West Coast XC Dublin Distance Fiesta Preview

 

2026 Dublin Distance Fiesta Preview

 

The 2026 Dublin Distance Fiesta (DDF) is taking place this coming weekend, and it's bigger and more robust than ever before. In previous years, I have said that with every preview and every year, that is straight fact. The meet keeps growing. When I interview distance runners for this blog, they typically say that this is one of their favorite meets of the season. 

In the photo above, that is former starter Bob Shor on his step stool a few years ago, before he passed away. He was a GOOD DUDE!. Doug Griffith and Mario daSilva handle starting duties now.

Other notable figures associated with this meet. Scott Abbott and Kyle Morrison will handle announcing duty. Abbott ran at Jesuit for Walt Lange and his son Isaac has been one of the top runners for the Mauraders. Kyle announced at the DDF last year and also announced the Dan Gabor Invitational this year. Both announcers do an amazing job of making every race feel important.

Timer Shannon Sos of diablotiming.com is one of the top timers in CA. He definitely eases any stress that meet directors may have before their Invitationals.

Over two almost full days, diehard distance fans will witness a record-setting number of distance heats. In 2025, two WORLD RECORDS were established as 371 girls dipped under the 6-minute mark in the 1600 while 591 boys dipped under the 5-minute mark in the same event.

This season, the DDF will be held on the third weekend of March once again. For comparison, check out this year's numbers vs. last year's.

Year	Schools	Student-Athletes	Entries	Heats
2025	225	4,047	5,863	226
2026	240	4,247	6,135	240

According to the meet director and Dublin coach Chris Williams, the DDF will once again be the largest distance-only meet in the United States based on the total number of entries. As shared in a previous post, Coach Williams continues to need your prayers as he continues to battle cancer. Your prayers are always appreciated.

OK, now a bit of history regarding this meet for those of you attending the soon-to-be-world-famous Dublin Distance Fiesta (RIP Peter Brewer) for the first time. The meet has been held at Dublin HS since 2009, with the lone exception being the 2020 season when it was not held. Before 2009, the meet was held at Skyline HS (one year), Cal Berkeley (one year), and then multiple years at the original location, Piedmont HS (shoutout Warrior. IYKYK)

* * *

Aside from super fast competitive fields, the Dublin Distance Fiesta is known for its incredible efficiency. You can check this out in action, thanks to longtime Jesuit coach Walt Lange (over 50 years at Jesuit), in the following video. More on Coach Lange and his impressive team below.

Let's take a closer look at the "Sombrero" races

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Girls 4 x 800 

Meet Record - Campolindo/NCS - 9:31.93 ('24)

The 2-time defending champion Campolindo girls (2024 team above courtesy of coach Chuck Woolridge) will be back to defend their sombrero titles. This will be the first big meet for their team after multiple league meets. They will be challenged by league and section rival Northgate. The rest of the top contenders are CCS teams Los Gatos, Carlmont, Evergreen Valley, St. Ignatius, and Mountain View.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boys 4 x 800 

Meet Record - Davis/SJS - 7:57.18 ('24)

I noticed that in my preview from last year, I did not mention the team that won the event, the Bellarmine Bells (photo above courtesy of Bellarmine). I won't make the same mistake again. Their coach, Patrick McCrystle, takes great pride in team and relay events. He was himself a 1:50.70 800 meter runner for coach Walt Lange at Jesuit. Bellarmine finished in 6th place at the California state meet last year, running the 2nd fastest time in CCS history at 7:44.84. Other contending teams this year will include section rival Menlo Atherton. Also in the mix will be Lowell, Carlmont, Bella Vista, Tesoro, Mountain View, and the host Dublin. And don't forget 2 time Division III cross country state champion Campolindo. This is definitely the main event of night one and a great way to close out Friday evening.

---

Girls 1600 

Meet Record - Riley Chamberlain (Del Oro/SJS) - 4:46.34 ('22)

For those of you interested in more DDF history, here is a bit more regarding this event. In 2015, Sonora's Cassi Land lowered the 1600 record at the DDF to 5:06.01. A year later, Miramonte's Hannah Fishlow lowered the record to 5:02.79. The first runner to lower the record under 5 minutes was Redwood's Gillian Wagner in 2017 as she raced to a 4:55.35 victory. That time held up until 2021 when Albany's Sophia Nordenholz ran 4:53.26 in the 3rd DDF that season (that's right, 3rd, thanks to COVID). In 2022, Del Oro senior Riley Chamberlain outran Montgomery's talented freshman Hanne Thomsen to set the new standard at 4:46.34. Chamberlain is still competing at BYU and remains one of the top distance runners in the NCAA.

Last year, Eleanor Raker of Galena won this event in 4:52.58. Khloe DeLaTorre of Vacaville finished in 2nd place with a time of 4:53.64 and is the top returner in this field. The fastest runner is Riverbank senior Giselle Fernandez (photo above courtesy of Juan Esparza Loera). She finished in 6th place at the CA state meet, running a best of 4:43.80. Other contenders in this stacked field include Ella Mogannam of Lick-Wilmerding, Nora Feldt of Davis, Anna Salter of Crystal Springs Uplands, and Gretchen Yakaitis of Carondelet. Both Mogannam and Yakaitis were individual state champions in cross country. If the boys' 4 x 800 is the race of the day for Friday, this could potentially be the race of the day on Saturday.

Boys 1600

Meet Record - Ajani Salcido (Jesuit/SJS) 4:09.95 ('21)

The favorite to win this race will be Bellarmine senior Stephen Sziebert (photo courtesy of West Coast XC). He was the best non senior in CCS last year in an incredibly stacked year. Sziebert won this year's KBell invitational in 4:15.21 and just competed in the New Balance Nationals indoors, posting a PR of 4:09.40 in the mile. His main competition will include Drake Hoferer of Jesuit and Jackson Puburko of Trinity. Other contenders include David Coisson of Galena in Nevada who is a proven 1600 runner and has posted a 50.44 400 already this season. Another runner that will contend is Menlo junior Henry Hauser. He finished 2nd behind Sziebert at the KBell and has posted a 1:54.28 PR in the 800.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Girls 800

Meet Record - Alyssa Brewer (California/NCS) 2:08.99 ('18)

Now Stanford freshman Hanne Thomsen of Montgomery completed a very unique double last year by winning the 800 and 3200. She was victorious in the 2-lap event with a time of 2:10.18. This year, the top 2 fastest times in the field belong to Ava Decleve of Scotts Valley (Shmuel Thaler photo) and Ava Padilla of Monte Vista. Decleve won the Winter Time Trials in Watsonville, while Padilla won the Dan Gabor Invitational last week. Other contenders will include Hailey Sellers of Branson, Ella Mogannam of Lick-Wilmerding, and Ashlin Mallon of Cardinal Newman. A few more names to watch out for are Whitney teammates Addi Ewers and Kaylee Smith as well as Crystal Springs Uplands senior Anna Salter.

Boys 800

Meet Record - Yutaka Roberts (El Camino/CCS) 1:52.34 ('22)

The top 2 finishers from last year were sophomores Lucas Alberts of Jesuit (VND photos) and Hugh Heyer of McClatchy (both from the SJS). Both runners return this year, with Alberts the favorite as the defending champion and the 2nd-place finisher from last year's state meet. Another athlete to watch out for is Placer senior Cooper Barr. He has a PR of 1:51.76 as well as state meet experience from last year. His mom, Lindsay Hyatt, was a 4-time state champ in California in this event. Another interesting tidbit that might only interest me involves Sebastien Swain of Piedmont. He qualified for the state meet last year as a sophomore, running a personal best of 1:53.15. His mom, Becky Spies, is one of the fastest distance runners in NCS history and a University of Villanova Hall of Famer. His aunt, Jessica Spies, still holds the NCS record in the 800 at 2:05.84. Other runners that could be a factor are Thomas Hekl of Amador Valley, 1:53.87 last year and won this year's Dan Gabor Invitational. Hunter Steele of Galena ran 1:53.81 last year at the Stanford Invitational to finish in 6th place.

Girls 3200

Meet Record - Hanne Thomsen (Montgomery/NCS) 10:14.46 ('22)

The fastest entry time in this event belongs to St. Francis, SJ freshman, Alyssa Gutierrez (photo courtesy of St. Francis, SJ instagram). She has posted a best of 10:27.63, winning the Bronco Roundup Distance Carnival. She is also quite familiar with the Dublin Distance Fiesta, having won the exhibition mile last year as an 8th grader. She will be challenged by Natalie Arriaza of Patterson, who is the defending Sac-Joaquin Section champion with a best of 10:35.24. This will certainly be a preview of the SJS Masters meet final and will also include Khloe DeLaTorre of Vacaville, Avery Wolk of Davis, Brenna Mannion of Vista del Lago, Sophie Hutchinson of Whitney, Adriana Ingargiola of Oak Ridge, and Avery Carlson of Pitman. 

Boys 3200

Meet Record - Matt Strangio (Jesuit/SJS) 8:47.97 ('19)

Last year, four runners dipped under the 9 minute mark with Eli Fitchen-Young of Santa Cruz leading the way with a time of 8:56.43. Then junior Isaac Abbott of Jesuit finished in 3rd place with a still standing PR of 8:57.47. He's on the comeback trail from an injury and will not be participating in this event. This year's race could be quite the event, and, as in the past, it could be the most competitive of this Invitational. Among the top contenders will be the top 2 NorCal runners from this past cross country season, Cooper Stream of Vacaville (photo courtesy of Vacaville HS Facebook page) and Alijah Murillo of Branham. Stream was the Division 2 state champion while Murillo had an outstanding race at NXN and claimed the NorCal Runner of the Year award. Blake Bay from Fresno Christian is one of the top runners in the state in Division V and a Brooks XC National qualifier. Kimball senior Andres Lomeli won the Skyline Invitational 1600 and was a state finalist in the 3200 last spring. Two other runners that should definitely not be overlooked are Campolindo teammates Caden Ehrhorn and Clark Gregory.

Girls Distance Medley Relay

Meet Record - Santa Cruz/CCS - 12:07.58 ('18)

This race will feature some of the top distance programs in Northern California. The Campolindo girls (Chuck Woolridge photo), won both relays last year and will be attempting to repeat here. They will face stiff competition from Mountain View and the last two cross country Division V state team champions, Branson and Crystal Springs Uplands. Los Altos and Carson (NV) should also be in the mix.

I started this list a few years ago and will keep it going this year. Because of COVID, this relay was not contested in 2021 or in 2020, when the meet was not held at all. Here are the winning teams over the past few years.

2025 Campolindo 12:25.13
2024 SF University 12:48.02
2023 Campolindo 12:36.04
2022 Tamalpais 12:34.83

2019 St. Francis, Sacramento 12:22.61

2018 Santa Cruz HS 12:07.58 (meet record)

2017 San Ramon Valley HS 12:23.41

2016 Monte Vista HS 12:16.21

2015 Bella Vista HS 12:14.03

2014 Las Lomas HS 12:31.29

Boys Distance Medley Relay

Meet Record - Davis/SJS - 10:23.93 ('16)

This is always a tough event to predict, as many of the fastest teams will include runners doubling back from the just-concluded 3200m and other race distances. The Bellarmine boys (photo courtesy of Bellarmine) could be going after the relay sweep if they can pull of the 4 x 800 victory first. They will have to finish in front of some tough teams, including Mountain View, Carlmont, and Whitney.

MEET PROGRAM LINK

Lastly, a shout-out to West Coast XC (aka Kenneth Martinez), who will be interviewing Coach Chris Williams and me today to preview the DDF. You can find West Coast XC on his website at https://www.westcoastxc.com/ and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@WestCoastXC

2026 Dublin Distance Fiesta

Schedule LINK

Welcome Letter LINK

Heats in Alphabetical Order LINK

A preview of the Sombrero races will be posted ASAP.

Bob Rush's 90th birthday celebration

I just got word that Bob Rush passed away peacefully yesterday morning. Bob will always be remembered for his tireless work on the Crystal Springs course. I will post more as I receive more information, but for now, RIP to a great man who had a huge impact on Cross Country in this area. Please feel free to add any memories of Mr. Rush.

Please go to www.lynbrooksports.com for a tribute to Bob courtesy of Hank Lawson.

Below was the info for Bob's 90th birthday celebration last June at the Crystal Springs course.

Bob, for his 90th birthday, is planning on running (runoggn as he calls it) across the Crystal Springs XC course finish line on Wednesday, 4 June at 12:00noon.

You and everyone else are invited to this special occasion.

Eldest son Rob will be organizing the event with pizza and beers, so if you can attend, please RSVP to Rob at 650.773-3557 so he knows how much food to purchase.  Please plan on arriving around 11:30am.

Please pass along the 4 June event details to allow those whom you think would be interested, and hope many of us can make it  to the course on 4 June!

The following note was sent by Dave Shrock. For those of you that might not know, Bob Rush is one of the designers of the Crystal Springs course and for decades, Bob tirelessly took care of the course so that runners to this day get to race on one of the most historic courses in the United States. Please pass the following note along to others who might be interested in helping celebrate Bob's birthday.

Bob, for his 90th birthday, is planning on running (runoggn as he calls it) across the Crystal Springs XC course finish line for his 90th birthday on Wednesday, 4 June at 12:00noon.

You and everyone else are invited to this occasion, with perhaps a meal afterwards somewhere...an informal affair.

He is also looking forward to heading up to CSM who is hosting the JC State Championships on Saturday, 17 May.  

Please pass along the 4 June event details to allow those whom you think would be interested, and hope to see many of you at the course on 4 June!

Dave Shrock

NorCal Invitational results

 John Owens Invitational
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/629727/results/all

Hillsdale Fighting Knights Relays
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/590782/results/all

Gaucho Relays
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/624501/results/all

Wolf Pack Relays
https://www.diablotiming.com/results/494/

Morisoli/White Invitational
https://www.diablotiming.com/results/493/

Wildcat Relays
https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/2026/wrel-res.htm

Top NorCal Track and Field Leaders

BOYS
100m Ian Sweeney Bishop O'Dowd 12 10.58
200m Ian Sweeney Bishop O'Dowd 12 21.27
400m Ian Sweeney Bishop O'Dowd 12 47.86
800m Henry Hauser Menlo 11 1:54.28
1600m Cooper Stream Vacaville 11 4:10.66
3200m Ryan Fitzpatrick Nueva 12 9:13.01
110m High Hurdles Chase Young De La Salle 11 14.85
300m Intermediate Hurdles Lawrence Onyejekwe Menlo 10 39.02
4x100m Relay De La Salle 41.52
4x400m Relay Carlmont 3:26.31
4x800 Relay Menlo 8:02.65
Long Jump Cordell Crocker Christopher 12 23'0"
Triple Jump Benicio Labuguen Westmoor 12 45'9.5"
High Jump Naryan Banerjee Jesuit 11 6'8"
Pole Vault Malik Li Campolindo 12 15'4" (NEW)
Shot Put Maxime Morelle Sacred Heart Prep 12 58'10.5"
Discus Deonte Littlejohn Acalanes 12 182'9"

GIRLS
100m Naiaja Sizemore Vanden 12 11.98
200m Naiaja Sizemore Vanden 12 24.24
400m Alexa Randall St. Francis, SJ 11 55.21
800m Anna Salter Crystal 12 2:14.09
1600m Anna Salter Crystal 12 4:54.47
3200m Amaya Bhardawaj Palo Alto 12 10:20.52
100m Hurdles Daniela Hughes Los Altos 12 14.49
300m Hurdles Jasleen Gandhoke St. Francis, SJ 11 45.33
4x100m Relay San Ramon Valley 47.73
4x400m Relay St. Francis, MV 4:01.91
4x800m Relay Evergreen Valley 9:39.07
Long Jump Ellie McCuskey-Hay St. Ignatius 12 19'9.75" (NEW)
Triple Jump Daniela Hughes Los Altos 12 40'0"
High Jump Riley Mcmullen San Ramon Valley 11 5'9.5"
Pole Vault Emma Trevor Tulock 11 12'0"
Shot Put Sidney Johnson Rio Americano 10 44'3"
Discus Gracelynne Duenas Lodi 12 151'4"

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
Sebastian Taylor, Bishop O'Dowd (NCS) NYU
Cason Mitchell, Menlo Atherton (CCS) University of Miami
Farah Allen, Branson (NCS) UCLA (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.

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: THIS THURSDAY March 12th @ 6pm-7pm

Invitational Results

Sunset Invitational at Kezar Stadium
https://www.rtspt.com/events/cif/2026Meets/sunset/compiled.pdf

KBell Invitational at Westmont HS (live results)
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/629122/results/all

Dan Gabor Invitational at Amador Valley HS (live results)
https://www.diablotiming.com/results/2026-03-07/

10th Annual Rust Buster Invitational at Monta Vista HS (live results)
https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/2022/CurrentMeet/Track___Field.htm

Boys Big Cat
https://redwoodempirerunning.com/2026-boys-big-cat/
Girls Big Cat
https://redwoodempirerunning.com/2026-girls-big-cat/

Bronco Roundup Distance Carnival
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/617524/results/all

Catching up with Branham coach, Craig Lee

Today, we catch up with Branham coach, Craig Lee (in his famous yellow Cal hat in the photo on the right with coaches Chris Clima on far left and Chris Franco in the middle). Coach Lee competed at College Park HS where he was coached by current Campolindo coach, Chuck Woolridge. He continued his running career at Cal Berkeley under the tutelage of Tony Sandoval. During his coaching career, Coach Lee has had multiple stops at different schools (detailed below), where he has had lots of success, including section titles and state meet competitors. This past cross country season, the Branham boys finished in 2nd place at the CCS Division 2 race led by section champion Alijah Murillo who went on to finish in 2nd place at the state meet and qualify for NXN. Murillo was named the NorCal Runner of the Year. Branham also had two individual girls (Dhrithi Ravilochan and Gemma Cervone) qualify to the XC state meet.

1) How did you get your start in running? What other sports did you play before HS? 
I always enjoyed running during PE as a kid but I started doing CYO track and field in 8th grade and started doing cross country my Sophomore year in high school since I played football my freshman year. I was also on the Freshman basketball team at College Park.

Besides track, football, and basketball, I played baseball when I was younger.

2) You ran at College Park for Chuck Woolridge. What do you remember of your high school experience? Standout races? Any good stories about Chuck? 
My high school experience was great. Chuck Woolridge is one of the best coaches in the nation and I was lucky to be coached by him. He taught me a lot about running and made my high school running experience fun and challenging at the same time. 

I loved running the Dipsea Trail and attending Humboldt Running Camp in the Summers and doing Orienteering Runs and the King of Pain workout during the seasons. 

For Cross Country, my favorite/standout races were:

- The State Championship my Senior year (1997). It was my first and only time making the State Championship and it was also the first time a team from College Park had made the State Championship in any sport so it was pretty memorable, and I am glad I got to share that experience with David Vigil, Jeff Wang, Roy Holtman, Sina Aboutalebi, Chris Rust, Eric Henry and Justin Patute. 

- The Ed Sias Invitational, my Junior year. That same group of guys won the Varsity Boys race, and it was really exciting for us to win our own invitational. Coach Steve Nesheim was still working at College Park as the ceramics teacher, and he made an awesome ceramic chalice-like trophy for the fastest Falcon at the meet, and I was lucky enough to be that Falcon on that day.

- The Stanford Cross Country Invitational my Senior year (I ran it when the course still had the hill in the back section). It was the first time I had ever raced on a golf course so that was pretty cool. I wish they would bring back more invitationals on golf courses in the Bay Area. (Totally agree with this. Losing the Stanford XC Invitational was a huge loss for our sport-A Caruana) 

In track:

-  Going to the Mt. SAC Relays my Senior year was so much fun with my team. If I recall correctly, we set school records in the 4x1600 and Distance Medley Relay. What made it even more memorable for me was that I was a little nervous before one of the races. I remember getting ready for the starter to get us lined up when I heard my mom yell something supportive to me from the rail. It caught me off guard as I wasn’t expecting my family to make the trip to watch the meet since it was a 6-hour drive but there they were, my parents, my two brothers and my sister cheering me on.

- Every Bob Warren/Charlie Eaton Relays meet was a blast because it was the last invitational before the postseason, so it was the final chance to run a distance relay with my teammates (4x1600 or 4x800) before the focus became on individual events for me. We didn’t have the 4x800 at NCS or State like they do now. If you can’t tell, I am a big fan of relays.

There are a lot of stories I remember about Chuck but I’m not sure I can point to one that I’d want to share. I will say that having Chuck and Jonathan Spiros (former sprints and hurdles coach at College Park) really helped me grow up in a lot of ways and I am thankful for that.

3) You next ran at Cal Berkeley. How did you end up choosing Cal and what was your experience at Cal? Who was your coach? Highlights?
I got into the University of Oregon, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley (Cal). Although I was a good runner in high school, I wouldn’t say I was a top tier talent so it didn’t make sense to pay the cost to go to an out of state school just for running when UC Berkeley and UC Davis were both closer to home and academically really strong schools that I could still run at. I ultimately ended up at Cal due to its strong academics and the opportunity to race in the PAC-10. 

My college coach was Tony Sandoval and his strength was more on the track with the middle distances. I find myself adding elements of his training into my current training plans as well as using many quotes that he used to help hammer home a point when guiding the team. 

I’m not sure I had a lot of highlights but one of my more memorable races in college was when I placed second in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Woody Wilson Invitational at UC Davis. It was one of those races that felt really good and was a lot of fun. Side note, I finished the race, and I looked up and saw my parents on the rail again to my surprise. It felt just like Mt. SAC Relays in high school as I didn’t tell them I was racing but they figured it out anyways and made the trip to watch race. I think it was one of the only races they were able to come watch since my siblings played sports as well.

4) What made you decide to get into coaching? What was your first coaching experience? What did you learn from that experience?
I really love running and I knew when I graduated that I still wanted it to be a part of my life. Chuck reached out to me and suggested that I come help out at College Park along with a couple of my former high school teammates, Laura Andersson (Danner-Baird) and Ruth Dowling. That first experience coaching with Chuck, Laura, Ruth, and Jonathan Spiros shaped a lot of my coaching philosophies and expectations of how a highly successful program should be run. The culture of that team (2003-2004) was at such a high level that it almost felt college-like. It was serious but also a really fun group.

5) Aside from coaching, what else do you do? How did you end up choosing that profession?
I have worked for Santa Clara County as a Forensic Scientist (Criminalist) for 20 years. I graduated from Cal with a degree in Biology. During my Junior year, I came to the realization that I didn’t want go into biotech or go the med school route. My mother worked at College Park and one of the teachers there had a spouse who worked in the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Crime Lab. I was invited to visit the Crime Lab and after the tour, I knew that was the field I wanted to go into. After I graduated from Cal, I interned at the Oakland Crime Lab which made coaching at College Park doable. 

6) Where else have you coached after your first coaching stint? Highlights? Proudest accomplishments?
My first high school coaching experience was at College Park with Chuck. The commute to Pleasant Hill got a little tougher with interning in Oakland after a couple years so I was fortunate to coach one Cross Country season at Campolindo with the great Chris Walsh, Dino Petrocco, and Allison Adams before I started my job at the Crime Lab in Santa Clara County. Chris was great to coach with as he had a very different approach to coaching than Chuck. If you’ve never met Chris Walsh then you are definitely missing out on some great running stories and life lessons. “COACH!”

After a couple years of working at the Crime Lab, I was allowed to start coaching again so I took a job coaching at Notre Dame of San Jose since it was close to the Crime Lab. Coaching with Chrissy Malfino and the students on the team was fun but a very different experience than coaching at College Park and Campo. It was a good experience that helped prepare me for coaching at other private schools. I ended up leaving coaching for a year as my mother got sick and passed away from cancer that break year  

I next became an assistant coach for the girls team at Archbishop Mitty where I was fortunate to be a part of teams that won CCS and continually made the state championship. I met my wife, Lynn Lee (Wilson), while coaching at Mitty when she coached at Presentation HS. I eventually started coaching at Presentation HS with her and Catherine Aquino. Winning CCS in 2017 while coaching with Lynn and Catherine is probably my proudest coaching accomplishment. When I look back at that time period, it was such a joy to coach alongside them as it really felt like family. When COVID hit, Lynn and I stopped coaching as our son, Cade, was born. 

In 2022, I got the coaching itch again and Lynn gave me the go ahead to start back up. I had been coaching girls Cross Country for over decade at that point, and I really want to coach at a school that would let me coach both genders. I looked at coaching openings and Branham happened to be close to our house so I applied for the open job and got the job starting with the 2022 cross country season. 

7) You have now been coaching at Branham HS. How did you end up coaching there? What was the state of the program before you got there? What changes did you make that you feel really upgraded both cross country and track and field teams?
As I stated before, I wanted to coach both boys’ and girls’ programs at a school and Branham was a school that was close in proximity to my house making my commute home pretty quick as my son is still pretty young. 

Chris Jensen was the previous head coach and he did a fabulous job navigating the team through the COVID era. I tried to build off of what he had been doing but did make some changes to team expectations and culture. Training wise, the coaching staff of myself, Chris Franco, and Chris Clima implemented a little more structure and it seems to be paying off as the team has experienced some great success in the last few years. 

8) Aside from Chuck Woolridge, who else have been your coaching mentors and what have you learned from them?
I have been lucky to have some really great friends who happen to be coaches. Although they may not be mentors in the classical definition, Steve Nesheim, Jonathan Spiros, Chris Puppione, Joey Woolridge, Jason Oswalt, Tony Kauke, Chris Williams, John Pelster, Tim Hunter, and Eddie Salazar from the NCS have all given me or continue to give me great coaching and life advice. 

In the CCS, Sunday long runs around Lexington Dam with Chris Cozort were always interesting explorations into training philosophies. Tacos and Training Talk with Josh Small were always a post meet highlight for me. My group chat with Jorge Chen and Albert Caruana have been pure coaching gold. Zoom call round tables with Nick Alvarado and Al Berrin always sparked great discussions.

In college, Tony Sandoval and Alan Kolling gave me great guidance and formed a lot of approaches to training and coaching. 

Lastly, my wife, Lynn, is a great sounding board for me regarding balancing life and coaching. 

9) From your first year coaching to now, what are you still doing the same and what major changes have you made as a coach?
I think one of the major changes I have made from my first years coaching to now is that I stopped running with the team. From a personal fitness perspective it sucks because I am not in any great running shape but I do find that with the range of ability level I coach now, I have more time to check-in or spend with all my students than I did before. I try to bike alongside for some of the runs or workouts when I can so I still get out there on occasion. I also feel like the team bonds together better on those daily runs when no coaches are around.

Other than that, I haven’t made any major changes to training. Subtle adjustments or progression in training are done based on the group we have and how the prior season went. 

10) From looking at your cross country training program, what do you feel are the key components that enable your runners to be successful?
I don’t know if I can point to any specific training component that makes the runners I help coach more successful. I think we use the same training philosophies or elements as most other programs with the only possible difference being how much/little we may do of something and when we do it. Through the summation of these components, we have been able to achieve a lot of success.

11) What would be your advice for a new coaching just starting out? 
My advice to new coaches is always to first decide what kind of coach and team you want to be a part of. If you want to be serious with training and competing then you need to set those expectations right away. Team culture is everything when it comes to performing at a high level. You might lose student-athletes because of your expectations but those who remain will likely be committed to training and competing at a higher level. Conversely, if you want to have a team that is more relaxed or less serious about winning or training then that’s okay too. Just make sure to set expectations right away so everyone knows what they are getting into. 

Second, talk to other coaches. The old NorCal Roundtables were great places to talk with coaches about training philosophies and other aspects of coaching. Attending coaching clinics are another great way of expanding your knowledge and coaching connections.  

I am pretty loquacious, so I used to just go up and chat with coaches at meets or if we practiced at the same places. I think you can learn something from every coach as everyone has their own experiences and approaches.  

Third, try new things. You can read books about training or articles online, but most acquired knowledge comes through trial and error so don’t be afraid to test a theory. You don’t necessarily have to make drastic changes to your training plan or philosophy but if you keep getting a result you’re not happy with then you should probably change something. 

12) Anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for the opportunity to share my experience and background. We all started somewhere as coaches and I hope the people reading this are able to take something away from it that might help them in their journey. Talking with others in the coaching world really does help with learning and improving. Most coaches want to chat about that stuff so don’t be shy and go make new friends!

Thank you very much for your time, Craig! AJC