Monday, June 30, 2014

2014 NCS Division V Pre-Season Rankings (Boys)

Not to be outdone by their female counterparts, the NCS Division V boys also rolled at the 2013 California state cross country meet. The 5 state qualifying teams finished in 1st (St. Joseph Notre Dame), 2nd (Marin Academy), 6th (Lick-Wilmerding), 7th (Athenian) and 14th (College Prep). The also had four individuals finish in the top 10 with Trevor Reinhart in 2nd, Gabe Arias-Sheridan in 4th, James Kinney in 5th and Michael Murphy in 9th. The St. Joseph Notre Dame boys won their 2nd straight team championship after finishing 3rd in 2011. The Marin Academy boys made their first state meet podium after a 7th place finish the previous season.

The most famous alumni from St. Joseph Notre Dame is hall of fame basketball player and current New Jersey Nets Milwaukee Bucks coach, Jason Kidd. Other alumnus include Mark Curry from Hanging with Mr. Cooper fame and Damian Lillard, who only attended SJND as a sophomore but is counted as an alumni on their Wikipedia page (good for them). With SJND's XC success the past few years, you can also include Gabe Arias-Sheridan, Nick Ratto and Louis Rodriguez as significant alumnus who helped put the Pilots squarely on the XC map. Despite the graduation of those athletes, SJND remains as the best team in NCS as well as perhaps the state. They will be led this season by the Murphy twins (Michael 4:31.38/9:40.84 and Matthew 4:32.85/9:47.17) and sophomore Cooper Teare (4:32.90/9:45.66). Sophomores Gavin Hill (17:04 at Hayward) and Willie Mein (17:11 at Hayward) will be asked to step up and fill the shoes of the two departing seniors along with Jackson Sundheim who was injured last season.

Marin Academy recorded three 2nd place team finishes to conclude their 2013 XC season. They finished behind Lick-Wilmerding at the BCL West meet, behind SJND at NCS and once again behind SJND at state. They lose their #2 man James Kinney but return a comparable front three to SJND. Trevor Reinhart is one of the top Division V runners in the state with a 1st place finish in 2012 and a 2nd place finish last year. He also made his track debut last year and in limited time recorded a 4:20.64 1600m. time. Junior Henry Fleming recorded 8th, 8th and 23rd place finishes in those last three races for MA. Fellow junior Connor Montgomery was equally as instrumental in MA's success and improved this past track season with 4:35.14/9:59.01 PRs. Junior Jack Williams (17:22 at Hayward) and sophomore Dustin Decker (17:24 at Hayward) will need to take a bigger role in order for MA to continue their team's success.

The Lick-Wilmerding boys recorded their 3rd consecutive league championship after finally breaking University's string of 18 that ended in 2011. They finished in 3rd place at NCS which is their 2nd best team finish at the section meet behind their 2001 team that finished in 2nd place. Their 6th place finish at state is their best finish in school history. They will be led by seniors Steve Page (4:27.79/10:08.01) and Matt Jenkins (9:40.63). Fellow senior, James Rich (4:43.03/10:23.69) was a consistent top 5 performer last year with Logan Pierce and Zac Oji also in the mix. L-W also had a great group of freshman/sophomores who will be competing to make their top 7.

College Prep was a consistent state meet participant including a section title and 2nd place state meet finish in 2006. They didn't qualify for the state meet in 2011 and 2012 but rebounded nicely last year with a 4th place finish at the NCS meet. They will be led by junior Alex Glavin (9:43.99) who finished in 15th at NCS and 24th at state and concluded the school year with an even more impressive track season. He will have plenty of fire power behind with with senior Tristram Dodge (4:37.81/10:09.78) and junior Stephen Sloan (2:04.67/4:37.92). Trevor Soule, Andrew Vaughn and Ethan Ashby will need to close the gap with the team's front three runners to challenge the top 3 teams mentioned above.

The rest of the top team contenders will include Athenian who will be led by one of the top sophomores in the state, Dawson Reckers (4:36.94/9:40.54). They return 3 of their top 7 from last year and will need some of their younger runners to challenge for a state meet spot. University finished in the dreaded 6th position last year but will have their top runner, Ben Tracy (10:14.00) back along with 5 of their top 7. Sonoma Academy, Urban, Head Royce and Stuart Hall will all be in the mix for a top 10 finish. An interesting team will be Roseland University Prep which finished in 10th place last year with only 5 runners but all five were freshmen and sophomores and with an addition or two could place better this coming season.

The individual favorite will be senior Trevor Reinhart who had quite a season last year setting the Hayward course Division V record at 14:44 and followed that up with a 2nd place finish at the state meet. He then went on to finish in 5th place at the Footlocker West Regional and 12th place at the Footlocker national meet. He will be two time section defending champion and provided he is healthy will win once again this coming season. The chase pack should include Michael Murphy, Matthew Murphy, Dawson Reckers, Cooper Teare, Henry Fleming and Connor Montgomery. Christopher Boranian of Head Royce (4:33.19/10:16.01) finished in 10th place last year and qualified for the state meet as an individual and should not be counted out.

Division V Boys (Top 5 Advance to State)
1) St. Joseph ND-Going for 4 NCS titles in a row. Record is 7 for UHS.

2) Marin Academy-Margin may be closer with SJND.
3) Lick-Wilmerding-Deepest team in this division with solid duo up front.
4) College Prep-Much improved team following terrific track season.
5) Athenian-Program on the rise but will be dealing with a coaching change.
6) University-Addition of a couple of freshmen studs could make them dangerous.
On the bubble:  Head Royce, Roseland University PrepSonoma AcademyStuart HallUrban

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) and 2013 NCS meet time:

Trevor Reinhart (1) Marin Academy 14:44
Michael Murphy (4) St. Joseph ND 15:30
Matthew Murphy (5) St. Joseph ND 15:30
Cooper Teare (6) St. Joseph ND 15:32
Henry Fleming (8) Marin Academy 16:02

Comments?  Who did I miss?  What can you add to my rankings?  Also feel free to link this article to your team website/facebook etc.

The Marin 415K and Miracle Mile on July 13th

You can register for either race at http://race415.com/

1 Mile
Challenge yourself to run your best 1 Mile time ever in the Marin Miracle Mile – part of The Marin 415k Festival. The course runs straight through the heart of downtown San Rafael in heats by age group. Make sure to invite mom/dad/grandma/your neighbor Mr. Wilson to come downtown to cheer you on!

The Miracle Mile is part of the prestigious Pacific Association Grand Prix racing series that brings together runners and club teams from all over Northern California to compete for individual and team prize money. Pacific Association athletes (with current USATF card) and club teams are eligible to win cash prizes from a $3000 prize purse.

Senior Women – 9:30 AM
Senior Men – 9:45 AM
Masters Women – 10:00 AM
Masters Men – 10:15 AM
Open Women – 10:30 AM
Open Men – 10:45 AM

5K

Central Coast Section (CCS) pre-season rankings

While I am working on posting the NCS rankings, feel free to begin the conversation about the best teams and individuals in CCS. At some point during the summer, Walt Van Zant will also post the top times of all the teams in every division which is tremendously helpful in breaking down all the divisions.

Who are the top 10 boys teams in CCS? Top 10 girls teams? Who are the best individuals returning this year (boys and girls)? Which will be the toughest division to make state? 

On a side note, it appears that Toro Park will be good to go for CCS this year. That has not been confirmed but it looks like we are headed in that direction.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Rising 7th Grader impresses at Golden West Invitational

Isabella Fauria from Roseville continued to impress at the Golden West Invitational with 2:19.51 (800) and 11:09.94 (3200) times. You can view complete results from the meet here.

Definitely an athlete/runner to keep our eyes on for years to come. The picture below is from the Kim Duyst Invitational, Stanislaus, with Izzy competing against the collegians earlier this season (courtesy of BB Running coach, Joe Hartman).

Friday, June 27, 2014

Northern California Top 10 Track and Field Athletes (boys and girls)


Here are my two lists of the top 10 NorCal Track and Field athletes from this past season. This is tougher than you think because you have to compare athletes from different events. I will spare you my criteria because it's not uniform throughout the lists but I tried to judge the whole season as well as how they finished up in the most important meets. Feel free to weigh in on the lists and share what your top 10 lists would look like.

Boys
1. Nate Moore Castro Valley HS 25'8.75" (LJ), 51'4" (TJ) Double state champion
2. Marquis Morris De La Salle HS 13.68 (110 HH), 36.86 (300 IH) State champion
3. Karsten Wethington James Logan HS 23'10.25" (LJ) 50'7" (TJ)
4. Fred Huxham Redwood HS 4:09.99 (1600), 4:10.53 (mile), 8:54.24 (3200) State champion
5. August Kiles Tamalpais HS 16'7.25" (PV)/Ryan Pust Golden Valley HS 16'7" (PV)
6. Jeremy Wright Terra Nova HS 21.83 (200), 47.01 (400)
7. Kyle Orloff Serra HS 21.47 (200), 47.52 (400)
8. Austin Carter Folsom HS 14.15 (110 HH), 37.09 (300 IH)
9. Blair Hurlock De La Salle HS 4:08.33 (1600), 8:58.28 (3200)
10. Darrin Paulo Grant HS 56'6.25 (SP), 184'2" (D)/Conner McKinnon Amador Valley HS 1:51.64 (800)

Girls
1. Reonna Collier Piedmont Hills HS 11.79 (100), 13.76 (100 H), 40.90 (300 IH) State champion
2. Mecca McGlaston Dublin HS 24.47 (200), 13.54 (100 H) State champion
3. Madeline Price Menlo School 23.97 (200), 53.42 (400)
4. Anna Maxwell San Lorenzo Valley HS 2:08.32 (800), 4:42.14 (1600), 10:04.81 (3200)
5. Sarah Robinson Gunn HS 2:09.72 (800), 4:44.07 (1600), 10:12.40 (3200) State champion
6. Destiny Smith Barnett Skyline HS 11.40 (100), 23.75 (200)
7. Greta Wagner Los Gatos HS 11.84 (100), 24.53 (200), 13'0.25" (PV) State champion
8. Gabrielle Cantrell San Leandro HS 11.72 (100, 23.83 (200)
9. Patrianna Perry Vacaville HS 13.61 (100 H), 42.01 (300 IH)
10. Hannah Chappell Oakdale HS 149'6" (D)

Comments welcome. Who do you think should move up and did I miss anybody?

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 NCS Division V Pre-Season Rankings (Girls)

The maximum number of teams in each division that can advance to the California state XC meet from each section is 7. Of course, one section dominates with the most auto team qualifiers with 7 in each division and that is the Southern Section. Ever since the inception of the state meet in 1987, I believe no other section has had 7 teams qualify to the state in any division until 2014. Following two decades of success at the state meet, 7 girls teams from the NCS MOC meet will now advance to the state meet. At last year's state meet, the 6 NCS girls' teams finished in 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th place.

The Branson School won their first cross country state championship last year after a near podium finish (4th place) the season before. They defeated Central Section's Central Valley Christian at the state meet 70-82 after a narrow loss to Lick-Wilmerding the week before by 3 points (60-63) at the NCS meet. Along with '14 grad, Julia Maxwell's 3 state individual championships, the school is certainly no stranger to state championships with 2 girls' basketball state titles (20007, 2008), 3 boys' basketball state titles (2006, 2007, 2008) and 4 girls' volleyball state titles (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012).
The top four runners from last year's NCS meet were seniors with both Branson and Lick-Wilmerding each led by multiple seniors. This year's meet will definitely be decided by the younger runners especially the incoming freshmen. The slight favorite at this point appears to be the Lick-Wilmerding girls who won their first ever section XC title in 2013 (above). While they lose their top two runners, Molly Dicke and Andie Von Eschen, L-W is one of the largest Division V schools and has plenty of depth to continue their run of success. They will be led by sophomore Jill Reilly (5:28.34/11:46.21) and junior Maddy Nakada (2:26.87/5:26.75) and will return 5 of their top 7 runners from last season. They will be definitely challenged to repeat and a case can be made for 4-5 schools who could upend L-W and win this division.

The Branson girls will need to find a way to replace their top three graduating seniors, Julia Maxwell, Anna Harleen and Allie Williams. This season, they will be led by sophomore Ashley Delgado (2:25.33), who along with teammate Lizzie Reeves both finished in the top 15 at the NCS meet and were part of Branson's first MCAL XC championship team that preceded their state meet victory. They would have more than likely won their first XC section title but chose to rest Harleen for the state meet which turned out to be the right decision. That second place finish may have been a disappointment last year but a 2nd place finish in 2014 would definitely be considered a success.

The Convent girls had their most productive season in school history with a 3rd place finish at the BCL West final, a 3rd place finish at NCS and an even more impressive 5th place finish at the CA state meet. They will be led by senior Camilla Bykhovsky (5:22.14/11:55.38) who rebounded nicely during track season after a shortened XC season. She will be joined by junior Mae Singer (2:35.96, 19:27 and 12th at NCS), senior Sarah Selzer (5:48.66, 19:45 and 22nd at state) and 10th grader Katie Newbold (2:36.02). They will need to solidify the rest of their top 7 in order to repeat or perhaps improve their top team finishes from last season.
Following the passing of legendary coach, Jim Tracy, the University HS girls will be under a new coach (Carin Marrs). For 20 years under Tracy's tutelage, University won 15 league championships, 14 NCS titles and 10 state meet championships (a state record). During his last season, the UHS girls finished in 2nd place in the BCL West, 4th at NCS and 7th at state. This coming season, they will be led by senior Grace Euphrat-Weston (11th at BCL West meet), and sophomore Simone Jacob (2:32.56/5:35.21).

The wild card in this division will be Sonoma Academy, coached by Danny Aldridge. They finished in 10th place at last year's NCS meet with Alyssa Goody their lead runner in 8th place. She went on to finish in 13th place at the state meet with a time of 19:25. This year, she will be joined by freshman phenom, Rylee Bowen, who just ran 4:58.57 (mile), 7:11.43 (2k steeple) and 11:27.44 (2 miles) at the New Balance National meet. More on her later. She will also have a couple of freshmen teammates that are sub 21:00 5k runners. Junior Lilly Reinstein (2:27.14/5:28.43), sick during the last part of the XC season, rebounded with an excellent Track and Field season. Provided those 5 runners can all stay healthy, Sonoma Academy will definitely be in state meet contention and with some inspired running, could break into the top 3.

The rest of the contenders will be familiar ones for those that follow the NCS Division V scene. Urban HS finished in 6th place at NCS and followed that up with a 10th place finish at state. They lose their #3 runner from last year but will have the return of a healthy Molly Carleton who ran 2:18.39 at the NCS MOC track and field meet. The Athenian girls return 6 of their top 7 from last year including sophomore Grace Brown (2:22.71/5:24.91) and junior Rebecca Elliott (2:25.18/5:36.30). They will be in search of a new coach this coming season as their previous coach, Phillip Hadley, will be moving back home, north of the border. The College Prep girls may have been overlooked during University's run of 4 straight state championships, but they had 3 straight podium finishes between 2009 and 2011. They will be led once again by veteran coach, Jack Coakley and sophomore Maya Zimmerman (11th place at NCS meet). CPS finished out of the state meet qualifying positions with a 7th place finish last year but that finishing position will not exclude you from the state meet this season.

The individual winner this coming season will not be named Julia Maxwell after her 3 straight individual titles. It will also not be Lucy McCullough after her 4 straight victories preceding Maxwell. We could however have another McCullough at the top of the heap with younger sister Bevin taking a shot at adding to the family trophy case. She finished in 6th place last season at the section meet and 15th at the state meet but had an even more impressive track and field season. She recorded her season best time of 5:02.94 at the NCS MOC meet to finish in 7th place. She also ran 11:34.09 at the Class A Meet. She will need to get past Veronica Aguila of St. Joseph Notre Dame who finished just ahead of her at the section meet with a 5th place finish. McCullough will also need to contend with Sonoma Academy freshman, Rylee Bowen who has been chomping at the bit to race in high school. In fact, she has taken on collegians already and fared quite well including a victory in the Santa Clara Invitational Open Race (below). The rest of the challengers have already been mentioned with many of them looking to extend their track success to the fall season.
Division V Girls (Top 7 Advance to state)
1) Lick Wilmerding-Could win their 2nd straight section title.
2) Convent-Will look to continue last season's success with healthy Camilla Bykhovsky.
3) Branson-They will need immediate freshman help to replace top 3 graduates.
4) Sonoma Academy-They could finish higher but we will start them here.
5) Urban-A healthy Molly Carleton starts the Blue with a very low stick.
6) University-A tradition of athletic success never graduates.
7) Athenian-Best team from BCL East.
Top 5 returning individuals, (place) and 2013 NCS meet time:
Veronica Aguila (5) St. Joseph Notre Dame 18:53
Bevin McCullough (6) Marin Academy 19:03
Grace Brown (7) Athenian 19:05
Alyssa Goody (9) Sonoma Academy 19:14
Maya Zimmerman (11) College Prep 19:27

Please feel free to chime in on the rankings above. I won't be offended if you strongly disagree as the above rankings are meant to be a launching pad for conversation. Fortunately section titles and state meet berths are decided by the runners themselves. Did I miss any teams or individuals? Any other impact freshmen that we should know about?

Boys coming up next...

Monday, June 23, 2014

NCS Division 2 Pre-Season Rankings (Girls) by Northgate coach, Peter Brewer

North Coast Section Cross --CC-> Country Girls’ Division II 2014 Pre-Season Rankings
Who is Peter Brewer you might ask? If you have never had the pleasure of meeting former Castro Valley HS and current Northgate HS coach, Peter Brewer, check out the following two links:

The first is from the The Castro Valley High School Olympian:
Brewer: “He grew on me”

The second link is my interview with Coach Brewer in 2008:
http://www.crosscountryexpress.com/2008/11/catching-up-with-castro-valley-coach.html

Thursday, June 19, 2014

2014 Northern California Track and Field State Meet Champions

With just a couple of post-season track and fields meets to go, it's time to take a look back at the 2014 season and what a season it was for athletes in the northern part of the state. We had a combination of an outstanding senior class and the rise of several future stars. Despite being outnumbered by their peers from the South, the North more than held their own at the state meet with multiple state championships and many high finishes. Below is a recap of the 9 state championships that were claimed by Northern California athletes and teams.

The State Champions
It didn't take long for the first state championship on the track although it may not have been accomplished as planned. Woodcreek HS (above courtesy of www.presstribune.com) was the #1 ranked boys 400m. relay team with a CA best 40.93 heading into the state meet. They upheld their ranking in the trials as they ran the fastest time of the day, 41.26. In the final, Woodcreek appeared to be headed toward victory but their anchor, Colton George, was overtaken by Kevin Nutt of Edison and ended up finishing in a disappointing 2nd place (State champs or bust). But wait! A yellow flag on the turn led to Edison's DQ and Woodcreek was crowned as the first NorCal 400m. relay champion since Skyline in 1999 and the first champion from the Sacramento region since Hiram Johnson in 1986. The other team members were Alex Rotteveel, Tyus Williamson and Aspyn Walton. With the Edison HS DQ, Castro Valley HS moved up to 2nd place giving NorCal a very rare 1-2 finish at the state meet in the short relay. How rare you ask. It's only happened one other time and that was in 1975 when Ells HS (Richmond) and Wilson HS (San Francisco) finished as the top two teams at state.
The next state championship took place immediately after the boys' 400m. relay but it may have come from a surprise winner. San Lorenzo Valley's Anna Maxwell was the defending state champion and undefeated at four lap distance in 2014. In fact, her only loss at any distance came at the Arcadia Invitational in the 3200m. against ridiculously good Alexa Efraimson, Alaskan high school star Allie Ostrander and California's latest distance stud, Bethan Knights of Northwood HS. Maxwell doubled up her victory total in the 1600 and 800 at the CCS meet with a little too close for comfort victory over Sarah Robinson of Gunn HS in the longer distance. Knights chose to focus on the 3200m. and dropped the 1600m. despite running 4:42.29 at the SS divisional final. That still left 7 girls under 4:50 in the suddenly deep event. Maxwell entered the state meet attempting to complete a double (1600/800) that had been accomplished once (Kathy Costello, Pleasant Hill HS, 1975) in California state meet history. Maxwell, per usual, led from the gun and had two willing companions in Robinson and Destiny Collins of Great Oak HS. All three went through the first lap under 66 seconds and the race was ON! All three remained clear of the chase pack by a wide margin throughout most of the race until one of the unforgettable moments from the 2014 meet. With approximately 250m. to go, a very exciting race turned into a demolition derby with Maxwell and Collins crashing to the ground. Robinson avoided the tumbling runners and raced away to victory, winning in a near PR 4:44.25.
The next state meet victor was another surprise winner although Northern California has done quite well in the girls' 100m. hurdle race with 6 victories in the last 8 years. At the Arcadia Invitational, Vacaville HS also set a new national record in the always exciting 4 x 100m. shuttle hurdles race. The three fastest times from the section meets all belonged to NorCal athletes with Pattriana Perry of Vacaville HS leading the way with her 13.76 at the SJS Masters meet. Mecca McGlaston of Dublin HS, the Stanford Invitational champion, won the NCS MOC meet in a then lifetime best 13.87. Freshman phenom, Reonna Collier of Piedmont Hills HS, won 4 events at the CCS meet which included the short hurdle race in 14.00.  Following the preliminary races, Perry led 8 girls under the 14 second mark to the final with a wind aided 13.63. I am certain that at least 5 girls in that final believed they could win the final and claim the state championship. At the gun, McGlaston timed her start perfectly and led the way to the first hurdle and never gave up the lead to record the victory in another PR of 13.54.
The Central Coast Section track and field female alumni list is an impressive one that includes Leslie Maxie of Mills HS (Olympian, HS 400m. hurdle record holder 55.20), Wendy Brown of Woodside HS (Olympian, won state meet team championship by herself in 1983), Jeneba Tarmoh of Mt. Pleasant (Olympian, 4 time state individual champion) and Vashti Thomas of Mt. Pleasant HS (CA 100m. hurdles record holder-13.03, 4 time state individual champion). This year, the previously mentioned Reonna Collier of Piedmont Hills, appears to be headed to join  that elite company. Following her 4 dominating victories at the CCS meet, Collier narrowed her focus to the hurdle races by dropping the 100m. She finished in 4th place in the short hurdle race which is rather impressive considering that Collier picked up the hurdles for the first time this year. On Friday, she recorded a then PR in the preliminary 300m.hurdles race, 42.01. That time tied her for the 3rd fastest time entering the final but Collier ended up dominating an experienced field with an eye-popping 40.90 to claim her first but definitely not her last state championship.
Looking to duplicate the earlier back to back victories by Woodcreek HS and Sarah Robinson, De La Salle HS hurdler Marquis Morris had the opportunity to claim his 2nd state championship following his first one the previous season in the 110m. High Hurdles race. At this state meet, Morris finished in 2nd place in the 110m. High Hurdle race (behind frequent rival, Misana Viltz of Millikan HS) but this time had a chance to compete in the longer hurdle race at the state meet. In 2013, Morris was disqualified at the NCS Tri-Valley meet for a trail leg "hooking" violation in the 300m. Hurdle race. Morris came into this race as the favorite as the lone CA hurdler to dip under the 37 second barrier this season. His lone loss took place at the Arcadia Invitational against Robert Grant of Arizona. Morris controlled the state final and once again dipped under the 37 second mark to win in a time of 36.86 just ahead of the diving Austin Carter of Folsom HS.
The state 3200m. has become the heavyweight championship race for the distance runners at the CA state meet. With the luxury of dealing with one race at the state meet, many of the top runners choose to focus on the longer distance race in favor of the four lap distance. This year, Blake Haney added to the intrigue of the distance races as he was attempting to become the 2nd CA runner to win the 1600/3200 races in back to back seasons. Earlier in the meet, Haney claimed the 1600m. and was 3/4 of the way to matching Roman Gomez of Belmont HS (1984/1985). Waiting for Haney in the 3200m. was a strong list of runners who didn't have to go through the 1600m. grind of trials and finals that included Fred Huxham of Redwood HS. Huxham had already recorded an impressive season that included a 4:14.48 indoor mile in Washington, a mile victory at the Stanford Invitational-4:15.80, a 10th place finish at the Arcadia Invitational  in 8:55.03 and a new school record in the 1600m. (4:09.99) at his league final. He immediately dropped the 1600m. and turned his focus solely to the 3200m. and won the NCS MOC meet over a game Blair Hurlock of De La Salle HS in 8:59.24. The state meet race was another tactical affair with the majority of the runners rolling through the mile in the mid 4:30s. Hurlock immediately stretched the field out as he, Huxham and Steven Fahy of La Costa Canyon HS surged to the lead. They continued to lead until Huxham made his move for the win during the 7th lap and rolled to victory in a lifetime best time, 8:54.24.
When we look back at this past state meet, several individuals (Ariana Washington of LB Poly and Stamatia Scarvelis of Dos Pueblos HS) stand out as state meet victors and will go down as all-time CA state meet performers for their multiple victories in consecutive state meets. Nate Moore of Castro Valley will be remembered along with those two young ladies and he was able to accomplish an achievement that has never been accomplished before in state meet history. Moore won the long jump and triple jump in 2013 with jumps of 24'11.75" and 50'11.75" respectively. In 2014, Moore dominated the triple jump with 5 jumps over 50 feet. He recorded a lifetime best mark of 51'4" that was wind aided (+2.1). He recorded a wind legal lifetime best mark of 25'8.75" on his final jump in the long jump to become the first jumper in CA history to record back to back LJ/TJ victories. Moore was also part of the 2nd place 400m. relay team and helped Castro Valley HS finish in 2nd place in the team battle with 28 points.
The battle for this year's girls team title at CCS was a hotly contested one between Gunn HS and Los Gatos HS. Going into the 2014 season, Los Gatos appeared to be the favorite despite losing potential points with the transfer of Mady Fagan (She won '14 HJ title for Saratoga HS). Behind Sarah Robinson's distance triple, Gunn was able to outlast Los Gatos by 3 points (73-70) and the Collier powered Piedmont Hills team by 11 points. Greta Wagner of Los Gatos (above courtesy of Jim Gensheimer) was their big scorer in four separate events as she was a member of the winning 400m. relay team, finished in 2nd place in the 100, 3rd place in the 200 and won her specialty, the pole vault. She finished in 3rd place at state in the PV in 2013 and was the favorite to win this year's state title following the non advancement to the state meet by 2013 champion, Kaitlyn Merritt of Santa Margarita. Wagner cleared her first four heights in the finals on the first attempt to win the title and continued further to clear 13'0.25" on the 3rd attempt.

Track and Field Post-Season Awards

Central Coast Section
Terra Nova's Jeremy Wright is Mercury News boys track athlete of year
Piedmont Hills' Reonna Collier is Mercury News girls track athlete of year
Menlo's Maddy Price saves best for last
Serra's Kyle Orloff sets high standard

North Coast Section
East Bay Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Mecca McGlaston, Dublin
East Bay Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Nate Moore, Castro Valley
East Bay Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year: Jeff Rogers, St. Mary's
East Bay Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year: Dooney Jones, Castro Valley
All-East Bay Boys Track and Field first team capsules
All-East Bay Girls Track and Field first-team capsules
Prep boys track athlete of the year: Fred Huxham
Prep girls track athlete of the year: Julia Maxwell

Sac-Joaquin Section
Golden Valley’s Pust, Buhach’s Coward are Sun-Star’s Track and Field Athletes of the Year

Central Section
Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year Mikaela Smith of Clovis North
Girls Track & Field Outstanding Track Athlete
Girls Track & Field Outstanding Field Athlete
Girls Track & Field First Team, Honorable Mentions
Girls Track & Field Coach of the Year
Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year Kevin Nutt of Edison
Boys Track & Field Outstanding Track Athlete
Boys Track & Field Outstanding Field Athlete
The Bee's Spring All-Stars: Boys Track & Field First Team
Boys Track & Field Honorable Mentions

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

NorCal coaching vacancies

Athenian High School is currently searching for Head Cross Country Coach for the 2014 season.  Cross Country position runs from summer through CIF State meet at the end of November.  Daily practices plus Saturday workouts.  Weekday league meets andSaturday Invitationals.  Must be able to travel with the team.  If interested please email a coaching resume plus three references with contact information.  Please send information to Darek Cliff, Athletic Director, darek.cliff@athenian.org

Athenian High School is currently searching for Head Track and Field Coach for the 2015 season.  Track and Field runs from 2nd week in February through the CIF State meet in June.  Daily practices plus Saturday workouts.  Weekday league meets and SaturdayInvitationals.  Must be able to travel with the team.  If interested please email a coaching resume plus three references with contact information.  Please send information to Darek Cliff, Athletic Director, darek.cliff@athenian.org

Berkeley High School (NCS) is accepting applications for sprints and hurdles assistant coaches for the 2015 track & field season. The applicant should be available between 4:30pm and 7:30pm Monday through Friday, and Saturday mornings. Applicants should work well in a collaborative coaching environment and should be committed to continuous improvement and education in the field of coaching. USATF certifications are highly desirable. We are especially interested in applicants that desire to work with our up-and-coming girls’ team. Applicants will be required to complete CPR and First Aid certification, Coaching Education, and pass a background check. A stipend is available. Interested applicants should email a resume, letter of interest, and two references to Head Coach Brad Johnson at BradleyJohnson2@Gmail.com . We are hoping to fill this position by mid-July.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

2014 NCS Division III pre-season team rankings (Girls)

NCS DIII Preseason Girls Rankings by Campolindo assistant, Andy Lindquist
Overview: Last season Campolindo blew away the competition scoring a low 25 points at the NCS meet and continued that domination by winning a state title the following week. With 6 of the top 7 returning for the Cougars, the bar is set even higher for Campo which seeks its 2nd straight state title and 3rd in 5 seasons. However, Bishop O'Dowd has significantly closed the gap on Campo by virtue of returning its entire top 5 from a year ago, with all of them having remarkable track seasons. DFAL opponents Las Lomas and Miramonte have made steady gains over the spring track season and will look to lock down one of the 4 qualifying spots to the state meet. Tamalpais returns their entire top 7 from a year ago and will also look to challenge for a podium position and a trip to state. Of course some teams will get impact freshmen but for now this is how things look.

1. Campolindo: The machine that is Chuck's Army appears primed to pick up where they left off last season and with the progress made during the track season they appear ready to defend their state and NCS titles. Leading the way is defending NCS champion and state runner up Brighie Leach who, despite missing time due to injury during the track season, was able to knock down some big personal bests running 2:17 in the 800m and 4:54 in the 1600m placing 9th at the state meet in that event. Mary Orders also excelled, breaking the 11:00 barrier in the 3200m by cruising to a 10:58 in addition to a 5:04 1600m time. These two alone are enough up front firepower to strike fear into the hearts of most teams, but it is Campolindo's depth beyond #1-2 that makes them so difficult to beat. Senior Rachel Johnson, a critical component of last years title run with seasonal bests of 11:18 and 5:15 this track season should play another big part this year as well. Junior Hana Sun rebounded from an injury riddled fall to rip a 5:10 1600m making it very likely that the cougars will have an overpowering front end presence in most races. The biggest wildcard for Campo is Junior Sarah Cella, who had an impressive fall XC season in rising to being the team's #4 scorer during the post-season. During track Cella took it to a whole other level in roaring to a 2:16 800m performance while also finishing in 4th place at MOC. Track times are not always indicative of cross country success but with a talented group of teammates to train with, she could continue to make huge strides and provide Campo with an unreal front end. Varsity returnees Robin Powell (5:35 and 12:06) and Sarah Shipway (5:49 and 12:42) are ready to bolster the back end after making continued progress over the spring. With an astonishing amount of front-running talent and a solid back end, look for Campo to continue their domination this season.

2. Bishop O’Dowd: After finally making to the state meet last season via a 3rd place finish at NCS, the Dragons struggled to a 12th place finish in Fresno well back of plenty of teams they had soundly beaten a month earlier at the Mt.Sac invite. The stage is set for a much better performance this year as O'Dowd returns the majority of their team from last year, all of whom had fantastic track seasons. Sophomore Linnea Gullikson, who was not even in the varsity lineup last year, made huge progress running 5:37 in the 1600m and 12:04 in the 3200m. Last seasons front runners Jourdan Amen (5th place at NCS) and Julia Cooke (7th place) continued to improve running 11:11 and 11:12 in the 3200. Grace Taylor was not too far behind them, clocking 11:18 in the 3200 but what makes Bishop O'Dowd so strong is their remarkably solid pack margin. Alyssa Byer was yet another sub 11:30 performer with a personal best of 11:26 in addition to running 5:13 in the 1600m. Right behind her is Meredith Nix, another key returner who ran 5:15. Having a pack this good has both positive and negative aspects: having the chance to train and race together is a big stress reliever as the pack can pull people to fast times and high placings. However, it is also negative because there are no ace frontrunners to keep the team score low in big meets. With so many great teams in the section/state possessing these quality frontrunners it makes it difficult for a pack centric team such as O'Dowd to beat those teams in a large meet where having a low scoring ace is so essential. As it stands now, O'Dowd has come on strong and is a threat for a top 2 finish at NCS and a top 5 finish at the state meet if their pack continues to develop.

3. Las Lomas: After a successful fall which saw them finish 2nd at NCS and 5th at the state meet, the knights look to continue their recent hot streak and grab another spot to state. Last years NCS runner up and state 4th placer Chloe Hansel really stepped it up during the track season in running 4:54 in the 1600 to give Las Lomas an impressive #1 who will score low points for them in every meet. Sophomore Sydney Polich also had success around the oval this spring in running 11:40 for 3200m along with Samantha Coopersmith who clocked a 5:44 1600m. Add in veterans Megan Wenzel (18:59 at Hayward) and Elise Stankus (19:14 at Hayward) who both placed in the top 20 at last years NCS championship and you have a solid core of runners. The most important aspect will be how much Las Lomas can close down the margin between their #1 and #2-5 as maintaining a closer pack will yield much better results.

4. Miramonte: Last season provided plenty of heartbreak for the Matadors as they were only 11 points away from qualifying for the state meet for the first time since 2006. Look for things to change this year as they return a great deal of talent and look for finally get over the hump to Fresno. Sophomore Hannah Fishlow came out of nowhere in the track season to blitz a 5:10 1600m time. That coupled with a 19:21 clocking at last year's Clovis Invite shows that she has the potential to make a big impact this upcoming season. Arden Creason, who was Miramonte's #1 at NCS last year focused more on the sprints this year but managed to put up a respectable 2:23 in the 800m while her 19:15 personal best on the Hayward course shows she has the endurance ability. Georgia Roden also had success in the middle distances, rolling to a 2:18 800m time and with a steady summer of training could rise up to being a big contributing factor. Rounding out the scorers are Sondra Abruzzo and Sarah Rockwood, both veterans who had solid track seasons in the 3200m running 12:11 and 12:31. Throw in sophomore Madison Alvarado (12:20) and the matadors have all the right pieces in place to make a run at a state meet birth. Competing against rival Campolindo in the DFAL will give them plenty of opportunities to measure themselves against high level competition.

5. Tamalpais: Returning their entire top 7 from last season's NCS championship meet, Tam has the potential to move up in these rankings and challenge Las Lomas and Miramonte for state meet berths. The Red Tailed Hawks are lead by sophomore Katie Miekley who had a big personal breakthrough on the track running 5:11 for 1600m. Sophomore Lizzy Labeeuw-Anderson also broke through in a big way in the spring, vaulting from the pack end of the pack in XC to a 5:29 1600m clocking. Right behind her was Olivia Phillips in 5:32. Tam has a great deal of depth as evidenced by Megan Bartschat and Gianna Garza who both ran at or under the 12:00 barrier in the 3200m. Add in veterans Hadley Clark and Bella Amyx and Tam looks like the dark-horse pick to step up and surprise people at the end of the season. Again much like some of the other teams above, the focus has to be on bringing down the pack margin and ensuring that all members of the scoring 5 can be fit enough to move up with the front end of the field in larger races.

On the BubbleAlbanyPetalumaAcalanes

Monday, June 16, 2014

2014 NCS Division III pre-season team rankings (Boys)

NCS DIII Preseason Boys Rankings by Campolindo assistant, Andy Lindquist:
Overview: Last years battle for the NCS team title saw both Campolindo and Bishop O'Dowd engage in a season long struggle for supremacy with Campo prevailing in decisive fashion at the NCS championship by overpowering the rest of the competition in scoring a low 43 points to O'Dowd's 67. The trend continued the following week as Chuck's Army rolled to a 4th place team finish, with Bishop O'Dowd landing in 9th place. This season, the Dragons return the majority of their team from a year ago and look to flip the script on the defending champions who will need to rebound from the graduation of 2 time state champion Aidan Goltra to continue their winning tradition. Not to be overlooked, 3 other teams from the DFAL: Las Lomas, Miramonte, and Acalanes will seek to close the gap on Campo and O'Dowd and nab a coveted spot at the state meet. With NCS DIII boys now having 5 team spots to the state meet these rankings will be 5 teams deep.

1. Bishop O’Dowd: The Dragons return 4 from last years 2nd place team, the majority of whom had exceptional track seasons to firmly put them in the drivers seat in the quest for the NCS title. Senior Colin Burke leads the way after ripping a 9:23 3200m as he will look to challenge for the individual title after finishing 4th last year, giving O’Dowd a low scoring ace to help in the team competition. Right on his heels is Junior Nick Downs who ran 4:25 in the 1600m this past track season to advance to the NCS Meet of Champions in that event. A personal best of 9:50 in the 3200m points to great aerobic strength as well. Considering he owns a pb of 16:02 at Woodward Park, Downs could provide a deadly 1-2 punch this coming season. Sean Burke (10:01 3200m) and Riley Cooke (4:34 1600m) add more firepower to the proceedings after productive track seasons and will look to improve upon their placings (26th and 27th) from the previous year. Backing up this talented foursome is veteran Joshua Pagila who clocked a 10:43 3200m during track, and Charley Nordin who also sports a 3200m best of 10:43. It will be critical for the Dragons to close down the gap at the back end and find some more depth to fill out their roster in case illness/injury or an off day besets them. However, as it currently stands, Bishop O’Dowd has all the requisite firepower to overwhelm the rest of the division and capture their first section title since 1995.

2. Campolindo: The Cougars stormed through last season on the heels of their remarkable front running prowess and solid supporting cast to lay claim to their 9th section title. This year the task will be considerably more difficult as Chuck’s Army seeks to rebuild after losing a solid portion of their team from a year ago. Unlike past seasons, where Campo could count on exceptional performances from their #1 runner, the key to success this season will depend on developing a solid pack margin between 1-5 to counteract other teams frontrunners. Leading the charge is ultra talented senior Parker Lothamer whose 9th place finish at last years NCS meet makes him the 3rd fastest returner. While focusing on being a member of Campo’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams over the spring, Lothamer still managed to roll to a 1:58 800m performance to place in the top 10 at NCS MOC. With a solid summer of training he could develop into a threat to crack into the top 3 individually. Right behind him are the tandem of Kevin Buckley and Nathaniel Sauerberg who both clocked identical 9:57 3200m times this track season and will look to build upon their clutch performances from a year ago. After that things get a little shaky as super talented sophomore Jared Yabu was injured for the majority of the track season and only managed to post a 10:45 performance in the 3200m. However his 21st place 16:14 clocking from a year ago points to great performances if he can remain healthy. Next in line to step up are Jonathan Semenza ( 4:52 1600m 10:21 3200m) and Gabriel Valverde-Turner (4:56, 10:21) who flashed brilliance at the frosh-soph level but will need to make the big adjustment to varsity level racing in order to close down the gap on the lead trio. Veteran Sean Pappa (10:39 3200m) rounds out the squad at this point in time and looks to provide some more depth. For the cougars to prevail it will become critical to hone down the pack margin as the season progresses. As it stands now it will take a quality summer and an unrelenting pack for Chuck’s Army to defend their section title.

3. Las Lomas: The Knights surprised last year in stepping up to a 3rd place finish at NCS and advancing to the state meet. While they do not return a whole lot from last season’s team, some solid frontrunning mixed with a talented influx of upstarts make the Knights a threat to capture another state meet berth. Out in front is Tom Robey who had a very successful sophomore year as he churned out a 9:46 performance in the 3200 in addition to his breakout XC season which saw him run 16:02 at Hayward High school. Right behind him is supremely talented senior Keeson Davis, who rocked to a 4:27 clocking in the 1600m during track. While he had a lackluster post-season in cross country, his personal best of 16:35 at Woodward Park from last year’s Clovis Invitational points to a lot of potential. Behind them are rising junior Daniel Jervis and Tommy Kisylia who ran 10:07 and 10:15 respectively in the 3200m during the spring. Those four should give Las Lomas the up front presence to land a spot in the top 3 and while depth after that is a concern, the Knights routinely have one of the largest XC teams in the section with which to pool talent from. The key will be to focus on bringing up younger athletes to competing against the rigorous DFAL competition which will hopefully provide the team with the experience needed to do well in the post-season.

4. Miramonte: The Matadors continued their state meet streak last season in grabbing the 4th and final qualifying spot to state. With the addition of a 5th team qualifying spot, Miramonte will once again be in the running to advance to the big dance. Varsity returnees Andrew Lewis and Sid Bagga will look to build off of solid track seasons which saw them run 10:12 and 10:10 performances in the 3200m with Lewis dropping down to a 4:35 in the 1600m. Following them is another veteran in Chris Ramirez who sports a personal best of 10:22 in the 3200m and talented Junior to be Pete Bull (10:34). The biggest x factors for Miramonte are their rock solid trio of middle distance talent: Charlie O’Brien, Brian Haufler, and Elliot Fong all ran 2:02 or better in the 800m this track season and if they can make the conversion to the longer distances with a solid summer of training they could be huge impact performers and vault Miramonte into contention for an even higher placing at the end of the season. The lack of a true front runner than can place in the top 10 at NCS is what is really holding the Matadors back at this point in time; however if they can cohesively train over the summer and work on advancing their pack margin they could turn a lot of heads once the fall season starts.

5. Acalanes: After coming up short last season in finishing in 6th place, just 27 spots out of qualifying to the state meet, the Dons look to rise up and capture the last qualifying spot this year for the state meet, in addition to closing down the gap on their rival teams from the DFAL. Out in front is junior Cameron Gaskell who is the top individual returner in this division after finishing 3rd at last year’s NCS meet. Despite being beset by illness during the track season, Gaskell still managed to record 4:25 and 9:30 clockings in the 1600/3200 and will give Acalanes a low score in every race. Backing him up are Nima Leclerc and Alex Kelly, both varsity returners from last season who had solid track seasons with Leclerc (10:11) edging a bit ahead of Kelly (10:32). Add in another returner in Aaron Harman (16:45 at Hayward) and Acalanes possesses the potential to make another team appearance at the state meet. As with most teams, depth is a concern and one that will need to be worked on throughout the season in order to assure that the Dons can match some of the more top heavy teams in the section.

On the Bubble: Analy, Petaluma, Albany

Feel free to comment on the above rankings in the section below. Girls will be posted tomorrow.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

2014 NCS Pre-Season Division III Boys Individual Rankings

By Campolindo assistant coach, Andy Lindquist

NCS DIII Boys individuals
Overview: Last season was another electrifying year for the NCS boys in DIII as Aidan Goltra and Fred Huxham tore through the season en route to finishing 1st and 4th at the state championships. With both having graduated, the field is wide open for a host of talented upstarts to capture the individual crown.

1. Colin Burke (Bishop O'Dowd) After a breakthrough fall, finishing 4th and 17th at NCS and State, Burke continued to impress this track season in roaring to a 9:23 performance in the 3200. Looks to be the slight favorite at this point.

2. Cameron Gaskell (Acalanes)  Last years 3rd placer at NCS owns personal bests of 15:28 at Woodward Park and 15:25 at Hayward HS, both the top marks in this division. Illness derailed most of his track season but he was still able to clock 4:25/9:30 in the 1600/3200. Loads of talent and ability make for a huge amount of upside heading into the fall.

3. Nick Downs (Bishop O'Dowd) Another big talent for the dragons, Downs had a solid track season in running 4:25 in the 1600m to advance to the NCS Meet of Champions. Huge upside with a personal best of 16:02 at Woodward Park makes Downs a threat to challenge for a spot in the top 3.

4. David Frisbie (Kennedy) Had a massive personal breakthrough this track season in advancing to MOC finals by running a 4:22 1600m. Track times do not always translate well to cross country but Frisbie finished 18th in 16:13 at last years NCS meet so the potential is there to nab a medal position and advance to state.

5. Parker Lothamer (Campolindo) After a surprising breakout during cross country running as Campo's #3 man for most of the season, Lothamer focused on the long sprints this past track season. This did not stop him from continuing to make progress placing 9th at MOC finals in the 800m with a time of 1:58. Loads of upside and potential here to challenge the front pack.

6. Tom Robey (Las Lomas) A consistent performer for the Knights last season, Robey had a nice track season in running 9:46 in the 3200 as a sophomore. Plenty of potential here for another big step-up to challenge for DFAL supremacy.

7. Kevin Buckley (Campolindo) Another quality performer for Chuck's Army, Buckley was the critical #5 man for last year's team champions. Continued to be rock steady during track, clocking a 9:57 3200m.

On the bubble: Sean Burke (Bishop O'Dowd) Nathaniel Sauerberg (Campolindo) Riley Cooke (Bishop O'Dowd)  Keeson Davis (Las Lomas) Jared Yabu (Campolindo)

Thanks to Andy for his work on the posted pre-season rankings. If you feel like somebody should move up or down or a runner should be added to the list, feel free to use the comment section below.

Santa Rosa 8th grader Rylee Bowen runs 4:58.57 for mile at NB Nationals

Thanks to Steve Palladino for the find.

6 3818 Bowen, Rylee 18 Santa Rosa, CA 4:58.57 1 1:13.285 (1:13.285) 2:29.103 (1:15.818) 3:45.604 (1:16.501) 4:39.256 (53.653) 4:58.563 (19.308)

Full results here.
Photo courtesy of www.runnersworkshop.com. Bowen will be attending Sonoma Academy next year in NCS.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Catching up with 4-time state champion, Roman Gomez of Belmont HS (LA)

2014 NCS Pre-Season Division III Girls Individual Rankings

By Campolindo HS assistant coach, Andy Lindquist

NCS Division III Girls Individuals
Overview: Once again look for the individual title to go to a DFAL runner (the last non DFAL winner in this division was back in 2009) as all the top finishers from a year ago return to battle it out for top honors.

1. Brighie Leach (Campolindo) – The defending NCS champion rebounded from an injury plagued winter to run a 4:54 1600m this past spring to advance to the state meet finals in that event. Still the favorite at this point in time.

2. Chloe Hansel (Las Lomas) – The NCS runner-up last season and State 4th place finisher had another quality track season notching a 4:54 1600m time. Still remains to be seen how this translates into the longer cross country distance.

3. Mary Orders (Campolindo) Continued improvement this track season leading to a 10:58 performance in the 3200m and a 5:04 clocking in the 1600m. Quality teammates and quality competition in the DFAL should continue this upward momentum.

4. Allie Timbrell  (Alhambra) Was having a productive track season, running a 5:01 1600m early in the season only to be derailed by late injury. Still, competing in the DFAL will give her plenty of chances to measure up against quality competition.

5. Hana Sun (Campolindo) Campo's usual 4th/5th scorer last season, Sun was hampered by injuries in the later stages of the season and was unable to compete in the postseason. Rebounded in a big way in track by running 5:10 in the 1600m. Being a member of Chuck's Army and getting to train with a bunch of talented teammates everyday is a huge advantage.

6. Julia Cooke (Bishop O'Dowd) A quality performer for the dragons last season, Cooke continued to improve this track season by running5:14 and 11:11 in the 1600 and 3200 respectively. With O'Dowd returning the majority of their team from last year, look for more steady improvement.

7. Jourdan Amen (Bishop O'Dowd) Last years 5th place finisher at NCS continued to get better as the track season wore on, running her best 3200m time of 11:12 at the NCS Meet of Champions. Getting to train with a solid pack of teammates with similar personal bests should lead to another level of improvement this fall.

On the bubble: Sarah Cella (Campolindo) Hannah Fishlow (Miramonte) Rachel Johnson (Campolindo) Alyssa Byer (Bishop O'Dowd) Sammy Taketa (Acalanes) Grace Taylor (Bishop O'Dowd) Meredith Nix (Bishop O'Dowd)

Feel free to comment on the above rankings in the comment section below. If you know of any incoming 9th graders who may break into this group, feel free to share their names and accomplishments as well.

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