California section reviews and previews with West Coast XC

This week, I was on the West Coast XC podcast, which you can find at the link below. We covered all the section meets that have already taken place, as well as the upcoming meets this weekend.

https://youtu.be/zYt-6Bt2SSY?si=tniEWY5qojS24syu

Catching up with Woodside Priory coach, Haley Shipway

Today, we chat with Woodside Priory coach, Haley Shipway. She is a 2014 Campolindo High School graduate and was part of two cross country state championship teams in 2010 and 2013. She continued her education and running career at the University of San Diego. Four years ago, she began working at Woodside Priory as a wellness counselor and has also served as their XC and TF coach. This past weekend, her girls' team finished in second place at the CCS Division V race, marking their first time qualifying for the state meet since 2015. 

1) What sports did you play before high school? How did you get into running?
Growing up, I was very into sports and played one, if not two, sports each season, including lacrosse, basketball, soccer, swimming, track, and cross country. I first began running on a team in 4th grade when I joined a CYO xc & t/f team, but I had been doing local fun runs leading up to that, as my parents were both big runners. 

2) What do you remember about your freshman year in cross country and track and field? Who were the leaders on the team who helped you transition to high school xc and tf?
In middle school, my Dad & I would run together and talk nonstop about running for Campolindo. We knew the stats, we knew the names, we knew the courses, and I could not wait to be part of it. I actually decided to do an intradistrict transfer so that I could run for Campolindo and be part of the program. 2010 was my freshman year, and it was a really exciting year to join the varsity team. We were heading into the season top ranked in state for D3 and had top ranked individual runners on the squad as well with Carrie Verdon, Grace Orders, and Thomas Joyce. They were three really exciting runners to look up to. I was lucky to also be encouraged by a group of upperclassmen who really looked out for me, such as Bailey (Rachel) Meadows, Juliet Farnan, Greg Garcia, Erin Ross, and Adam Hathaway, to name a few. 

3) What are some of your proudest accomplishments in high school in both sports? (Team and individual)
The biggest highlights of my high school running career were definitely winning the D3 CIF State Meet Team Title in both 2010 & 2013, my freshman and senior years. Freshman year I felt lucky to be on the team and a bit like I lucked into something, whereas senior year I was incredibly invested in that win and experienced every step of work that we put into it. Both were such meaningful races, but senior year state holds up as my proudest because of that extra dedication/determination. As a bonus, my younger sister, Sarah, was part of that squad with me. Individual highlights include competing in T&F MOC Meet in the 1600m, 3200m, 4 x 800m, and individual proudest races are my performances at the Stanford Invitational (RIP) & NCS in 2013. 

4) What do you remember about your training in high school that really worked for you? What do you wish you could have done differently?
Long runs and tempos were always my jam, really any sort of longer paced workout. I was good at pacing and understood the value in learning what each pace felt like for my racing. At Campo, Chuck does a really good job of creating packs to train with, and that helped me immensely because of the connections and support on the harder days. Many of the people that I trained with are still some of my favorite people today! The biggest thing that I wish I did differently as a high school athlete is actually mental training more than anything athletically. Things like comparison and negative self-talk were always my biggest training blunders physically and emotionally. We had a lot of pressure on us to succeed, and that often led to me feeling like I had to do more or wasn’t enough. That would then lead to overtraining or continuing to push when things hurt and created a vicious cycle of injuries. I was really hard on myself.

5) You ended up going to the University of San Diego for college. How did you end up choosing that school? Highlights from college (doesn't have to be athletic highlights)?
I was really excited to have offers to run in college, it felt very validating that all my hard work had paid off in that Division 1 offer that I always dreamed of. On my official visit to USD what struck me when I met the girls was how familiar they felt. It didn’t feel awkward, but rather felt like my teammates from home and that connection to my team has always been something I value deeply in this sport. Also if you have seen the campus or have visited San Diego, it was pretty hard to beat the location after doing a morning beach run with the team! Collegiate running for me was very different success wise than high school running in that a lot of my highlights are more personal growth related to my sense of self vs sport than athletic success. I did have a couple races that I am very proud of such as a 10:53 3k & 18:48 5k on the track. But the bigger highlights for me were being able to return to the sport after time away in a happy and healthy headspace, the connections I made with my teammates, and I of course have to shout out that the best thing collegiate running gave me was my teammate turned husband, Jonnie. 

6) Who are the coaches who had the biggest impact on your athletic career? What did you learn from them? 
For all the sports that I did, I had a limited number of coaches because my parents primarily coached all the teams I was part of as a kid. What I learned from my dad is relentless optimism. He showed up to every competition energized to see how good it would go and I really try to bring that reframe now to my athletes. What I learned from my mom is an incredible drive to withstand challenges. She has a deep inner strength that allows her to push through the hard moments and I know that has helped me be a better athlete/person/coach. 

Chuck Woolridge, from Campo, was my first real deal impactful coach outside of my parents. He expects a lot out of his athletes and made me want more out of myself in both good & hard ways. Chuck also taught me almost everything that I know about running and training, so much of what I utilize now comes from his training philosophies. Joey Woolridge also coached the team while I was there and he was the grounding force for me. He believed in me so fully and didn’t let me fall too deep into the trap of thinking I wasn’t good enough and that support meant so much to young me. 

7) How did you end up at Priory? What do you do there besides coaching? How long have you been coaching xc and tf there?
This is now my fourth year at Priory as one of the school’s wellness counselors. I am a Licensed Marital & Family Therapist and initially I was introduced to Priory from one of my graduate school friends who knew I needed a new type of counseling work after beginning my career as a therapist for Kaiser in the intensive outpatient unit for kids & teens. When I started at the school I was asked if I wanted to help with the cross country team and it quickly became such a highlight of my work experience. I have now been the Head Coach for 3.5 years and am so appreciative for the opportunity to be back in the sport in this way. 

8) You have an awesome surrounding training area as well as a track at Priory. Could you tell us a bit more about the area and where your runners typically do their runs and workouts?
We are so lucky, Portola Valley is so beautiful and there are so many great trails for us to explore! We often utilize the dirt paths around the school and through town, the beautiful and hilly Windy Hill Open Space, our school track, and a collection of favorite loops through the neighborhoods. My favorite trail that we use is the Betsy Crowder Trail, it is so picturesque!

9) What does a typical week look like for your runners? About how many miles for your experienced runners? Longest run? Strength work? Morning runs?
Building a team culture around training and steadily increasing our fitness has been a really cool part of coaching. I lean a bit more cautious in my training style compared to other coaches, but it has allowed our program to grow in a really healthy way. This xc season has been our best season of training yet and we have continued to see big improvement with few injuries/burnout. Some of the biggest changes this season have been increased weekend invitational race opportunities, two times a week of strength training, and increased mileage outside of practice for veteran/varsity runners. We meet for regular practice M - F in the afternoon and the week will include a hill workout day, 2 easy run days, a mid week long run, and a repeat type paced effort workout. Varsity & veteran runners also have the option to run in the morning on their own twice a week on easy run days for 20 mins of running or cross training. On the weekends if we aren’t racing, the athletes will either rest, cross train or will complete their longest run of the week on their own time. Midweek long runs will range anywhere from 50 - 70 minutes and on the weekend the recommendation is higher minutes by at least 15 minutes so anywhere from 60 - 85 minutes. 

I use minutes primarily for our training because we have a large range of abilities within our team, but the top runners are averaging anywhere from 25 - 50 miles a week, depending on where we fall in the training cycle. My assistant coach for XC, Nathan Mathabane, is amazing and we are constantly plotting new workouts and locations to help our team continue to advance to the next level. 

10) This past Saturday, your girls' team finished in 2nd place in the CCS Division V race. What was that moment like when you discovered your team's finish? What was the reaction of the runners, coaches, and parents?
Ah, this is one of my new favorite moments ever! We have had great individual performances, such as Levente Palvolgyi winning T&F CCS 1600m, Rowan Prindiville winning WBAL #1 in 15:56 (our school record for Crystal), but this was by far the best team effort that I have gotten to be part of. Going into the race our girls team hadn’t made CCS since 2021, so our baseline was excitement based on that alone. Our “B goal” was for them to earn 4th place to advance to state, as they had really worked hard to make that well within reach. Our “A goal” was targeting 3rd place as we knew Nueva wasn’t too far ahead of us. Secretly I thought a 2nd place was within range but only if we had our best A+ day ever. Our boys team raced first and kicked things off with a bunch of personal bests, which I always take as a good sign. On the line I talked with the girls about how confident they should be feeling and to fight for this one. Little did I know how much fight they had in them, each of our 5 scorers ran a personal best by 45 - 90 seconds and I think the shock of that feat is only just now wearing off. Watching the girls' emotions as the board showed them in 2nd and seeing them get to hold up their trophy (& make their famous Tik Tok with it) captured everything that I have wanted for them. I am so deeply proud of their efforts this season and now for the first time since 2015 our girls team is headed to state! Success is almost always well earned in this sport, but it makes it even sweeter that this group of gals are incredible people too -  all my congrats to Piper Kalinowski, Eila Sawhney, Tianyou Sell, Eva Ganley, Laila Price, Emma Kolinsky, and Lara Kliman! 

11) What is your advice for a young coach just starting out with a new team with aspirations of building a successful program?
My best advice is to ask all the questions!! I have been so lucky to be encouraged by such amazing coaches/people in the WBAL, coaches from high school like Chuck, Andy Lindquist, Chris WIlliams and so many others who have been invaluable to me as I have developed confidence in my abilities as a coach. I have always cared deeply for my runners as people first and I think that is a great starting place, but willingness to learn and ask all the things has helped me grow so much. 

12) Anything else you would like to add?
My two cents is to not forget the mental part of sports participation! It is really easy to relate your worth as a person to your abilities as an athlete, but that becomes a very limited way to see yourself! Reach out for help when you need it, keep an eye on your teammates, keep an eye on you!

Thank you very much for your time, Haley! AJC

North Coast Section MOC Meet Preview

Posted on the NCS website at this LINK. (UPDATED)

Comments below welcome.

NorCal Cross Country and Track and Field College Commitments

Kyle Jakary, Jesuit (SJS) Cal Poly SLO
Ani Stieg, Archie Williams (NCS) Cal Poly SLO

Jane Landon, Whitney (SJS) CBU
Ava Decleve, Scotts Valley (CCS) UCLA

Anna Salter, Crystal Springs Uplands School (CCS) Columbia University

Brenna Mannion, Vista del Lago (SJS) Cal Poly SLO

Addison Ewers, Whitney (SJS) Cal Poly SLO

Nina Souto, Whitney (SJS) Cal Poly SLO

Sydney Middleton, Redwood (NCS) Cal Poly SLO
Stephen Sziebert, Bellarmine (CCS) Columbia University
Ben Penzel, Bellarmine (CCS) Santa Clara University

Chloe Leduc, Oakland Tech (OAK) Cal Berkeley
Drake Hoferer, Jesuit (SJS) UCLA
Gretchen Yakaitis, Carondelet (NCS) UC Berkeley
Logan Letulle, Miramonte (NCS) Williams 
Brooke Lee, Archie Williams (NCS) UC Berkeley
Zoe Corder, Bella Vista (SJS) Washington State
Sophie Hutchinson, Whitney (SJS) Washington State
Lena Llamas, Buhach Colony (SJS) Wingate University
Andres Lomeli, Kimball (SJS) Cal Poly SLO
Amaya Bhardawaj, Palo Alto (CCS) Princeton University
Aidan Sharp, Menlo Atherton (CCS) University of Chicago
Micah Redding, Placer (SJS) University of Idaho 
Owen Dawson, Analy (NCS) University of Chicago
Cooper Bar, Placer (SJS) Stanford University

Adriana Ingargiola, Oak Ridge (SJS), UC Berkeley

Ella Mogannam, Lick-Wilmerding (NCS) Vanderbilt University

Lily Simon, St. Francis, MV (CCS) University of Michigan

Payton Wagner, St. Francis, MV (CCS) Loyola Marymount University

Avery Carlson, Pitman (SJS) UC San Diego

Natalie Arriaza, Patterson (SJS) Stanislaus State
Lauren Draper, St. Francis, MV (CCS) University of Chicago

Tyler Huo, St. Francis, MV (CCS) Bowdoin College

Brady Bliesner, Aptos (CCS) Chico State 

Maya Schiro, Aptos (CCS) Chico State 

Peter Kendall, Twelve Bridges (SJS) Chico State
Allie Harman, Rocklin (SJS) UC Irvine (NEW)
Avery Wolk, Davis (SJS) Brown University (NEW)
Isaac Abbott, Jesuit (SJS) Duke University (NEW)
Giselle Fernandez, Riverbank (SJS) Northern Arizona University (NEW)

If you know of other runners who have already committed and shared their information publicly, please add them to the list in the comment section below.

NorCal Section finals live results links

Sac-Joaquin Section at Willow Hills Reservoir LIVE RESULTS
https://timerhub.com/get_web_index.php?page=redcaptiming.com/2025/sjsxc/
Top 5 boys team
1) Jesuit
2) Vacaville
3) Oak Ridge
4) Davis
5) Folsom

Top 5 girls team
1) Davis
2) Whitney
3) Oak Ridge
4) St. Francis, SJ
5) Vacaville

Central Coast Section at Crystal Springs Course LIVE RESULTS
https://rt.trackscoreboard.com/meets/111525/events
Top 5 boys teams
1) Mountain View
2) Menlo Atherton
3) Bellarmine
4) Milpitas
5) Willow Glen

Top 5 girls teams
1) St. Francis, MV
2) Los Altos
3) Crystal Springs Uplands School
4) Mountain View
5) Leigh

Northern Section RESULTS
https://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/meet/256704/results/all

2025 CCS Cross Country Preview

Welcome to the 2025 Central Coast Section Cross Country Meet.  The historic Crystal Springs course will host the event once again.  The current 2.95-mile course has remained the rock-solid same course since its first year in 1971. The course is one of the most iconic in the United States, and we have Bob Rush to thank for the time he invested in the course since its inception.

RACE SCHEDULE 

10:00am     Division I Boys' Race

10:35am     Division I Girls' Race

11:10am     Division II Boys' Race

11:45am     Division II Girls' Race

12:20pm    Division III Boys' Race

12:55pm    Division III Girls' Race

1:30pm      Division IV Boys' Race

2:05pm      Division IV Girls' Race

2:40pm      Division V Boys' Race

3:15pm      Division V Girls' Race

 

An awards presentation will take place immediately after completion of each division.

 

The CCS Divisions can be found at this LINK     

 

CCS Preview:

Thank you very much to all the coaches who helped me break down each division.  The following is my best attempt to predict the top 4-5 teams and the top individuals for each division (boys and girls) in Saturday’s section meet.  The teams from this meet that will qualify for the State Meet at Woodward Park in Fresno on November 29th are noted for each division.  The top 5 individuals from each race will also qualify for the state meet, provided they are in the top 12 when two teams qualify, top 14 when three teams qualify, and top 16 when four teams qualify.

Division I

Boys (Top 3 teams will advance to the state meet)

The first race of the day may be the most competitive race in the entire meet. The favorites at this point are the Bellarmine boys. They finished 2nd last year behind an inspired Mountain View team at CCS, but were an even more impressive 2nd at the state meet. The Bells were just crowned WCAL champions once again and will roll into the meet seeking another section title. They will be led by individual favorite, senior Stephen Sziebert. Their main competition will come from PAL champions, Menlo Atherton. The Bears packed 5 under 16 minutes at their league final, recording a perfect score of 15. They will be led by PAL champion Cason Mitchell and runner-up Aidan Sharp. The battle for the last spot will come down to league rivals Los Altos and Milpitas. Los Altos edged Milpitas by 9 points at the SCVAL El Camino final, but this is basically a toss-up, and whoever runs best will advance to the state meet.

Girls (Top 3 teams will advance to the state meet)

The favorite team here will be the Los Altos girls. They won the SCVAL El Camino division and were ranked 8th in the state in the last state meet rankings by PrepCalTrack. The battle for 2nd place will be an interesting one and will involve two PAL teams. Menlo Atherton and Carlmont have flip-flopped back and forth in all their league races. At the PAL championship, the Carlmont girls emerged as victors and will be slight favorites on Saturday. It will come down to a few points, and every runner passed by either team will definitely count in this race. The Evergreen Valley girls will also definitely be in the mix and could surge ahead of one of the two PAL teams to secure the last state meet spot with a return to form from their early-season races.

Division II

Boys (Top 2 teams will advance to the state meet)

Mountain View is one of the teams that is residing in a new division this year. They won the Division I race last year and will be heavy favorites to repeat as section champions this year, despite losing one of their top runners earlier in the season. Ryan Chen leads the way for the Spartans. The drama in this race will undoubtedly center on who will secure the second and final state meet berth in this division. It's a 3 way battle with three teams all coming in with aspirations of grabbing that spot. Piedmont Hills finished in 2nd place behind Willow Glen in the BVAL final, with Branham getting 3rd. Both teams will definitely turn it up a notch on Saturday. Branham's Alijah Murillo will be favored to win, which will put his team at an advantage by capturing the lowest stick. The 3rd team in the mix will be the St. Francis, MV boys. They finished in 3rd place at the WCAL final behind strong Bellarmine and St. Ignatius teams. They are led by a strong front runner, Tyler Huo.

Girls (Top 4 teams will advance to the state meet)

We will have another huge favorite in this race with the St. Francis, MV girls. At the WCAL final, the Lancers recorded the 4th fastest team time in course history, running 91:50. They are a podium contender at the state and will most definitely win here. The race for second will be between BVAL champion Leigh and SCVAL El Camino 2nd place teams, Mt. View and Henry M. Gunn. Mountain View edged Gunn by the 6th man tie-breaker. Gelila Hailu of Leigh will be among the top runners in the race, which will be led by individual favorite, Palo Alto senior, Amaha Bharadwaj. All three teams should be in contention for the three state meet spots that will be up for grabs after the St. Francis runners finish their race. The rest of the top teams should include Branham, and Piedmont Hills.

Division III
Boys (Top 3 teams will advance to the state meet)

The best team in this division all season has been the Willow Glen boys. They have been ranked in the top 3 at the state level and just won the BVAL league championship. Despite those accolades, they will definitely have a team hot on their tail on Saturday. WG will be led by individual favorite Aiden Dunosky, who recorded his best time of 15:08.1 while winning the Championship Varsity race of the Serra Invitational. The St. Ignatius boys finished 2nd behind a strong Bellarmine team at the WCAL final and have one of the strongest packs in the section. Willow Glen seems to have a slight edge, but it will likely be a dual meet up front between both teams, which means every spot is critical as they approach the finish line. The 3rd strongest team appears to be Sacred Heart Cathedral. They should capture the last spot to the state meet.

Girls (Top 2 teams will advance to the state meet)

With only 2 teams qualifying for the state meet, the margin for error is very small in this division. The favorite at this point is the St. Ignatius girls. They were 2nd at the WCAL final behind a very strong St. Francis, MV team. The race for 2nd should come down to Sacred Heart Cathedral and Burlingame. Both teams should be at full strength this Saturday, and it should be a hotly contested race for the last spot to Fresno. Burlingame has the advantage with two of the top runners in this division in Elizabeth Carroll and Stella Newman. St. Ignatius runner Eliot Marsh has posted the fastest time on the Crystal Springs course at 18:10.1.

Division IV 
Boys (Top 3 teams will advance to the state meet)

The favorite to win this race will be the Mills boys' team. They have two runners ready to crack the 16 minute barrier and are the only team in this division that could pack their top 5 under 17 minutes. The most dangerous team in this division is Aptos. They could potentially pack their top 3 in the top 4 of the race, which means they could threaten Mills with an inspired run from the back of the pack. The next best teams will be Archbishop Riordan and Santa Cruz. Both teams have been under the radar so far this season but now get to shine at the right moment with an opportunity to qualify for the state meet. Aptos runners Sam Hansen and Brady Bliesner are the two best runners in this race.

Girls (Top 3 teams will advance to the state meet)
The Scotts Valley girls have won the last two section titles in this division and will be favored to make it 3 in a row. Their main competition should come from league rival Aptos. Scotts Valley has the best runner in senior Ava Decleve, but Aptos senior Maya Shiro finished one second behind her at their league final. The next two teams will be Archbishop Riordan and Harker. Riordan will need the healthy return of their #1 runner, Freddie Michalchuk. Harker, now coached by former Menlo coach Jorge Chen, finished 2nd at the WBAL meet and is definitely in the mix for a top 3 finish. Saratoga would be the next team and should finish in 5th place.

Division V

Boys (Top 4 teams will advance to the state meet)

The Menlo boys won CCS last year, breaking the streak of 9 section titles by the Crystal Springs Uplands School boys. They also won the state meet and qualified for NXN. They will be strongly favored to win here and will be in contention for a podium finish at the state meet led by junior Henry Hauser. The next two teams should be Nueva and Monte Vista Christian. Nueva will be led by the individual favorite, senior Ryan Fitzpatrick. He's been one of the strongest runners in the state and will be looking to post a really fast time on his final effort on the Crystal Springs course. Monte Vista Christian has two brothers leading their pack in senior Gavin Beckmen and freshman Owen Beckmen. The last spot to the state meet will go to either Pacific Grove or Crystal Springs Uplands School. PG will be led by senior Antony Gabrik while Crystal will be led by junior Conrad Chern.

Girls (Top 4 teams will advance to the state meet)
The Crystal Springs Uplands School girls will be heavily favored to win their 4th straight section title in a row. They will also be favored to win the state meet as they return their top five runners from last season, including section individual favorite Anna Salter and fellow seniors Kira Dye and Heidy Avina. Battling for 2nd place will be Menlo, led by senior Ariya Kaushek and a senior-dominated Nueva team. With 4 teams advancing to the state meet, the final spot should be between Woodside Priory and Castilleja. WP will be led by senior Piper Kalinowski, while Castilleja will need the healthy return of defending individual champion Brooke Oliviera if they are going to contend for that 4th and final spot.

The NorCal Distance Coaches Roundtable Returns

WE ARE AT CAPACITY AND WILL NOT TAKE ANY MORE ATTENDEES.

Saturday, January 10, 2026 | Sonoma Academy | Santa Rosa, CA

After nearly a decade away, one of the most meaningful traditions in Northern California

distance running is making its long-awaited return.

On Saturday, January 10, 2026, we’re bringing back the NorCal Distance Coaches

Roundtable — hosted at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa.

It’s been ten years since the last time we gathered around the table to share, question, teach,

and learn together. In that time, the sport has evolved — and so have we. But the spirit that

defined the original Roundtable remains the same: coaches learning from coaches,

conversations over presentations, and wisdom shared without ego.

This isn’t a clinic. It’s a community.

What to Expect

The format will feel familiar to those who remember the early years — honest, open discussions

in both large and small group settings — but with a few new touches designed to make the

experience even more engaging and collaborative.

We’ll gather for two sessions:

    •Morning Session: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

    •Afternoon Session: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Lunch will be provided — and, in the immortal words of Peter Brewer, it’ll be “the best damn

clinic lunch on the planet.”

When the day wraps up, stick around.

We’ll continue the conversation at an alternate location to be announced at the roundtable.

Your Entry Fee: Your Contribution

As before, there’s no financial fee to attend. Your contribution — your voice and your

experience — is your ticket in.

Each coach attending is asked to submit the following by December 31, 2025:

Topics or Questions

    •Specific ideas, topics, or challenges you’d like to explore with fellow coaches in both

large and breakout discussions.

A Detailed Training Plan

    •From either cross country or distance track — your choice — that best represents your

program’s rhythm and philosophy. Be transparent. Be specific.

One of the Following

    •A “Nugget of Knowledge” (1–3 pages) describing a key element of your program’s

success — perhaps your philosophy, a mental training tool, a unique strength routine,

helpful insights, etc.

    • OR a Workout Narrative detailing one of your cornerstone sessions — its structure,

purpose, evolution, timing, and why it works. This should provide full details of the

session, including surrounding context and implementation guidelines.

The collective goal: to create an open-source exchange of ideas that coaches can immediately

take home and apply.

Why This Matters

The Roundtable has always been more than a professional development event. It’s a reminder

of why we coach — to grow, to connect, and to contribute to something larger than ourselves.

Whether you’re a veteran coach looking to refine your craft or a newer coach searching for

mentors and community, this day is designed to sharpen both the mind and the mission.

Enrollment

To keep this event intimate and impactful, enrollment will be initially limited to the first 30

coaches to confirm.

If you’d like to reserve your seat at the table, email Chris Puppione at coachpup@gmail.com to

confirm your spot and receive submission details.

***

The Roundtable is back. The conversations are waiting.

Let’s rise together again — sharpened by each other’s experience, guided by the same love for

the craft that brought us here in the first place.

NorCal Distance Coaches Roundtable

Saturday, January 10, 2026 | Sonoma Academy | Santa Rosa, CA

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Enrollment limited to 30 coaches

NCS Division V pre-NCS rankings by Walfred Solorzano

PRE-CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON RANKINGS (November 9)

BOYS Division V Team Rankings (Top 4 Teams Qualify to State)

San Francisco University has established themselves as the top Division V team in the state over the past month, which included a 2nd place performance at Mt SAC Invitational’s Division 3-4-5 Team Sweepstakes race. Stuart Hall displayed its strength and depth at the BCL West Championships and are back at the number 2 spot. Healdsburg dominated at the NBL Redwood Championships and are primed to fight for a spot to state. College Prep and Head-Royce will clash at the BCL East Championships this week but it looks like College Prep is the stronger squad. The Bay School has dropped a spot as they lost their number 1 runner, Leor Hersh. He went down hard at the start of BCL West Finals, breaking his arm in the fall.  The Breakers will now have to pull together to make up for the loss. Individually, Ben Friedland has been on a tear and will look to repeat as NCS individual champion. Kainoa Newton and Samuel Ruiz have moved up several spots in the individual rankings.

1. San Francisco University

2. Stuart Hall

3. Healdsburg 

4. College Prep

5. The Bay School

6. Head-Royce 

Individual Rankings (First 5 individuals (not on an automatic team entry) in the Top 16 qualify to State)

1. Ben Friedland (San Francisco University)
2. Ethan Kraska (San Francisco University)
3. Lucas Welty (Healdsburg)
4. Ishan Patnaik (San Francisco University)
5. Matteo Moretti (San Francisco University)
6. Kainoa Newton (The Bay School)
7. Samuel Ruiz (Berean Christian)
8. Hugo Tao Ong (San Francisco University)
9. Jake McWilliams (Healdsburg)
10. Isan Skarbinski (College Prep)

GIRLS Division V Team Rankings (Top 5 Teams Qualify to State)

San Francisco University has shown to be one of the top teams in the state over the last few weeks. They are going into the post-season with the goal to be on the podium at State. Lick-Wilmerding have a formidable trio and have two improving number 4 & 5 runners. Branson will compete in its league finals this week but also have a terrific trio and still need their number 4 & 5 runners to improve. College Prep remains at the same spot and will be competing in the BCL East finals this week along with Head-Royce. Sonoma Academy competed in the CMC Championships and completely dominated their competition. Freshman Annie Leyba has made significant improvements, further strengthening the team alongside the earlier addition of Josie Hill this season. Individually, Ella Mogannam is back at the number 1 spot after her record breaking performance. She continued her undefeated season as she clocked 16:47 for 5k at the BCL West Championships. It is still a toss up between her and Farah Allen, who runs at the MCAL Championships this week. Palmer Smit and Caroline Chang have moved up several spots in the individual rankings after their dynamic performances at the BCL West Championships.

1. San Francisco University

2. Lick-Wilmerding

3. Branson

4. College Prep

5. Sonoma Academy

6. Head-Royce

Individual Rankings (First 5 individuals (not on an automatic team entry) in the Top 18 qualify to State)

1. Emma Mogannam (Lick-Wilmerding)
2. Farah Allen (Branson)
3. Josie Hill (Sonoma Academy)
4. Ashlin Mallon (Cardinal Newman)
5. Hailey Sellers (Branson)
6. Palmer Smit (San Francisco University)
7. Caroline Chang (Lick-Wilmerding
8. Ella Adams-Teoh (Lick-Wilmerding)
9. Emma Singh (Head-Royce)
10. Sophia Nichol (San Francisco University)

Catching up with El Dorado coach, Peanut Harms

Today, we chat with El Dorado (SJS) coach, Peanut Harms. He has been the El Dorado coach since 2000 with a lot of success including many league and section championships and many trips to the state meet. Aside from coaching, Peanut and his wife, Tena, are enshrined in the UC Davis and Sacramento Running Association Hall of Fames. Peanut has also been a great ambassador of our sports (see below) as well as a leader in coaching education such as the upcoming "Athletic.net SuperClinic" at Jessup College on Jan. 24th.

1) First, your name is Dwayne Harms, but everybody knows you as Peanut or Nut. How did you get that nickname?
-My mom named me Peanut when I was very young. It caught on, and the positive aspect of being named an unusual name is that it is memorable. Especially when I went into sales; name recognition is crucial.

2) What sports did you play in your youth? What made you decide to switch to running your senior year in high school? Favorite sports memories/accomplishments before college?
-I played all sports through HS except XC & TF. Our High School only had 400 kids in it (John Swett HS in Crockett), so athletes played 3 sports: Football, Basketball, & Baseball. I switched to TF in March of my Senior year because I ran 1:30 low in the 660 with no training (except just being an active kid!). The Track Coach ask me to go to a Track Meet (what is that?), I ran 2:07 the first time stepping on a Track and finished with a school record of 1:58.5 after five meets.

3) Tell us a little about your college experience and how you eventually ended up at UC Davis. College highlights?
-I decided, was not recruited, to go to Diablo Valley College. I had knee surgery the first Fall so I didn't run XC. I ran 1:58 in my first year, recovering. I decided to get serious and run during the summer for fun. I ended up 11th in the League and 11th in NorCal (top 10 advanced to state). The track season of my second year I came of age and ran 4:14 in the Mile and 1:53.1 in the 880 (finishing 6th in the State). John Pappa, the Track Coach @ UC Davis recruited me from DVC along with about 6 other Teammates (we had a Great Track Team 8-1 in the GGC (Golden Gate Conference). He struck gold. My College Highlights were many. First of all, I had Great Teammates who made the rigors of College Training not only tolerable but FUN much of the time. This is where the Aggie Running Club was born. I won a lot of Track and XC Races eventually running 1:50.4 (Far Western Conference Record) and 4:06 Mile. I won the Aggie Invite, Walnut Festival, All Cal XC 2 years in a row.  I eventually set the school record on the UCD course. While all of that running (and an overflow of fun & frivolity) the Best thing that happened at UCD was meeting my "More famous runner than me" wife Tena Anex. I could write a book about all of the antics at UCD while earning my Bachelor's & Master's degrees. 

4) Tell us how the Davis Aggies were formed, and do you have any good stories that you can share during your time with the club? Any good Bay to Breakers centipede stories? 
-The Aggie Running Club was an on campus club at first, encouraged by our Coach Dr. Bill Adams. It grew to a "city wide" family Running Club. I believe Tena was the first President, and then I think Angel Martinez followed her. Angel brought the club experience from his time with the Alameda Running Club. There is not close to enough room here to share ALL of the UCD stories OR Bay to Breakers stories here. All I can say is this, "what would any coach give to have a team of 13 runners run 7.6 miles at 5 minute pace with a 1-13 "Gap" of 6 seconds??". It is important to note that the Aggie Running Club centipede also ran (and set World Records) in the Boston, LA, & New York Marathons. We also ran the Hayes Street Mile and were flown to race in several High Profile 10k races. There is No Team Running Experience like racing right next to 12 of your Running Friends. I use the Centipede in my HS XC Training to this day.

5) During your running career, who were the coaches that had the biggest impact on you, and what did you learn from them?
-Mal Decker, my youth Baseball & Basketball Coach, Lou Signer my High School Basketball Coach, John Farnum my HS Track Coach (who "got me on the bus" to my first track meet), Mike Miramonte my DVC Distance Coach, Jim Shettler my DVC XC Coach, John Pappa my UCD Track Coach, and most of all, Dr. Bill Adams, my UCD Distance Coach. I owe my entire life to these gentlemen.

6) Your wife, Tena, was inducted into the UC Davis and Sacramento Running Association Hall of Fames. Tell us a little about some of her accomplishments during her running career.
-You will have to talk with her to get all of the details. She was an Age Group Phenom for Will's Spikette's out of Sacramento. I know she held two American Records, the 3,000m on the track & the 20 miler (Clarksburg). She was on the USA World Cross Country Team (finishing 3rd I think)- she was 13/14 years old!! She ran 2:11 in the 800 & 4:51 in the mile as a High Schooler. 

She was a force in Women's Running and is her on Story. She is the Best Runner in our Family!! 

7) Where have you coached, and how did you end up coaching at El Dorado HS? What have been some of your proudest accomplishments for past teams and individuals? What is the training area like near your school?
-I began coaching as a Freshman in HS coaching 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade basketball. I think I've always been a coach.

Recently (relatively) I began my coaching career in 1974 upon Graduation from UCD (1st degree) as a Graduate Assistant/Distance Coach when Dr. Adams went on Sabbatical. I gained All of my Basic Knowledge of Endurance Training from Doc A, UCD was a science based program. In April of 1974 I was chosen (another whole story) I was selected by the USAID/US Government to be the Olympic Distance Coach for Nigeria West Africa in preparation for the 1976 Olympic Games.

Upon returning from Nigeria I once again became the UC Davis Distance Coach (Men) until relocating to Mountain View for work for Angel Martinez at Starting Line Sports while I pursued my Coaching/Teaching Career. I was hired at Foothill College to be their Head Track & Cross Country Coach. I remained there until 1988 after winning many Championships and guiding (with excellent assistant coaches like Joe Mangan- who eventually took over at Foothill). During the 90's myself and Tena raised and Coached our 4 daughters as they navigated Elementary School. In 2000, El Dorado was looking for a Track & Cross Country Coach, I applied and was hired, and I have been there ever since.

-I have a million Coaching Highlights with my children and the other kids I have Coached. First, Coaching 5 CCS XC Champions from 5 different High School while living in Los Altos. Those Champions were: Danny Gonzalez, Mike McCollom, Scott Marconda, Grant Foster, & Craig Blockus. I was NOT a skimmer (coaches that go around and recruit kids from HS teams and attach themselves to the kids success) these kids were brought to me by their HS Coaches because of Extreme Ability. In Africa, I coached our Jr. Team (Nigeria is NOT a Distance Mecca) to 3rd place at the World XC Championships. At El Dorado the Coaches (head, assistants) have now won 46 TF & XC League Championships, 7 TF & XC Section Championships & have qualified an individual (twice) or team (13 times) to the Ca. XC State Meet 15 Consecutive Years. Great kids, committed Assistants! Most importantly, are all of the lives the programs I have overseen that have been changed and elevated because of their experience in programs I have been in charge of.

-El Dorado High School is on a serious hill. Everything we do is Hill Training. We also have incredible trails in the Foothills. Many Ultras are run within close proximity of our School ("Way too Cool", Western States, etc.). Our school draws athletes from 2000' to 4000' elevation. We don't recruit, we coach what we get, we are a Blue Collar school, and my kids are Gritty, Tough kids.

8) Aside from coaching, what other occupations have you had that were directly linked to running?
-As a result of working at Starting Line Sports in Mt. View (Runner's World) in the late 70's, I went into the Footwear Business. Without going into ANY detail I will say I worked for Converse, Reebok, & most recently, along with Jim Van Dine & Angel Martinez Assisted in the introduction of HOKA as their 1st Performance Marketing/Contract Athlete Manager. I have been in Performance Sports Marketing my whole adult life with stints at VS Athletics, First to the Finish, Pacific Sportswear & Accusplit. I am also proud to have been Co-Director (with Dave Shrock) of the Athletic.net SuperClinic to be held this year at Jessup College in Rocklin on Jan. 24th. My Involvement as the Ambassador of Fun & Frivolity at Track Meets in Eugene is a book in itself. Let it be said that Many of Us have enjoyed ourselves in Eugene at Track Meets.

9) From your days as a competitive runner to now, what do you feel has changed the most in terms of how distance runners are trained?
-Not to go "back in the day" on you but I will say that running was much more "primitive" than today. I mean, we didn't even own a Water Bottle! We didn't need shoes that gave us a bio-mechanical advantage. With that being said I would say that the Endorphin induced excitement and Love of Group Training and pursuit of personal excellence are the same. 

10) What does it take to be a successful high school runner?
-The Tolerance of Discomfort and the Curiosity of Pursuing the Upper Limits of One's Individual Capabilities.

11) What does a typical week look like for your runners? About how many miles a week for your varsity runners? Strength training per week? Longest run? Typical workouts? Morning runs? Anything else that you feel is important?
-Our program is Very Eclectic as I am constantly reading and learning. I Love Peter Thompson's Dynamic Coaching as he is also Always Learning. I like Jay Johnson's information and pursuit of Dynamic Coaching Education. Typical week follows "hard days hard, easy days easy" credo. We are very "Situational" in our training, we train to race, we try to imitate the Racing Experience and Rehearse the approaching challenges. We teach "racing intuition", running and racing by rhythm & repetition.

I have an incredible kaleodoscope of runners as we take anyone who wants to Work Hard and Achieve Personal Improvement. Varsity runners run approximately 40 miles per week. We strength train using a 5 part bodyweight method that works for us (3 legs, 2 arms). Longest run 6-8 miles on bike trails. Few AM runs. I feel athletes should train to find and develop their own racing rhythm.  

12) If you could change anything about California HS cross country and/or track and field, what would you change?
-I believe that our whole Athletic System is preventing kids from developing their ultimate best athleticism. We are piling sports on top of sports causing unnecessary anxiety for young people. We used to have a 10 day mandatory rest period when transitioning between sports; now winter sports begin BEFORE Fall League Meets. The system seems to be more Financially Driven than Athletic Development Driven. I'm also concerned about the elevated costs (entry fees). I also believe that there should be separate Divisions for Programs who only depend on athletes who actually live in their District. I believe there should be separate Public & Private School Divisions at all levels as there is now an Un-Level Playing Field. Lastly, I believe the "Everybody Gets a Trophy, Every Team Makes the Playoffs" team sport environment is having a Gigantic Impact on Athletes ability to transition between sports. I don't think anyone is even paying attention to this.

13) What is your advice for a new coach with aspirations of building a strong distance program at their school?
-Study Selling and Marketing because if you don't have kids, you don't have a program. The ability to Fundraise (with escalating costs) is becoming more & more important. Never Stop Learning as things keep changing. Attend clinics, like the "Athletic.net SuperClinic" at Jessup College on Jan. 24th. Integrate Fun and Social Enhancement into your Program.

14) Anything else you would like to add?
-I am always available to anyone who reads this to discuss anything mentioned here. We learn from each other. "Coaching ain't easy, but in the End it is All Worth It!"

Thank you very much for your time, Peanut! AJC