Today we chat with Miramonte junior, Tyler Hanson (pictured to the left courtesy of lamorindaweekly.com) who won the Small School race at the Ed Sias Invitational leading his Miramonte teammates to victory over league rival Campolindo by a score of 71 to 75. Tyler is a two time state meet qualifier in cross country. His freshman season, he was the team's 3rd man as Miramonte finished in 4th place to lock up the final qualifying spot. Last year, Tyler qualified as an individual finishing in 9th place in the always competitive Division III race.
1) Besides cross country and track and field, what other sports have you participated in before or during high school?
Before track and cross country, I was a competitive road
cyclist until the start of my sophomore year cross country season. I was
very passionate about it and very dedicated as well. I was on a local team
based out of Walnut Creek called Tieni Duro. I competed at nationals starting
from when I was a seventh grader all the up until last summer. I had to make a
decision and choose only one sport. I chose running because I love the
teamwork, competition and benefits of being a high school athlete.
2) How did you get your start in running?
My father is probably the reason why I started running.
He told me it was essential that I compete on a high school team and that I
wouldn't regret my experience. He was right. I instantly fell in love with
cross country. As a freshman, my coaches and teammates alike pushed me to
secure a spot on the varsity level. Running became part of my lifestyle and I'm
glad it remains that way.
3) What were the first successes that you remember in cross country and track and field?
My first successes came as a freshman during
cross country. Making it onto varsity was an achievement I had never imagined,
especially as a newcomer to the sport. Racing on varsity throughout the year
was an honor. In 2009, that varsity team in particular made it to state. In
track, my first successes came in my sophomore year, as I didn’t run track my
freshman year due to cycling commitments. As a sophomore, I had more result
based successes. Winning any kind track race is an achievement. I knew I wanted
to try to win all three distance races in one season (800, 1600, 3200) and
fortunately I was able to do that, as well as making it to Arcadia.
4) What were some of your freshmen highlights in both sports?
My freshman highlights as a cross county athlete
were various. Being a part of the varsity team was by far one of the best
highlights. I also traveled with the team to Clovis Invitational and Mt. Sac
Invitational that year and the experience of going to those two events created
fond memories and are definitely highlights of my freshman season.
Unfortunately, in 2009 our varsity team was mostly seniors except for Jamie
Fehrnstrom and myself, but I still enjoyed spending a lot of time with them.
Besides those things, our adventure runs and the things I learned from my
senior classmates will always make my first year of running very memorable.
5) As you started running in high school who were the role models that
you wanted to emulate whether that was on the Miramonte team or other
teams?
Coming into the sport, I really didn’t know
anything about running, whether it was the high school level or the
professional level. I looked up to all the runners on varsity individually
because they each have special qualities about them. As I learned about each of
their running backgrounds, I became more fascinated and inspired. Even now, I
look up to Jamie Fehrnstrom for his undivided dedication and his determination.
I’ve been running with him for as long as I’ve been in the sport.
6) What about your sophomore year highlights?
I really enjoyed my sophomore year of track and
cross country. The list highlights of my cross country season in my sophomore
year are endless, but going to Clovis once again was amazing. I just really
enjoyed being around my friends and fellow athletes. As far as track goes, my
trip to Arcadia was one of the greatest highlights. The experience of getting
to race at Arcadia is unlike any other race I’ve ever taken part in. The
combination of the intense competition and getting to spend time with my
friends made Arcadia my favorite track experience.
7) What are your current track and field personal records?
My current track and field personal records are
as follows
800: 2:00
1600: 4:26
3200: 9:41
400: 53
8) You won the Ed Sias Invitational Small School race. What was your plan going into the race and how did the race unfold?
My plan before Ed Sias Invitational was to stick with the
runners from Campolindo High School. I knew that those guys have put in a lot
of work over the summer and I wanted to see how they were running. When the
race started I decided I would stick with the lead runners. Evan Quigley and
Thomas Joyce were leading the race for the most part and I held onto them as
best as I could. I tried not to let myself fall behind 4th place at any time. At
the mile marker, I didn’t really pay any attention to my split but I knew we
were all going to set a fast time. I ran up next to Thomas right before the
bridges near the final hill. I really tried hard to stick with him on the hill.
Once I got some ground on him on the downhill, I gave it everything. I finished
hard after a tough race.
9) Miramonte also took the team title narrowly defeating league and
section rival Campolindo HS. Tell us a little about the rest of your
varsity team and how you guys prepared for this season.
Miramonte has prepared for this season by using
a vigorous summer training program and getting more high level runners
involved. We have all adopted a very positive outlook for the season and we are
prepared to run hard. We know we can produce great results this year, and our
race calendar provides us with plenty of opportunities to show what we can do
when we work together. I love my teammates. We spend a ton of time together,
during and outside of practice. They are just as much my best friends as they
are my training partners.
10) What
does a typical week look like for you? Weekly mileage? Long run
distance? Toughest workouts? Favorite runs? Team traditions?
Favorite meet? Favorite course? Favorite track and field race
distance?
A typical week for me includes a combination of
long runs and speed workouts. Usually, monday is the run of the week in terms
of miles. We will do anything from 10-14 miles. Then we alternate between
workout and recovery days. Sometimes we have workouts back to back, but we
follow a very precise schedule. I’d say that some of the most challenging
workouts are probably hill sprints or 1000 meter intervals. My favorite run is
the Kings loop in Valle Vista which is a part of the EBMUD trails system. One
of the varsity traditions is to drive to Jamba Juice in Lafayette after hard
workouts and sit in one of our cars and listen to music. Especially during this
time of year when the weather is hot, it becomes one of our frequent
traditions. My favorite meet and course are at the some location, Clovis
invitational. I like Clovis because it gives me an opportunity to run the state
course with less intensity. People often say that the course is one of the most
difficult all year, however I believe it’s the competition that makes that
course as challenging as it is. My favorite track and field distance is
probably the 800m. It’s not my fastest, but it is my favorite.
11) Tell us a little about your coaches during your high
school career and how they have helped you develop into the runner you
are today.
This year my coaches are managing one of the
largest teams we’ve had in a long time.
They are doing an excellent job looking after every runner's needs and
they work hard to get to know each runner personally. Coach Alison Zamanian has
made helped me complete one season of XC and one season of track and to make
the best of my training. She has always been positive and brings a good work
ethic along with her. This year, with the assistance of Coach Brad Alban, our
distance team can become even more developed. Their collaborative efforts will
allow our team to produce great results, as we already have in the young 2011
season.
12) Anything else you would like to add.
I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season. Our
team is putting in a lot of hard work and it’s already beginning to pay off.
Miramonte Cross Country is a fantastic and well organized team. I speak on
behalf of the entire team when I say that we are prepared to have a great
season, dedicated to producing great results and having fun.
Thank you very much Tyler! AJC
