1. For someone who has heard the name “Screamin Scott” but doesn't know your story, how would you introduce yourself and explain how and when you became involved in cross country and track and field? Where did the nickname “Screamin Scott” come from?
I ran XC and track in JrHS and HS and ran 2 years of XC at Chico State. I wanted to be a teacher and coach XC and track from about 9 th grade. I got hired at a continuation school, so no XC or track. I was a science teacher and found that I was busy prepping for my classes and grading so there was really no time to coach at the traditional HS. I got busy with my job, marriage, homeownership, fatherhood, and life, and kinda forgot about coaching. When my daughter began running in 7th grade, it rekindled those thoughts. I was able to coach one year at Downey HS. At the end of the year, the old coach returned. I taught in a different district, and we had some personal differences, so I was bumped. BUT I had learned A LOT. I had met another former coach who posted distance results for Stanislaus County teams. He went by the moniker “Runnin Ruben.”
So, when I got going, I adopted “Screamin Scott” because it had similar alliteration and when I get excited during a race, I can get very loud. But most of the kids call me “StanCo.” Ruben allowed me to gather results and add pics to the blog. Each year, I did more, and he did less. He moved to So Cal, and I took the whole thing over. I thought it was important to create a “brand,” so I shortened the Stanislaus County Distance to StanCo Distance. On the Blog, I post results, info, links to photos etc. Each year, I have tried to add something (T-shirts, scholarships, Instagram, more schools…).
2 What area (cities, leagues etc) do you cover, and what is the web address of your blog? What do you post on your blog?
The Blog address is https://runninruben.blogspot.com/. Now I call the blog “South SJS Distance.” The leagues are CCAL, CCC, VOL, SAL, MLL, WAC, and some of the CCAA/MVL). With realignment in 2028, all of those names will change, but I will still cover the same geographic area. I cover all of Merced, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Stanislaus Counties. Plus a few schools in southern San Joaquin County (Manteca, Lathrop, Mtn. House area) because they are in leagues with those other schools. It amounts to about 53 schools (however some are very small, and some don’t have XC or track or both). 44 for XC this season (I think). I post a weekly preview of meets that any of the teams are competing in, results, and links to pics (pics are posted on FB), Runners of the Week, Course all-time record lists, South SJS All-time lists, County all-time lists. I take donations and offer scholarships in the Spring. I gave 7 ($500) scholarships last year and am at 27 total.
I have always liked taking pics. My wife and I travel, and I am always looking for an interesting shot. The walls of our house are covered with some of the better ones. As with running, it began with my daughter and her teammates. It grew to be her league’s runners and then to all StanCo runners. Gradually, I connected with other coaches in nearby counties and took pics of their runners too.
High shutter speed and good lighting work best for me. My goal isn’t to be arty. I am looking for the best, clearest shot of each runner. I believe that is what the parent ultimately wants. Night meets are a huge challenge. I get some good stuff and a lot of garbage. I started with film, then moved to an auto fixed lens digital, then to an adjustable lens digital SLR, and finally to a top-of-the-line Nikon 810 SLR (I have 4 of them)…I haven’t gone mirror less.
4 You award Runners of the Week shirts. How did that come about, and when and how did you come up with the design of the shirt? In what other ways do you award outstanding performances or efforts to local runners?
It came about as a way to go to team practices and introduce myself to the coaches and runners who didn’t already know me. And as far as gaining reputation, respect, and building “brand,” it was the smartest thing I ever did. The original design logo came about as a design for MY UNIFORM shirts so I was identifiable to everyone. It involves an outline of Stanislaus County. The new logo shows all of the covered counties/area, and four other people/coaches helped me with the image and even finding the font that would work the best. Who knew that different lettering would make such a difference?
The shirts are on a four-year cycle. So if a runner earned one each year, he would receive 4 different shirts. I also have shirts for sub 10 boy/12 girl 3200; sub 4:30/5:30 in the 1600, and sub 2/2:20 in the 800. Anyone who makes one of the all-time lists 800, 1600, 3200, Woodward, Willow Hills gets a “Record Breaker” shirt that has an LP getting shattered in the design.
In track, StanCo Meet distance event champions get a shirt, and County Clash (StanCo vs Merced County) distance champions get a shirt. There is also a meet named after me in XC, The Screamin Scott Showdown, and there are shirts of a special design given there.
Additionally, to thank the coaches, I bought shirts for all the StanCo coaches and am gradually catching up with the coaches of the newer schools that I am covering. Now, often when I go to schools to award shirts, the team gives me a shirt. Those are my trophies.
5 You've watched cross country and track and field change dramatically over the years. What are some of the biggest changes you've seen?
In this area, there are 4 changes (according to many of the coaches—we have had this discussion several times) 1. Super shoes for those who can afford them. 2. All weather tracks. When I coached in 2010/11, there were very few in this region, and now almost all the larger schools have them, and many of the smaller ones. 3. Training methods are more focused on threshold heart rate. 4. (This came from the coaches) ME, giving credit, recognition, props to these kids.
6 Which courses, meets, or venues have always had a special place in your heart?
We call the park Legion but it is really a piece of Tuolumne River Regional Park. There are no hills, sometimes there are homeless people, and currently the RRs are closed…sounds great, right? It is close to my house, and Modesto area kids have been running here for decades. Only CCAL still runs there, but I spearhead the cleanup and trail preparation every year.
Personally, I grew up in Fresno, and we were at Woodward twice a week, training. The smell of crushed sagebrush gives me a little PTSD. I think Willow Hills in Folson is a great section course. It is rolling up-down-up-down the whole way. A successful runner has to be able to constantly switch gears and the runners that come out of that meet, qualifying for State, often roll through the Woodward course
Local SJS starter Chuck Buettner died last year. He was the only starter I knew by name. He was a frequent donator to my scholarship. If I could give back to the sport 10% of what he did, I would be gratified. Joel Bernard (Hughson) is able to have a competitive team every year with a very small school enrollment. His kids run through the summer on their own, and he teaches them the strategy of the training and the racing. Ken Rhoades (Atwater) has such a calm and even temperament. He becomes like a personal life counselor for his runners. He is building better humans.
8 You've developed a reputation for being one of the most recognizable voices and personalities at cross country meets. What do you enjoy most about being part of the atmosphere on race day?
I am a loner by nature. So I am rarely where all of the team tents and excitement are. I like it and appreciate it, but small talk is hard for me. So, I am normally walking the course, looking at the overall condition, and finding my photography spots. I like when kids come up to me after their races and want to talk to me about how their race went. This can also be tough as I am trying to take pics in the next race. I try to check the results immediately and message the runners right then if I think they had a good race. They live in a world of immediate gratification, so I try to give those props ASAP.
9 You've seen thousands of high school runners compete. What separates the runners who really stand out in your memory from everyone else?
It can be different for different runners, but somehow we had a personal connection. Damian Garcia (ran for Pitman, now for Chico St) started talking to me at every meet his frosh year, and I became like a mentor. We are still very close. Elle Williams (now at St. Francis but was at Turlock), we are very close. Although some others, like Natalie Arriaza (Patterson now at Stan St), earned every recognition I gave, and yet she never once spoke to me. So it is really up to the kids; I don’t push myself on anyone.
10 What is one race and/or performance you've witnessed that you will never forget?
A couple of years ago at the State track meet in the 3200, Oakdale’s Dax Daley was moving up on the last lap. With 200m to go he was in 3 rd starting to move into 2 nd when he was tripped from behind. He went down and was stepped on by multiple runners. One of the spikes missed his eye by ¼ inch. He got up and finished in about 11 th . I guess after the initial shock of seeing his eye afterwards, we all realized how lucky he was to still have two functioning eyes…there are so many things in life more important than racing/running.
11 What is something you've learned from watching great runners compete that you think young athletes could benefit from understanding?
I think question 13 partially address this…they need set goal and honestly work toward them. Work faithfully and consistently. If you can get your peers to buy into it, then it makes it so much easier. Success won’t happen overnight. There will be set-backs. Success in running isn’t linier. You might not even realize that you are getting stronger. And then BAM, you’ll have that breakout meet. And then it is time to set new goals. You can always be more than you think. Don’t be afraid to fail. Elle Williams raced Saturday at Kim Duyst. She messaged me afterwards that she appreciated the photos but was disappointed in her race (time). I told her that (she already knew) that she wasn’t going to PR in every race. Learn from it, shake it off, and move forward to the next race.
Family, recognition, personal confidence…the same things I got from the sport. In my scholarship application they must write an essay of “how distance running has positively impacted their lives.” Most of the kids have similar stories of finding belonging and inner-strength. Using running to clear their heads…
13 What advice would you give to a freshman who is just starting cross country and isn''t yet sure whether they belong in the sport?
Ask your coach about some reasonable goals. Write them down and tape them onto the bathroom mirror where you will see them every day. On the hot, hard days keep reminding yourself of those goals. If you achieve them repeat the process. I was at Oakdale today and Coach Vic Moreno was talking to the freshmen about the career arc of the current senior top runner Weston McGhee. How he wasn’t so great 4 years ago and it has taken a lot of consistent hard work and belief to get to where he is…and if they want that type of success it is not out of reach.
14 When you look back at all the years you've spent around cross country, what are you most proud of?
I hope that I am making a difference. That is not for me to judge—when you are gone who will remember your name, who will tell your story? My mother died when I was 14. At 15 my step-father kicked me and my sister out of the house. It was XC and track (my team and my coach) that kept me from going down the wrong road…I believe that it saved my life. So I do what I do as a repayment to the sport that saved me. I believe that this is a debt that can never be repaid, so I can’t ever do enough. So, I keep trying to do more, helping more, recognizing more kids. My bathroom mirror goal is to award at least 8 scholarships this spring and go to more meets than last year (76)…tomorrow 9/16 I hope to make it to three different league’s cluster meets.
15 What do you think people who aren't involved in cross country don't understand about the sport?
They think it is boring, it is torture, it isn’t fun…they don’t see the family, the confidence building
• Favorite XC course? Track venue? It is hard to find a fault in Buchanan, other than I can’t get onto the field. The new SJS track format has all of the divisional finals at Hughes Stadium on the same day. That is an interesting format.
• Favorite meets (XC and TF)? Any meet where it doesn’t rain is a good meet.
• Most exciting runner you've ever watched? Madison Kackley (Gregori later UC Davis). She was pure peddle-to -the-metal. No strategy, just I dare you to catch me. Unfortunately, she collapsed at xc section her frosh year 100m from the finish and again her soph year, but fortunately finished (eventually was 12th in State that year). She was 5 th in State D1 in 2019 as a junior and then lost her senior year to COVID
• Most memorable upset? In 2009 Modesto HS girls were the defending MMC XC champs. The league was still doing dual meet in XC. The first meet of the year was MoHi vs Downey (and Downey had finished last in the league the year before). It was my daughter’s second race of her frosh year. Modesto was going to Mt Carmel that weekend, so they were trying rest some kids for this dual and they figured to roll over Downey anyway. It came down to a sprint of the #5 runners and Downey won the meet 28-29. I might be the only person who remembers the meet, but it was a seismic upset.
• Best team you've ever seen in your area? Not exactly “my area,” but the 2025 Jesuit Boys were amazing. For teams that I cover, it was the 2022 and 2023 Oakdale Boys
• Toughest course? Frogtown, Willow Hills. Lagoon Valley all are challenging in the hill department in the SJS. But it might be the hot dusty nature of the courses that is the worst. At Frogtown there are a procession of ambulances in and out of the meet. My daughter fell on the course, slid on her belly down a steep hill, and her jersey burned into her skin…she still has scars.
• Best race-day atmosphere. UPO Tiger Inv used to have the best meet atmosphere. They had an award for the most spirited team. They had a mascot race. Kids had on paint and glitter, and tutus…it was a fun day. Since it was on a golf course the times were fast too. Unfortunate when they suspended the program the meet went away and when the program came back the meet didn’t. On the more serious side Clovis and State are their own spectacle.
Thank you very much for your time, Scott. AJC
