The Bay Area Coaches Network Monthly Meeting

Crystal Springs Uplands School will host the monthly meeting for the Bay Area Coaches Network. Started by Daniel Hicker (Menlo) and Vern Gambetta, the Bay Area Coaches Network is a free and open space for meaningful dialogue on the art and science of developing athletes. There are no presentations and no hierarchy, just performance professionals exchanging ideas, asking questions, and learning from one another, regardless of experience level.

If you know any other coaches or practitioners, please feel free to pass along the info. 

Where: Fitness Center (US) 400 Uplands Drive, Hillsborough CA

When: Thursday March 12th @ 6pm-7pm

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 Barr, 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 
Avery Wolk, Davis (SJS) Brown University
Isaac Abbott, Jesuit (SJS) Duke University
Giselle Fernandez, Riverbank (SJS) Northern Arizona University
Makayla Galvan, Vacaville (SJS) Biola University
Grady Morris, Ponderosa (SJS) Chico State
Sophie Benham, Hughson (SJS) Stanislaus State
Ellie McCuskey-Hay, St. Ignatius (CCS) University of Oregon
Fernando Herrera, Alisal (CCS) Stanislaus State
Cy Lugo, Elk Grove (SJS) Montana State
Ace Rozales, Kimball (SJS) St. Mary's College
Claire Palmer, Archie Williams (NCS) Tuft University
Carina, Nottingham, Berkeley (NCS) Dartmouth University
Riley Anderson, Placer (SJS) Chico State
Maya Yatsko, Los Altos (CCS) Occidental College
Samantha Witteles, Los Altos (CCS) Dartmouth University

Xavier Surgeon, Windsor (NCS) Rhodes College
Kira Dye, Crystal Springs Uplands School (CCS) Johns Hopkins
Jessica Carvalho, Pinole Valley (NCS) Dominican University
Eila Sawhney, Woodside Priory (CCS) Claremont - Mudd Scripps
Kaitlyn Lam, Sacred Heart Cathedral (CCS) Occidental College
Soleil Warner, St. Ignatius (CCS) Harvard University
Prince Najeeb Babalola-Buchango, St. Ignatius (CCS) USC (NEW)
Sebastian Taylor, Bishop O'Dowd (NCS) NYU (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.

Why Jesuit Cross Country Keeps Winning State Titles

 

CA Winter Championship Results

https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/619322/results/all

Top NorCal returners in every Track and Field event

GIRLS
100 Naiaja Sizemore Vanden 12 11.33 (defending state champ)
200 Naiaja Sizemore Vanden 12 23.18 (defending state champ)
400 Lael Brown Christian Brothers 10 55.27
800 Josie Hill Sonoma Academy 11 2:09.12
1600 Giselle Fernandez Riverbank 12 4:43.80
3200 Ani Stieg Archie Williams 12 10:34.50
3200 Anna Salter Crystal Springs Uplands 12 10:22.2 (during XC)
100m Hurdles Brooke White River City 12 13.59
300m Hurdles Soleil Warner Bay School 12 42.29 (reportedly transferred to St. Ignatius)
Long Jump Javelin Mills Hercules 11 19'8"
Triple Jump Kira Gant Hatcher St. Mary's College 12 40'10.5"
High Jump Lelani Laruelle Monta Vista 12 5'8"
Pole Vault Sophia Forst Pleasant Valley 12 12'6"
Shot Put Sidney Johnson Rio Americano 10 43'8"
Discus Gracelynne Duenas Lodi 12 149'7"

BOYS
100 Jaden Jefferson De La Salle 12 10.01 (defending state champ)
200 Prince Najeeb Babalola-Buchango 12 20.79 (defending state champ)
400 Keith Lee Monterey Trail 12 47.22
800 Lucas Alberts Jesuit 11 1:51.27
1600 Drake Hoferer Jesuit 12 4:10.82
1600 Stephen Sziebert Bellarmine 12 4:11.70 mile (converts to 4:10.24)
3200 Isaac Abbott Jesuit 12 8:57.47
110m Hurdles Prince Najeeb Babalola-Buchango 12 13.59w
300m Hurdles Joshua Haven Bellarmine 12 37.87
Long Jump Kingsley Eneh San Lorenzo 12 23'11"
Triple Jump Trey Joyce Rocklin 12 47'2"
High Jump Naryan Banerjee Jesuit 11 6'9"
Pole Vault Dante Jenkins Pitman 11 14'11"
Pole Vault Ethan Radford Bellarmine 12 15'0"
Shot Put Devon Bertoli Cardinal Newman 12 60'9.5"
Discus Deonte Littlejohn Acalanes 12 176'5"

Results from today's meets

PAUSATF Indoor Championships, 3 Empire Records
Thanks to Jim Crowhurst, check out some of the top marks today at the Reno
https://redwoodempirerunning.com/pausatf-indoor-championships-3-empire-records/

Also...
De Anza College Winter Qualifier thanks to Hank Lawson
https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/2026/DeAnzaCollegeWinterQualifier.htm

Weekend Results

The Wildcat Mile results can be found at this LINK.

Los Gatos All-Comers Meet results can be found at this LINK.

New Balance Indoor Grand Prix results can be found at this LINK.

Wildcat Mile at Woodside HS on Saturday, Jan 24th

164 runners have signed up for this event. You can find the schedule at this LINK. The heats with all the competitors can be found at this LINK.

If you haven't heard already, Woodside HS is hosting the Wildcat Mile on Saturday, January 24th from 3pm to 6pm. The event is a fundraiser for the Woodside Athletic booster program. This is an open, all-comers meet that can motivate your runners to continue training during the winter and assess their readiness for the upcoming Track and Field season. 

Here is their registration page: https://www.movemint.cc/events/the-wildcat-mile-2026

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to meet director Nate Bowen at apolloteach@gmail.com.

Please help spread the word!

Lighting The Way From Behind: A Lesson For Coaches And Parents

Worth the share. This was written by Rod Murrow, who is a former coach in Kansas but still very much involved in the running scene in that state. It's about his dad supporting his running passion during high school.

https://ks.milesplit.com/articles/234394/lighting-the-way-from-behind-a-lesson-for-coaches-and-parents

Catching up with Vacaville senior, Khloe DeLaTorre

Today we chat with Vacaville senior distance runner, Khloe DeLaTorre. This past season, DeLaTorre was the Monticello Empire League (M.E.L.) individual champion. She finished in 3rd place at the SJS Division II race and 4th place at the state meet with a new PR of 17:30.6 on the Woodward Park course. Overall, DeLaTorre competed at the state meet all four years. In track and field, DeLaTorre has personal records of 2:12.01, 4:48.95 and 10:51.44. She qualified for the state meet in the 800 as a sophomore and in the 1600 as a junior. (Daily Republic photo)

1) How did you get your start in running? What was your running experience before high school? Highlights? What were your PRs before HS?

Running became a part of my life before I even knew what a PR was or what times were even good. Watching my dad talk about his high school running days made me curious, and that curiosity turn into a passion of mine when I was 11 years old. I was on a club team called the Solano Thunderhawks where I went to the 2019 cross country junior Olympics in Wisconsin and the 2022 Track and Field junior Olympics in Sacramento. In club I ran the 400m PR: 1:05, 800m PR: 2:27, the 1500m PR: 5:18, and the 1600m PR: 5:45. 

2) Who were the runners who helped lead the way for you during your freshman year? What did you learn from them?

Coming into high school my freshman year was already a big change, I had met with Coach Monk and some of my other coaches before the season started so that they could give me a view of what my high school career would look like. I was welcomed into an amazing group of girls and guys where we got closer at our Tahoe team camp. I have learned and grown a lot from the whole girls team, From the girls that have already graduated to the girls I still run with today. we all love to push and grow one another and that’s what I love most about them. 

3) What were some of your proudest accomplishments in both XC and TF as a freshman and sophomore year?

My proudest accomplishments in my freshman year was making it to state in cross country. For my sophomore year, it was making it to state in both track and cross country, and knowing how much I have grown throughout the years. 

4) Where do you feel like you made the biggest jump as a runner in high school, and what do you think led to that jump?

I think the biggest jump I made as a high school runner is my mentality; being able to acknowledge the difficult moments as much as I do the good ones has helped me learn and grow a lot as a runner. Learning how to stay calm under pressure, trust my fitness and training, and compete with confidence even when things start to feel uncomfortable I feel has allowed me to race to my full potential.

5) What do you feel were the best races of this past season? Did you have any goals before the season?

The best race of this past cross country season was state, after a rough season to end in a way that didn’t only show a breakthrough for me but also my teammates (Cooper Stream and Makayla Galvan) and seeing how much the girls team has grown (top 10 in D2) definitely was a huge highlight and a great way to end my high school cross country career. I didn’t have any time goals for the season; my biggest goal was to take all the stress away, focus on doing my best, listen to my coach, and have fun in my final cross country season. (photo courtesy of Vacaville HS)

6) What are you most looking forward to this coming TF season? Who are the runners that you are most excited to race?

Going into track season I’m really looking forward to see what event I’m going to focus on and how well I am going to progress. I am very excited and looking forward to race the girls from my section, they are all super competitive and did really good this past cross country season so I am excited to race them and see what they are going to do in track. 

7) What does a typical week look like for you? About how many miles per week? How many workouts? Longest run? Any morning runs? Strength work? Are there any other things you do that you feel really help you race well?

My training weeks vary throughout the season, I typically run about 45 to 50 miles throughout the season. I feel like the workouts that we do to simulate racing help me the most when it comes to race day. 

8) Tell us a bit about your coach and how he has helped you achieve what you have accomplished during your high school career.

When it comes to coaching I feel like our program is very blessed. We have many coaches that come out and help everyday. Coach Monk has shaped me into the best runner I can possibly be by not only giving me workouts but helping me become an all around athlete. I have a lot of trust in my coaching and I do my best to listen to everything he tells me to do. Also, Coach Monk is really big on team culture and I think that’s what helps us a lot as a team. (DeLaTorre, Vacaville runner on the front left. Photo courtesy of Matt Miller and Daily Republic.)

9) Favorite XC course? Favorite XC invitational? Favorite XC workout? Favorite long run? Favorite TF event? Favorite TF invitational? Favorite track workout? Favorite free time activity?

My favorite cross country course and invitational is definitely Woodbridge. The flat course is so fun to race at night and the atmosphere is amazing. I also love how my whole team gets to go to Disneyland the next morning! My favorite workout overall is hill repeats and speed work. My favorite track event is the 800m or the 1600m. They are both very competitive events and super fun to race once you get your racing strategy down. My favorite track invitational is Dublin Distance Fiesta. I feel like it’s one of the first times in the season where you can find everyone in the SJS section, and it’s super fun to compete against everyone. I don’t have a lot of free time, so when I do, I like to spend it with family, mainly my brothers. 

10) What is most important to you as you decide where you will be competing in college next year?

What’s most important for me as I decide what college I will be attending is looking for a team culture that’s as tight-knit as mine is now. 

11) What is your advice for a talented freshman runner who would like to eventually run in college?

My advice for talented freshman that want to compete in college is to take in every moment whether it’s bad or good because it is all valuable. As you grow you will have challenging moments but that’s what helps you grow not the easy times. And don’t let the college process stress you out or affect you, stay patient and always focus on what’s most important for you in that moment.

Thank you very much for your time. AJC