “We are going with no expectations and plan to make it a fun trip. It will be something they will never forget.”

Assumption Head Coach Barry Haworth’s daughter, Moriah, ran for DuCray and St. Francis and the two developed the relationship between the schools. They schedule meetings every 4-5 years for a competition and friendship between the programs. It is the second trip made by St. Francis, while the Rockets have visited Sacramento two times.

Assumption, like St. Francis, is an all-girls Catholic High School. The Rocket program has been very successful lately, winning four state titles in the last six years.

The two squads will meet for dinner on Friday night courtesy of the Rockets and have a picnic following the competition. The race is scheduled for the three-mile course at Deer Grove East. Assumption is the defending girls’ champion in the event.

“I am really excited to race with the team and go against teams we have not raced before,” said junior Chase Worthen. “We do not know what the competition is going to be like but it is going to be a lot of fun. We are looking forward to putting our best foot forward and having fun with the team.”

Following the Saturday morning race, the team will have an opportunity to go sight-seeing around Chicago.
Seniors Miranda Myers and Peyton Bilo will document the trip to Chicago via posts on the St. Francis social media accounts all weekend on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Follow #TroubieTakeover.

Couple of BCL West, MBL Center Meet #1 and SCVAL #1 Results

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Saturday 20th Invitational Results

Lots of action today including Lowell, De La Salle/Carondelet, Farmer, Bret Harte/Frogtown and Josh Ruff Invites. If you have any updates and want to comment on any of the performances at any of the meets, please feel free to do so in the comment section below.

Farmer Invitational Results (NEW)
Live Results from Lowell Invite
Live Results from De La Salle/Carondelet Nike Cross Country Invitational
Woodbridge Classic Results (NEW)

Top finishers at Farmer Invite in Varsity Boys race taken by Thomas Benjamin. 

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Race Assignments and Race info for Saturday's Lowell Invitational

Race Assignments
Race Info

Golden Gate Park will once again host the 42nd Annual Lowell Invitational. You can check out the participating teams at the above link. Course maps can be found at the Race Info link and results will be posted at www.recordtiming.com.

CCS Team Rankings as posted at www.lynbrooksports.com

http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2014/ccs_rank.htm

Team Rankings - 09/15
Rank  BOYS                   Div
1     Bellarmine College PrepD1
2     Los Gatos              D2
3     King City              D4
4     St. Ignatius           D2
5     Willow Glen            D2
6     Scotts Valley          D4
7     St. Francis            D2
8     Menlo-Atherton         D1
9     Saratoga               D3
10    Half Moon Bay          D4
11    Homestead              D1
12    Lynbrook               D2
13    Aragon                 D3
14    San Benito             D1
15    Los Altos              D2

Rank  GIRLS                  Div
1     Aptos                  D3
2     Monta Vista            D1
3     St. Francis            D2
4     Homestead              D1
5     Gunn                   D1
6     Los Gatos              D2
7     Archbishop Mitty       D2
8     Los Altos              D2
9     Half Moon Bay          D4
10    Fremont                D1
11    Menlo-Atherton         D1
12    St. Ignatius           D2
13    Aragon                 D3
14    San Lorenzo Valley     D4
15    Lynbrook               D2

Who is missing from above lists? Who should move up?

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

De La Salle/Carondelet Nike Cross Country Invitational confirmed teams

TEAMS
Acalanes
Amador Valley
American
Archbishop Mitty
Bay School of SF
Benicia
Berean Christian
Bishop O'Dowd
Campolindo
Carondelet
Clayton Valley Charter
College Park
Concord
Davis
De La Salle
Deer Valley
Del Campo
Dougherty Valley
Foothill
Freedom
Granada
Heritage
Irvington
James Lick
Jesuit
JFK-Fremont
KIPP King
Las Plumas
Liberty
Los Gatos
Merced
Monte Vista
Nevada Union
North Monterey
Notre Dame
Petaluma
Pittsburg
Rodriguez
Salinas
St. Francis - SAC
Tamalpais
Tulare Union
University-SF
Washington - Fremont
Westmont
Willow Glen

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

BCL Center Meet #1 Results (One of the tougher courses in CA)

At Athenian, 3.1 miles and hot. Check out the results and yes it was HOT!
Boys: http://www.rtspt.com/events/cif/2014Meets/bacxc91614/b.htm
Girls: http://www.rtspt.com/events/cif/2014Meets/bacxc91614/g.htm

Keep in mind that Dawson Reckers, winner of above boys race finished in 4th place in the Small School Varsity race at Ed Sias this past weekend and last season ran 9:40.54 as a freshman. 

CCS Time Comparisons by Walt Van Zant

The CCS time comparisons have been updated through November 15. You can find them at the link below:
http://www.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2014/comparsn.htm

Anybody wants to take a shot on the top 10 teams (boys and girls) in CCS at the moment? Are Bellarmine and Aptos the top teams for each gender? Who is the top individual male? Who is the top individual female?

Monday, September 15, 2014

Will Matthews Memorial Run at Farmer Invitational this Saturday

Hello everyone,
On Saturday, September 20th, Hayward High school will host their annual Farmer Invitational Cross Country meet.  However, this year is extra special because they have renamed the Coaches Race as the Will Matthews Memorial Run at 10:30am.  Unfortunately, Coach Matthews passed away last month unexpectedly.  Here is a brief story about this awesome man: 


In case you are wondering why I am sending this to you - I'd like to ask you a HUGE favor - come participate in the 2 mile run that has been named after him.  I will participate as well.  

Please help spread the word and invite as many people as you can. And please encourage them to invite and tell their friends to invite and tell THEIR friends!  We want as many people as we can get to come out and join us to help honor the memory of Coach Matthews.

Before you close this email PLEASE click on the link above to read about Coach Matthews.  He's been coaching since 1972 and was a Vietnam Vet.  

Informational links:
The Run: 

Location:

This is the same course that hosts the High School North Coast Section (NCS) Cross Country Championships every year where schools as far north as Arcata come to participate.

Parking will be scare so plan on parking far away.  Enter via the student parking lot and follow the crowd.

Looking forward to seeing you there!  

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Patrick Riley
P.S.  Whether you can participate or not please help spread the word.  

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Friday, September 12, 2014

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Relevant newspaper articles will be posted on twitter

Instead of clogging up this site with newspaper links, I have been posting xc/track related newspaper links on my twitter account at www.twitter.com/CCExpress. I will also update results from meets and other links that may be of interest to you when I can on that feed. 

Go to the link above and click FOLLOW. 

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

College Prep Cross Country Invitational Results

http://www.rtspt.com/events/cif/2014Meets/cpxc14/

The course was 2.1 miles long at Pt. Pinole. The girls varsity team race was one by one of the top Division IV teams in NCS, Piedmont HS. They packed their top 5 in the top 11. Athenian sophomore Grace Brown was the individual winner.

Trevor Reinhart who qualified for the Footlocker National meet last year won the individual race over impressive sophomore, Dawson Reckers of Athenian. Marin Academy finished on top of the team battle over Division V rivals, College Prep and Athenian.

Sunday, September 07, 2014

Catching up with Las Lomas HS junior, ChloƩ Hansel...

Today we chat with Las Lomas HS junior, ChloƩ Hansel (photo courtesy of www.laslomaspage.com). This past Tuesday, Hansel broke the course record at the Monte Vista Invitational that was previously held by former Amador Valley and current Northwestern University runner, Jena Pianin. Hansel and Las Lomas are both part of the tough DFAL league which has produced many successful runners and teams. She finished in 4th place as a frosh at NCS MOC XC meet and improved to 2nd place last season as a sophomore. Hansel finished in 16th place at the state XC meet and improved to 4th place last season. On the track, Hansel has recorded personal bests of 4:54.50 and 11:04.44 in the 1600 and 3200 respectively. At the 2014 NCS MOC, Hansel just missed qualifying for the state meet in the 1600m. with a 4th place finish. She is off to a great start in XC and we thank her for taking the time to answer our questions below.

1) How did you get your start in running and what other sports have you participated in aside from Cross Country and Track and Field?
I got my start in running since my brother had done CYO track and I decided to join the team when I was in the second grade. I did one year of cross country in 5th grade.  I also did soccer until I was in 8th grade. I tried out basketball for about 2 years in middle school. 

2) What were some of your highlights during your freshman season in both sports? Proudest accomplishments?
One of my highlights from freshman year was my team winning DFAL. It was the first time our school had ever won a DFAL championship for cross country so it was really something special to be a part of that team. Another highlight was getting my school's mile record at my first track meet. It was a season goal and really neat to be able to accomplish it so early on in the season. My proudest moment of freshman year was probably getting 16th at state for cross country. I had no idea what to expect and I was so proud that I was able to get top 20 as a freshman. 

3) Did you do anything differently in preparation for your sophomore cross country season in terms of training?
Before my sophomore year, the only thing I really changed in terms of training was increasing my mileage and running more regularly. 

4) What were your highlights last school year in both XC and TF? Proudest accomplishments?
A big highlight of my sophomore cross country season was my team getting 5th at state. Another highlight was the Lowell invitational in San Francisco. It was the first time I have ever gone sub 6 pace per mile in a race. My proudest cross country accomplishment of last year had to be getting 4th at state. My proudest accomplishment of track was going sub 5 in the mile with a 4:54. 

5) Tell us a little about your training this summer. Mileage per week? Longest run? Any workouts? Pace per mile for most of your recovery runs?
This summer I started training on a regular basis with the varsity boys. I also do swim team in the summer, so I do a swim workout every day as well. My mileage is about 40-45 a week. My longest run is up to 9 miles. I went to two cross country camps where we did some fartleks, hills, and tempos. I also did mile repeats at the end of the summer. My pace for my recovery runs were 8-9 minutes. 

6) Tell us a little about your coaches at Los Lomas and how they have helped you develop throughout your high school career.
My coaches at Las Lomas are really amazing. Coach Cynthia (Green) is super supportive and really pushes me to my full potential. She is really good about increasing my intensity and keeping me healthy. Cynthia also has us do outside exercises to prevent injury and make us more well rounded runners. Coach Jon (Lucchesi) has helped me a lot this past year with rolling techniques and stretches and my general post run recovery, which I think has helped a lot. 

7) This past Tuesday, you won the Monte Vista Invitational with a new course record time. What was your race plan before the race? Can you tell us a little about the race itself?
Coming into this Tuesday, I really wanted to break the course record. I came in actually not knowing Megan  McCandless was racing until I was warming up, so that was a surprise! I decided to stick to my plan regardless. Relax on the first mile and don't lead, then on the hills in the second mile really push it and pass whoever was in the lead to open up a gap. I also wanted to use the downhill to my advantage and really pick up speed for the finish. The race started and Megan took the lead, which allowed me to stick to my plan. She opened up a little bit of a gap on the flat and the track. I started pushing to catch her on the hills. When I passed her, we were about 800 meters from the finish. I pushed it up the last little hill then really just opened up my stride and let loose on the way to the finish. As I crossed the line, I was really happy to see my time. 

8) Aside from McCandless who finished in 2nd place, you also had Brooke Starn who finished in 3rd place. You have raced both of them quite a bit during your high school career. How much have those two motivated you and helped you during your training and racing?
Both Megan McCandless and Brooke Starn are great competitors. I have been racing Brooke since very early on in CYO track and I looked forward to the opportunity to continue to race her. Brooke and Megan have both helped me push myself throughout the years. They are both amazing runners and we are so lucky to live in an area where I can race so many talented runners. 

9) Favorite cross country course? Favorite cross country invitational? Favorite cross country workout? Favorite Track distance? Favorite Track invitational? Favorite Track workout? Favorite distance run?
My favorite cross country course is Woodward Park. Although I only been there my freshman year, my favorite cross country invitational is Woodbridge Invitational. We run super late at night and there are so many people cheering SO loud and blasting music. It is really just a great, high energy meet. My favorite cross country workout has to be mile repeats. We usually do 3 and then a few 800s. I don't know why, but I always get excited on mile rep days! My favorite track distance has to be the mile, it's fast but not too short like the 800. My favorite track invitational is the Dublin Distance Fiesta. The music, the sombreros, the t-shirts, they have it all! My favorite track workout is 800 repeats. My favorite distance run is this one run I do from my house in the Shell Ridge open space, it has some great hills and is super fun. 

10) What does a typical week look like for you in terms of training with a Saturday race? 
I would probably do 1-2 workouts that week, one track and one tempo. The day after the workouts would be a recovery run and then also just a regular long run one day. 

11) How has your role on the cross country team changed from your freshman season to now? Are you taking more of a leadership role this season?
My role on the team has changed so much. My freshman year there was a group of junior girls that were the team leaders. Now that they have graduated, the leadership has switched to me. I am now a team captain and people come to me and ask me questions a lot more than they did before. I make more of my own decisions and help in deciding what is best for the team too. I feel like I am more of a vocal leader this year as well.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
Huge thanks to Guillaume Hansel, my brother and former cross country runner, my parents and Andrew Schreiber. They are the best support team anyone can ask for. I will always hear them cheering for me no matter how big the crowd is. Without them, I couldn't be where I am today. Also, thank you for operating a great website, it's such a valuable resource!  

Thank you very much for your time ChloƩ! AJC

Saturday, September 06, 2014

Earlybird Invitational Results and Post Meet Story

Earlybird Invitational results (NEW) Any surprises? Who was most impressive?

2014 Earlybird Post Meet Story by Gustavo Ibarra
We knew coming in that the 20th Anniversary edition of the North Monterey County Earlybird would be special. Why wouldn’t the 20th be the best of all?! We had the best line-up ever and the most teams and runners ever. Good weather, a crowd pleasing DJ, an anniversary cake (thanks Jen!), a superstar awards’ announcer, a first class snack shack (thanks parents!), and vendors galore created the perfect storm and the kids delivered. A very nice touch was the presence of Bruce White who started this event 20 years back with 3 teams.  He even had the original meet shirt on. And starting the races was Daniel Tapia who ran at the World Championships in the marathon last year for the USA and will shoot for a spot in the Olympic marathon team in 2016. He is a 2004 graduate of host North Monterey County.

The open race kicked off the day with a great turnout to kick off the day. The “low key” middle school race was not low key with about 300 anxious harriers getting a beautiful introduction to the sport! We may have to cap that race soon!

The 9th grade girls kicked off the main event in fine style with 3 new STARS! Caroline Gee (Cupertino) got her 1st Earlybird win in a very impressive 18:25 run and just missing the top 25 all-time Toro rankings by a mere 2 seconds! Elene Kamas (Homestead) just helped make them very, very dangerous in 2014 with a nice 18:27 runner-up effort. And Mari Friedman (Santa Cruz) made it 3 stars with an 18:30 run. THREE 9th graders at 18:30 or faster?! The bar was set high early on. Los Gatos just got a very nice shot in the arm for them with their youngsters getting the team win, a plaque, and medals with 68 pts. St. Ignatius (119) and Lynbrook (141) got the other medals.

The young 9th grade boys had some stars on our radar and they didn’t disappoint. Alex Sales (Bellarmine) came in as the top ranked 9th grader in CA and didn’t disappoint with his first high school win. 16:26 for the young pup is just a glimpse of what he’ll do as he develops. His teammate Meikael Beaudoin-Ro (Bellarmine) almost got the upset win at 16:27 and makes that a huge 1-2 punch for them. Jorge Estrella (Andrew Hill) was only 4 ticks back in 16:31 for a nice 1-3 showing to match the young ladies. Bellarmine would start their plaque haul with 55 pts. followed by Cupertino (155) and Carmel (170).

Our 10th grade girls had Lindsey Allen (Homestead) trying to match the 9th grade times and was just a tad back at 18:38 for her first Earlybird win. Annika McBride (Aptos) settled for 2nd (19:01) and Abbey Meck (SLV) was third (19:28). Our 3 team favorites held to form although Los Altos (97) got the best of St. Ignatius (103) and Los Gatos (106) this year after a Los Gatos win last year.

Our 10th grade boys had superstar Miguel Villar (Madera South) as the top 9th grader in CA last year and he wanted a 2nd Earlybird win. He got it easy as he blasted a solo 15:39. We need to take that to Vegas as we called a sub 15:40 potential effort! The time ranks as one of the best ever sophomore times at Toro and puts him just outside the top 25 all time.  He started what would be a magical day for the Stallions. Michael Ochoa (Madera South-16:06) made it a 1-2 sweep and Dylan Doblar (Bellarmine) was 3rd at 16:39. Bellarmine got their 2nd but closest win of the day at 48 points with Madera South only 2 points back. San Lorenzo Valley got 3rd with 164 pts.

The 11th graders got a bit of a sun break but temperatures didn’t rise too much. Lauren Jacob (Los Altos) was a no go here and Cate Ratliff (Santa Cruz) took advantage and rolled to a very nice 18:07 effort! Cate now looks like an all-state contender and moves to #14 all-time at Toro. Nice job with the top time of the day!  Jaqueline Escalera (Fremont-18:41) had a great bounce back day as she was 2nd after a win two years back. And Matti Peoples (18:46) helped key the great Aptos day. Scotts Valley impressed with the win (79) followed by Homestead (100) and Monta Vista (122).

The 11th grade boys wanted to join the all-time Toro record busting game and got it with Eduardo Herrera (Madera South) blasting a solo 15:29! The win is his 3rd Earlybird title and here’s hoping next year he takes a shot at the course record of 15:02! The time moves him to 18th all-time at the park. Ben Zaesk (Los Atlos) looked good at 16:09 while Daniel Ambriz (Merced) surprised at 16:14. Bellarmine started getting greedy with their 3rd win at 65 pts. while St. Ignatius (84) and Homestead (165) also got some hardware.

The senior girls’ race is bitter sweet as the veterans take the course for their last Earlybird. Jenny Xu (Monta Vista) is a meet veteran with 2 wins as a 9th and 10th grader. After a 2nd place finish last year she wanted another trophy for her mantle and she got it stopping the clock at 18:44! Julia Chang (Monta Vista) wanted to make it a team party and did it at 19:10. Cecily Johnson (Los Gatos) wrapped up her Earlybirds nicely at 19:22. With the 1-2 punch Monta Vista got the plaque with 57 points and locals Salinas surprised at 2nd with 75 points while Los Gatos showed well again at 119.

Lastly, the senior boys brought the heat on and off the course and looked like a true race with 10 guys packed tightly at the half way point. The famous Toro hills would separate the men from the boys. Steven Sum (Saratoga) would prove his toughness as he blasted the 2nd half of the race for a very nice 15:26 good for #12 all-time at Toro and making him one very tough favorite for the state meet! The time would be the fastest of the day as the best was saved for last as Steven notched his 2nd Earlybird title. Steven led a parade of great efforts as Chris Foster (Los Gatos) would come up just shy of his 3rd Earlybird win in 15:36 only 2 seconds outside the top 25 all-time at the park. Congrats Steven and Chris on 2 titles a piece! Alex Sasser (Bellarmine) in 15:49 made it yet another Bell in the top 3 in their race.

Overall, we thought the boys looked much better on paper coming in but the ladies proved otherwise as Aptos (96:43) would roll to a team record by 10 seconds at #4 all-time at Toro! The top team overall in CCS pre-season rankings is well on their way to a fine 2014 campaign. Homestead (97:47) would set a team record also for them and moves them into the top 10 ever at #9. Monta Vista (97:52) joined the party and just missed their team record by 18 seconds. Clovis West (100:32) showed well to break up the CCS party while Los Gatos (100:51) would seal the top 5 today.

The boys had some juggernaut Division 1 programs locking horns early on. Madera South and Bellarmine have put on a great show for fans the last few years here and 2014 indeed was icing on the cake. Madera South was just ranked 1st in all of California by DyestCal.com and is well on their way to a potential 2nd podium finish at state after their 2nd place last year. The Stallions rolled to an 80:17 team time record good for #3 all-time at Toro. That’s easily the fastest we have ever seen at Toro in September. Watch out CA! The Stallions are the real deal. Bellarmine proved their depth and class at 80:51 just 8 seconds off their team record. With their depth (it’s quite incredible) watch for the Bells to develop into plaque contenders come November in Fresno. Los Gatos (82:08), King City (83:06), and St. Ignatius (83:27) made noise and will shake up lots of rankings this season.
Special thanks to all of our parents and volunteers! We hope you enjoyed the meet and we will see you all in 2015!        


Event pictures are loaded at this link.

Early report from meet director, Gustavo Ibarra
Highlights Madera South boys 80:17 3rd fastest ever at Toro Park.
Bellarmine 80:51 just off their team record 80:43.
Aptos girls 96:43 4th best ever break their team record by 10 sec.
Homestead 97:47 9th fastest ever.
Monta Vista 97:52 10th best ever.

Lagoon Valley Classic Invitational Results

Lagoon Valley Classic Invitational Results

Bella Vista, led by the victorious Kendall Derry, wins Large School Varsity Girls team race with 6th man tie-breaker over Davis HS who competed minus Fiona O'Keeffe. Davis HS outpaces Placer 57 to 68 with Livermore's Jackson Crose the individual winner.

Placer wins the Small School Varsity Girls team competition in front of Union Mine with Haley Silva of Sierra claiming the individual crown. In the Small School Varsity Boys competition, Piner wins the team title despite the one/two finish by Dixon runners Nolan Gerlach and Gonzalo Morales Lomeli.

Friday, September 05, 2014

CIF SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION CROSS COUNTRY DIVISIONS 2014-15

Monte Vista Invitational Results


Chloe Hansel of Las Lomas on left with Jackson Crose of Livermore on right in green(Fastest of the day for both runners).
Freshmen Girls
Freshmen Boys
Sophomore Girls
Sophomore Boys
Junior Girls
Junior Boys
Senior Girls
Senior Boys

Top 10 fastest times before yesterday's meet (since current course configuration in 2005)
Boys
Name                                      School                          Year                 Time
Danny Stalters                         Northgate                    2012                10:37.14
Nolan Peterson                       Washington                 2012                10:42.06
Jason Intravaia                        San Ramon Valley       2013                10:42.51
Mike Roderick                         Monte Vista                2008                10:44.40
Alex Summers                         Granada                      2009                10:46.20
Ben Eversole                           Castro Valley               2010                10:47.82
Tyler Olson                              Livermore                   2013                10:48.33
Matt DeVries                          San Ramon Valley       2012                10:48.77
Tyler Hanson                           Miramonte                  2012                10:49.98
Dillon Read                             Miramonte                  2012                10:50.88

Girls
Name                                      School                          Year                 Time
Jena Pianin                              Amador Valley             2012                12:14.43
Kelsey Santisteban                  Castro Valley               2010                12:23.19
Chloe Hansel                           Las Lomas                  2013                12:26.47
Carina Novell                          Granada                      2011                12:28.63
Colleen Lillig                           California                    2009                12:31.62
Madison Ricks                         California                    2013                12:32.82
Sophie Hartley                         Granada                      2010                12:37.06
Colleen Lillig                           California                    2008                12:38.23
Diana George                          Livermore                   2008                12:39.18
Christine Bayliss                      San Ramon Valley       2011                12:39.53

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Earlybird Invitational Entries and Preview

Runner With Autism Makes Strides on the Track

Catching up with Livermore HS coach, Eddie Salazar (Part I)

Today we chat with longtime Livermore HS coach, Eddie Salazar (photo of former athlete Diana George and coach Salazar is courtesy of www.livermoregranadaboosters.com). During his tenure at the school, coach Salazar has led the Cowboys, including multiple individuals and teams, to league, section and state meet success. His boys XC teams won 7 consecutive NCS titles from 1990 to 1996. Individually, Micheil Jones won the 1994 XC state championship and teammate Joe Smith won the next year with an amazing finish (more on this later). This past season, Tyler Olson won the NCS Division II XC title followed by teammates Jackson Crose and Todd Olson in 3rd and 4th place respectively. Tyler went on to finish in 7th place at the XC state meet and completed his high school running career with an 8th place finish at the TF state final in the 1600m.

1) What sports did you play in your youth? What was your first running experience?
Albert, first, thanks for asking me to do this interview.  As for what sports I played early on, it’s hard to remember that far back.  I am very far removed from my youth.   I played lots of sandlot baseball, football, and basketball, as did many of my peers back then.  I went to a catholic school in New Mexico for the first 8 years of my early education but there wasn’t much in the way of organized athletics there.  I then played football, wrestled, and ran track in the public schools.  Yes, like so many kids then and now, I deluded myself into thinking I could run the sprints.  Even in football I was miscast, being so slight in stature.  I survived in that sport by being quick enough and low enough to the ground such that I rarely was really slammed.   Wrestling was enjoyable especially because it was one sport where a high level of conditioning made up for a lack of technical skills.  It was also a period where I learned about self-control with regard to eating.  I wisely or not used to ‘cut weight’ to compete at lower weight than my natural weight.

As for my start in running, that didn’t occur until I came to work at the Lawrence National Laboratory here in Livermore.  I had wanted to improve my physical fitness, in the hopes of getting back to my fitness throughout high school.  I began to notice all of the people running around the laboratory during their lunch hour.  That seemed like a healthful activity so I jumped into it.  Once I adapted to the activity and started gaining a measure of fitness, I became increasingly involved in the sport.   Although I hadn’t paid as much attention to the distance events in track, I always was a big fan of track and field.  So once I was running myself it didn’t take much to really follow the distance events in track and later in cross country.  Moreover, the running boom was still going strong at the time (1978).   
By 1986 I had become interested in coaching at the high school level.  It just so happened that a running friend of mine, Nick Winter, was the cross country and middle-distance track coach at Livermore High School.  He was about ready to step away from the positions and I decided this might be a good time to step into coaching.   It also seemed like a good way to improve my own training.   I was so naĆÆve about cross country and the distance events in track.  I only agreed to do it if Nick would guide me through the first year.  He did help me, along with Matt Nolan, another outstanding runner, and that first year’s experience was so rewarding and enjoyable that I continued coaching.  And that I am still doing it all these years later may tell you something about how the endeavor still is so fulfilling for me. 

2) What are the standout moments for you during your high school athletic experiences and what were your proudest accomplishments?
Again, my memory is failing me here, not to mention that my accomplishments in high school sports were modest.  I do recall that in football I earned the respect of my teammates for being so persistent in a sport I was too small for.  It used to infuriate the 1st team, when the 2nd and 3rd string would scrimmage them, that I always scored against the top goal-line defense.  And I remember in both sports that I gained an advantage oftentimes by being able to handle the conditioning phases better than most of my teammates.  That would serve me well when I began my belated running career. 

3) Who were the coaches that had the biggest impact for you and what did you learn from them?
I will define ‘coach’ very broadly so as to first mention the two people who have had the biggest influence on me, and that would be my parents.  Each of them had their own way of getting my siblings and me to do the ‘right thing(s)’.  My father was firm and to the point, whereas my mother was more circumspect with her expectations of us.  Those two approaches in many ways describe the continuum for coaching approaches and strategies.  It would take way too much space here to acknowledge the many coaches I have observed and admired over the years, and from whom I co-opted something of value. My high school wrestling coach probably made me see that coaching could actually be fun.  He had a way of getting on with us wrestlers but still be able to maintain the distance necessary between a coach and an athlete.   Initially I learned much from Nick Winter, as he showed me some of the technical and logistical issues involved in coaching high school sports.  Moreover, he was a mild-mannered fellow and yet had a very firm control of his teams.  Another person who had a significant influence on me from those early years through the present is Peter Brewer.   His knowledge base and ability to execute on so many levels humbles me.   During my early coaching years in track, Don Neuss and Stuart Lawson taught me so much about the complexities of track and field.  They especially enlightened me as to the many routes to winning league dual meets.   The late Bob Vincent at San Ramon was a real gentleman and helpful to me in my first years.  He also knew how to keep his ‘eye on the ball’ nonetheless.   Joe Stocking’s 1989 cross country team at De La Salle was my first observation of such an immensely talented group.   Then over the years, once Rico Ballati took over there, he and I traded many thoughts and observations concerning the sport.   Although I didn’t see his teams that often, I admired the successes Walter Lange and Jesuit achieved over the years.   In the pre-internet days it wasn’t so easy to get results immediately.  In fact, it was impossible.  It meant trips to the library and hoping the local library had papers from Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, etc.  But in perusing the sports pages I remember how deep the Jesuit teams were at the 4th-7th positions.  You could see them everywhere, in the F/S, JV, and varsity races.   For many years Livermore was in Division III.  So from that vantage point we regrettably witnessed Ken Reeves’ Nordhoff teams of the1990’s.  Ken had to be the ultimate motivator in terms of guiding teams to championships.   There were some years there where I didn’t think Nordhoff was the most talented team in DIII.  But in the context of the state championships, they sure raced that way.  As I suggested before, there are many of my coaching peers that have and are doing excellent work.  So my kudos goes out to them too.  I will close by mentioning a final coaching influence on me, John McDonnell, the former coach at the University of Arkansas.   ‘I am the communicator’, is something he once said, the context of which I can’t remember.  But it seems so appropriate for a coach to espouse.  I do remember really enjoying his pre- and post-race comments.  No matter how much they sounded like fodder for the fans, he had an ability to aim his statements at his athletes.   It wasn’t harsh, just pointed. 

4) How long have you coached at Livermore HS and what was the state of the program when you first started there?
My only coaching experience has been at Livermore.  I just concluded my 28th year coaching cross country in the fall and track in the spring season.   The boys program was doing quite well upon the time I entered as head coach.  They had as recently as 1981 and 1982 been the NCS 4A and 3A champions, respectively.   Moreover, the boys had been outright EBAL champions in 1984, as well as co-champions in 1982.   The girls’ team was still developing and it would take awhile for us to gain respectability there.  Even before Nick’s tenure, Livermore’s distance programs had seen some very remarkable runners.  Cheri Williams, I believe, was one of the finest female runners to ever compete in California.   Every so often I still hear of such exploits as running a sub-11 min 2 mile 2:15-ish 880, and a 1 mile in the high 4:40’s, all done in the same dual meet and on a dirt track.   The elder Spies, Jessica, also had an outstanding LHS track career, including finishing 2nd twice in the 800 at the state meet.   Moreover, her younger sister Becky won two 1600 meters state championships in the early 1990’s.  Steven Lloyd and Rob Wentworth, among others, were elite runners back in the late 1970’s-early 1980’s.  Wentworth, during one three-week period, ran the equivalent of three sub-9 minute 3200’s.    

5) Who were the first runners that really bought in to your program and helped get Livermore to an elite level?
I am not sure that I ever had a ‘program’ as such.  My coaching approaches, strategies, and ideas have evolved from my first year, and continue to adapt as the years have gone by.  On-the-job training certainly has helped me with being more efficient at many of the administrative/bureaucratic tasks and responsibilities.  So I think what has been remarkable about the vast majority of teen agers that I have coached is their desire and determination to improve as runners.  How I tried to help them do that was secondary to their intentions.  

The very first year I encountered on the boys team some very talented runners.  And they would comprise the core of the 1987 team that off-and-on that year may have run the best team performances I was associated with at LHS.  Even with my inexperience in guiding them, their efforts were exciting to witness.  Those young men included Brian Dorward, Craig Schlicher, Mike Periera, and Shawn Mulqueeney.  The team was runner-up to San Ramon in EBAL.  From there we had hoped to qualify to the first state meet, along with San Ramon, but missed out by placing 5th, 21 points short of 2nd place.  As I implied earlier, one learns much from real-time experiences.   The next group of young men that came along would include members of the team(s) that started the 7 year run of NCS Division III championships.   I must tell you that the turnout for LHS cross country has, during my time, never been so large that I had to consider try-outs (not that I would do that in any case).  So in 1988 when seven 9th graders showed up for the first day of practice, I cannot tell you how I excited I was.   This allowed me another luxury, entering the 9th graders in F/S races for most of their initial season.

In terms of the initial runners that were important to getting LHS into the elites of NCS Division III teams, the above group of the F/S 1988 team would definitely fit the profile.   By 1990 they would make up the bulk of the 1st championship team we had.   And the most talented and successful of that group was Ahmik Jones (aka ‘Cosmic Ahsmik’).  He would also be the first of the Jones siblings that had such a tremendous impact on the subsequent LHS team (and individual) achievements from 1988 through 2003 (Micheil and Donovan), and again from 2007 through 2010 (Skyler).  Ahmik had efficiency in his running gait, a smoothness and grace that was really a treat to observe.  Coupled with that was a huge desire to win races.  He would adapt to the difficulty of the cross country courses so adeptly, taking advantage of his strengths and minimizing his shortcomings, as the course would allow.  As an example of this I remember him qualifying to the state championships at Oak Hill Park in Danville.  He knew the course well enough, which is a very challenging 3 miles, to master it such that he finished ahead of a number of very talented rivals.  He would win NCS the next year in a similar fashion, at Garin Park in Hayward.  So with Ahmik leading the way, the first two NCS DIII team championships transpired. 
Having experienced those championships I thought what more could there be?  Well the next era would bring another Jones (Micheil), Aaron Daniel, Steve Immel, and Joe Smith, among another group of outstanding runners and memorable people.  Micheil would be central to the next four NCS championships.  He had a work ethic that I still marvel at today, as conscientious a person as I have ever known.  His teammates picked up on his dedication and that was vital to their successes during that period.  No surprise there but it’s always so enjoyable to witness and be a part of.

I mention the above names because they had the most notable achievements.  However, cross country is a team sport, a point I have belabored so much over the years.  Thus, there have been a host of other LHS athletes that aren’t mentioned here but were integral to our successes. 

6) What are some of your proudest achievements as a coach and who were some of the standout runners and teams and their accomplishments?
The last NCS championship in 1996 was really memorable because it was the least likely.  I recall that only our team and I believed it could happen.  We had lost the bulk of the team that had placed 2nd at state the previous year. We spent most of the 1996 season developing and preparing for the post-season.  To the boys’ credit, they were patient and persevering throughout the season, in taking their defeats and disappointments.  But then with Nathan Martin and Tim Ricard leading the way, we surprised the field that day and won the race by 5 points over San Ramon.   If you know the Newhall Park course, I was up by the flagpole for the entire race.  When the runners came by the flagpole, maybe 1½ mile into the race, I took note of our positions and realized that we were winning.  So the excitement and satisfaction of knowing this group of young men were maintaining the legacy of the 6 teams before them, was overwhelming.  Once the race ended and I sensed we had won another NCS DIII championship, I came down the hill very slowly because my emotional response of what this team had done required that I compose myself before getting back to them, and congratulating them.  It’s strange how this particular championship, which was seemed initially to be so unlikely, could be so remarkable as I now look back on that era.  But I think that it was so memorable because in fact the 1996 team indeed understood the legacy they were asked to try and perpetuate.  I now think that was so important to them and served as the motivation to their unexpected but amazing accomplishment that season.  

I will later follow up on responding to the remainder of your questions.  For example, I still would like to discuss the Diana George era, and the Masked Man and Ray Charles (better known as the Olson twins).  And the 1995 DIII state meet race merits discussion, not only for Livermore’s part in it, but also what the Nordhoff team’s performance that day. 

Thank you very much for your time, Eddie! AJC

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