Crystal Springs Uplands School looking for head cross country coach

You can find all the information at this LINK.

Cross country camp

 

Lowell Invitational still has room for more teams

Lowell Invitational has room for 7 schools at the meet.  The size of the team should be under 45 runners.

Email meet director Andy Leong at coachaleong@hotmail.com

NCS Division V pre-season rankings thanks to Walfred Solorzano

BOYS Division V Team Rankings (Top 4 Teams Qualify to State)

1, San Francisco University - Despite graduating a large portion of their 2024 squad, the Red Devils return as the favorites to repeat as NCS champions. They will also be looking to grab a spot at the podium at the State meet.. Ben Friedland leads the pack as the defending individual NCS champ. Friedland also ran 16:05 at the state meet and 9:38.34 (3200m) last track season. Ethan Kraska made big improvements over the track season by running 1:59.36 (800m) and 4:27.20 (1600m). Matteo Moretti, and Hugo Tao Ong are expected to form a reliable scoring core behind Friedland and Kraska. University is usually deep and should not have issues having strong 5-6-7 runners.

2. Stuart Hall - Last fall, the Cubs loudly announced themselves at the NCS Championships, stunning the field with a second-place finish and punching their ticket to state. They followed that up with another good performance at the State meet finishing 11th. Now, with every runner returning, the Cubs are poised for something even bigger in 2025. They are looking to improve and earn another trip to Fresno where they can crack a top-10 pacing at State. Reese Terrell and Julian Anderson (10:10.44 & 10:10.80 in the 3200m) will be leading the charge and have a group of five teammates who all dipped under 11:00 in the 3200m to provide support. Their tight team time spread is where Stuart Hall can do the most damage.

3. The Bay School - The Breakers are fueled by a senior class that is ready to step into the spotlight and chase the program’s first-ever state berth - aiming to match the growing success of their girls’ team and leave a legacy of their own. At the heart of the Breakers' resurgence are Leor Hersh, 4:33.53 (1600m) and 9:57.19 (3200m), and Kainoa Newton, 4:35.57 (1600m) and 10:06.58 (3200m). Both are a 1-2 punch capable of challenging for individual section titles. They’ll be pivotal in securing a low score at NCS and will be backed by Sam West and Matthew Gatz-Levine - 10:22.82 and 10:42.04 in the 3200m. 

4. College Prep - The final spot for a trip to Fresno is a toss up. Last year, the battle for the final qualifying spots to State came down to two points between four teams. Branson and Sonoma Academy tied with 165 points, both securing their places. But it was College Prep and Lick-Wilmerding who felt the sting, finishing with 166 and 167 points. Isan Skarbinski ran 15:39 on the NCS Championship course and will also be challenging for the individual championship. Skarbinski gives College Prep an edge over Sonoma Academy and Lick-Wilmerding. He will be backed by Andrew Martinovsky and Gabriel Barbosa-Topete. They will be pivotal in transforming College Prep from a bubble team to a state meet lock.

5. Sonoma Academy/Lick-Wilmerding - Sonoma Academy just pulled out a trip to Fresno last year. The Coyotes will be led by Charlie Rubenstein, who had a solid freshman season posting track times of 4:49.34 (1600m) and 10:35.03 (3200m). He will be supported by a young squad that can have a massive improvement.  It is very difficult to count out a program like Lick-Wilmerding. They just missed out on a state meet berth and are looking to rebound. Kai Scott and Arman Anoshiravani will be leading the Tigers. Lick is a strong program and we should expect that the top two will have support to contend for the final spot to Fresno.

Individual Rankings

1. Ben Friedland

2. Isan Skarbinski

3. Leor Hersh

4. Ethan Kraska

5. Kainoa Newton

GIRLS Division V Team Rankings (Top 5 Teams Qualify to State)

1. Branson -  After a record-breaking 2024 campaign that ended with a Division V State Championship and a new team time record at the state meet, the Bulls return as the team to beat heading into the 2025 season. With three of their top five scorers back in the fold, including the core of their 9:04.27 4x800m relay squad, they are the team to beat. Leading the charge is Farah Allen, fresh off a breakout track season with times of 2:14.72 (800m), 4:48.14 (1600m), and 10:59.20 (3200m). Allen has emerged as a legitimate threat for the individual North Coast Section (NCS) title this fall. She’ll be flanked by Hailey Sellers and Maya Gidney, both of whom give Branson a strong trio at top.

2. Lick-Wilmerding - The Tigers are entering the 2025 season as a legitimate threat to dethrone the defending Division V champions. At the forefront is Ella Mogannam, the defending section champion and two-time State runner-up. Mogannam had an excellent track season with times of 2:13.18 (800m) and 4:49.22 (1600m); she will be looking to repeat as section champion and win the individual state title. Lick has a formidable trio with XC state placer Caroline Chang and Emma Adams-Teoh. Chang missed most of her track season due to injury but should bounce back to full form by November. The Tigers may be a little deeper with their 4-7 runners compared to Branson and will be looking to flip the script in November. 

3. San Francisco University - The Red Devils are loaded with talent, experience, and a crucial new addition. At the front of the charge is senior Sophia Nichol, who finished 11th at last year’s State Championship and enters the season with a clear goal of landing on the podium in Fresno. University’s biggest offseason news is the arrival of Palmer Smit, a standout transfer from The Bay School. Smit clocked 19:23 last year at Woodward Park - a time that immediately makes her a valuable scoring asset come the postseason. What makes University especially dangerous is their incredible team depth, they boast a pack of 3-7 runners all with sub-19:30 potential on the state course - a scoring weapon that few other teams can match.

4. Head-Royce - The Jayhawks missed out on scoring in last year’s NCS Championships but they will have a major impact on the competition this season. With a strong duo up front and a promising group of three more rising sophomores, this team may emerge as the most improved squad in Division V by season’s end. Emma Singh will be leading the Jayhawks this fall. She recorded times of 2:19.87 (800m), 5:15.97 (1600m), and 11:44.25 (3200m) last track season; and ran 20:15 at Woodward Park last October. Joining Singh up front is Emilia Frank, forming a solid 1-2 punch for Head-Royce. Frank had an excellent track season and ran  2:24.37 (800m), 5:19.00 (1600m), and 11:42.12 (3200m) last track season.

5. Athenian/The Bay School - The CIF made an egregious oversight by assigning 6 state entries for the Southern Section and only 5 for the North Coast Section. The three-year data has proved that the NCS has been dominating the Southern Section. With that stated, Athenian finished 8th in State last year while The Bay School finished 6th. Both teams will be fighting the aforementioned Head-Royce for a trip to Fresno. Both teams are evenly matched, The Athenian Owls will be led by Eme Williams who ran 19:28 at State last year. She will be supported by Hannah Dameron and Annie Halliday who both posted solid times in the 1600m and 3200m this past track season. The Bay School Breakers will be led by Vivian Tan. Last year, Tan ran her first cross country race ever at the NCS Championships and followed up with an outstanding performance at the State meet in her very first 5k by running 19:41. The Breakers had some key departures but have the trio of Meg Santel, Meera Costa, and Shyla Woolf who will be aiming to take the Breaker to a third consecutive State appearance.

Individual

1. Ella Mogannam

2. Farah Allen

3. Sophia Nichol

4. Hailey Sellers

5. Caroline Chang

2025 CIF team entries from each section now posted

The auto team qualifiers for the 2025 CA state Cross Country meet have now been posted as part of the blue pages, which you can find fully at this LINK.

There are four changes from last year for the boys' teams. None for the girls.

They are as follows:

Central Coast Section +1 in Division I
North Coast Section +1 in Division I

Central Section +1 in Division II

Central Coast Section -1 in Division II

Central Section +1 in Division IV

Sac Joaquin Section -1 in Division IV

Central Section + 1 in Division V

San Diego Section -1 in Division V                             

 

Moreau Catholic-Cross Country/Distance Coaches Clinic

Hello Everyone,
Hope you all had a great Track and Field season. As we close off the season, I wanted to place the following Coaches Clinic on your radar.

On July 26th from 9am to 4pm

Moreau Catholic HS will be hosting a Coaches clinic where we'll have successful long time coaches who will gift us with their knowledge of the sport. A great way to begin our XC season. This Clinic is for all level coaches.

The focus is on developing distance runners for both Cross Country and Track from Youth to Professional Level, with a special emphasis on Cross Country and Team building.

The cost will be $75 per coach plus 2 free athletes(Please bring those athletes that you believe will benefit and take the knowledge seriously and to heart)

 Lunch will be included.

Please encourage your local CYO, AAU, and USATF coaches to come and grow their knowledge of the sport.

You can register and read about all the clinicians at this LINK.

Our Keynote speaker will be Mike Scannell, who's been Grant Fisher's Coach since High School and is currently the coach throughout his Olympic Career.

Amongst other names: From Dana Hills, Shawn Noonen, better known to others as Evan Noonan's dad. Evan Noonan himself.

Chuck Woolridge from Campolindo High School

Jeremy & Noel Mattern from Granada High School

Charlotte Sneed USATF Age group Youth Development Physiology.

We'll be sending more information as we get closer. For now, please spread the word as much as possible and fill out the Google sheet.
Space is limited, please RSVP once we send out the payment link.
Looking forward to hosting you on July 26th.

Any questions, please send them our way.

Coach Enrique Henriquez and Coach Phil Wilder
eotigerr@gmail.com and phil.wilder@gmail.com

Breaking4 Live: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile | Nike

Cross Country NorCal Section Divisions

The auto team qualifiers for the CA state meet will be posted on the CIF website in early to mid August.

CCS

https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/l/d/f2pyzwg0uv4upa/2024-25_CBEDS_for_2025_XC.pdf

NCS
https://d2o2figo6ddd0g.cloudfront.net/b/t/5okz9mtaefl6m6/25_XCountry.pdf

SJS

Last year's Divisions

NS

OAK

SF

CCS Alumni records

CCS Alumni Records (all-conditions)

100- Ato Bolden Piedmont Hills ‘91 9.86 Lausanne ‘99

200- Ato Bolden Piedmont Hills ’91 19.77 Stuttgart ‘97

400- Lee Evans Overfelt ’65 43.86 Mexico City ‘68

800- Rick Brown Los Altos ’71 1:45.4 Eugene ‘72

1500- Cristian Soratos Salinas ‘10 3:36.73 Los Angeles ‘17

Mile - Cristian Soratos Salinas '10 3:54.23(i) New York ‘17

3000- Matt Guisto San Mateo ’84 7:41.60 Cologne ‘93

5000- Diego Estrada Alisal ‘08 13:15.33 Palo Alto ‘13

10, 000- Diego Estrada Alisal ‘08 27:30.53 Eugene ‘15

Marathon- Brett Gotcher Aptos ‘02 2:10.36 Houston ‘10

110 HH- Arend Watkins Silver Creek ’97 13.23 Athens, Greece ‘05

400 IH- Andre Phillips Silver Creek ’77 47.19 Seoul ‘88

Steeple- Joey Berriatua Serra ‘13 8:20.82 Zagreb ‘24

Pole Vault- Scott Slover Leland ‘94 18-10 3⁄4 Los Gatos ‘02

High Jump- Darius Carbin Mt. Pleasant ‘16 7-6 1⁄2 Athens, Ga. ‘22

Long Jump- Jason Smith Riordan ‘16 27-2 Azusa ‘23

Triple Jump- Reggie Jackson Riordan ’87 54-9 1⁄2 Fresno ‘90

Shot Put- Gregg Tafralis Capuchino ’76 72-1 1⁄2 Los Gatos ‘88

Discus- Mike Gravelle St. Ignatius ‘83 214-0 Modesto ‘91

Javelin- Corey White Mt. Pleasant ‘04 272-2 Austin ‘09

Hammer- Kevin McMahon Bellarmine ’80 260-0 Eugene ‘99

Decathlon- Matt Chisam St. Francis ‘00 7694 Dallas ‘08

100- Jeneba Tarmoh Mt. Pleasant ’07 10.93 Des Moines ‘13

200- Jeneba Tarmoh Mt. Pleasant ’07 22.23 Monaco ‘15

400- Maddy Price Menlo ‘14 51.42 Guelph (Canada) ‘24

800- Maggie Vessey Soquel ‘00 1:57.84 Monaco ‘09

1500- Nikki Hiltz Aptos ’13 3:55.33 Eugene ‘24

Mile- Nikki Hiltz Aptos ’13 4:16.35 Monaco ‘23

3000- Shannon Rowbury SH Cathedral ‘02 8:29.93 Brussels ‘14

5000- Shannon Rowbury SH Cathedral ‘02 14:38.92 Brussels ‘16

10, 000- Francie Larrieu Fremont ’70 31:28.92 Austin ‘91

Marathon- Francie Larrieu Fremont ’70 2:27.35 London ‘91

100 Hurdles- Vashti Thomas Mt. Pleasant ‘08 12.61 Kazan (Russia) ‘13

400 Hurdles- Leslie Maxie Mills ’85 55.29 Indianapolis ‘88

Steeplechase- Danielle Katz Los Gatos ‘13 10:11.13 Seattle ‘16

High Jump- Trish King Menlo- Atherton ‘80 6-5 Indianapolis ‘88

Pole Vault- Dimara Planell- Cruz Los Altos ‘11 14-9 Norwalk ‘16

Long Jump- Vashti Thomas Mt. Pleasant ‘08 22-10 1⁄2 Eugene ‘12

Triple Jump- Arianna Fisher Silver Creek ‘18 46-1 1⁄2 (i) Albuquerque ‘23

Shot Put- Peggy Pollock Cupertino ‘78 58-4 1⁄2 (i) New York ‘87

Discus- Elena Bruckner Valley Christian ‘16 204-7 Clovis ‘24

Javelin- Val Fleming Hillsdale ‘94 160-4 Stanford ‘99

Hammer- Jillian Weir Homestead ’10 239-10 Langley (Canada) ‘22

Heptathlon- Wendy Brown Woodside ’84 6079 Indianapolis

2025 UCSB Cross Country and Track & Field Camp

https://ucsbtrackandcrosscountry.totalcamps.com/shop/EVENT

114th Dipsea Race Results

https://www.dipsea.org/2025/2025prelim.html

Former Redwood HS runner Audrey MacLean for the win. Black Shirt winners below.

Bay Area Running Camp at Corte Madera School

If you are looking for a great local running camp this summer, check out The Bay Area Running Camp. The camp will take place August 6-8 at Corte Madera School. The camp director is former Stanford runner and coach Dena Evans. You can read more about her at this LINK.

The camp website is at this LINK.

Mountain View HS seeking coach

Mountain View High School (CCS) is looking for an assistant cross country coach for the 2025 season. Stipend available for $6100. Please email Jonathan Hubbs at coachhubbs@gmail.com if you are interested or have any questions. 

NorCal Cross Country and Track and Field College Commitments

Hanne Thomsen Montgomery (NCS) Stanford University
Landon Pretre Menlo (CCS) Wake Forest University
Will Hauser Menlo (CCS) Cornell University
Broen Holman Sonora (SJS) Northern Arizona University
Evie Marheineke Archbishop Mitty (CCS) UCLA
Trey Caldwell De La Salle (NCS) University of Colorado
Miles Cook Sacred Heart Cathedral (CCS) Cal Poly SLO
Andrew Burr Sacramento Country Day (SJS) Dartmouth College
Alexandra Powell Monte Vista (NCS) New Mexico
Allie Turns Monte Vista (NCS) Gonzaga
Sofia Fernandez Monte Vista (NCS) Johns Hopkins
Owen Brandeis Monte Vista (NCS) Emory
Kinga Czakjkowska Palo Alto (CCS) Cornell
Emma Gardner Tamalpais (NCS) Santa Clara University
Eli Fitchen-Young Santa Cruz (CCS) Duke University
Amrie Lacefield Montgomery (NCS) Colorado State University (NEW)
Seelah Kittelstrom Montgomery (NCS) Columbia University (NEW)
Arrin Sagiraju Dougherty Valley (NCS) UCLA
Hannah Rutherford Mountain View (CCS) Stanford University
Magnolia Hougan Berkeley (NCS) Pomona College
Jackson Hein Pleasant Valley (NS) Berkeley University
Stefan Langridge International (NCS) Carnegie Mellon
James Jenkins Miramonte (NCS) NYU
Ben Bouie Crystal Springs Uplands School (CCS) Harvard University
Sadie Sanders Montgomery (NCS) Howard University
Shrey Chettiar Bellarmine (CCS) Johns Hopkins
Tadgh Murray, De La Salle (NCS) Tufts University
George Mikhael, Granada (NCS) Trinity University
Isabel Soto, Whitney (SJS) Stanislaus University
Nate Griffin Yeh, Las Lomas (NCS) UCSD
Shea Elmore, Los Gatos (CCS) UCSD
Sabrina Zanetto, St. Francis, MV (CCS) UCSD
Kylie Hooernaert, Prospect (CCS) UCSD
Ian Sharp, Archie Williams (NCS) Pomona College
Jack Rattary, College Park (NCS) Chico State
Evan Gardner, Homestead (CCS) UCSD
Josh Griffin, Nevada Union (SJS) Cal Baptist
Jackson Stream, Vacaville (SJS) Chico State
Grace Baxter, Granite Bay (SJS) University of California, Irvine
Milani Bell, Pittsburg (NCS) Long Beach State
Xavier Biwott, Vista del Lago (SJS) Stanislaus
Owen Brandeis, Monte Vista (NCS) Emory University
Anna Carmona, Terra Linda (NCS) Chico State
Addison Clinton, Oak Ridge (NCS) University of California, Irvine
Jaliyah Davis, River City (SJS) Long Beach State 
Golda Demby, Hollister (CCS) Cal Poly University 
Alana Farve, Sheldon (SJS) Stanislaus 
Emma Gardner, Tamalpais (NCS) Santa Clara University 
Ella He, Cupertino (CCS) UNC Wilmington 
Jonathan Hupman, Merrill West (SJS) Stanislaus 
James Jenkins, Miramonte (NCS) New York University
Zoe Leach, Thomas Downey (SJS) St. Mary's College 
Sophia Lopes, Hilmar (SJS) Stanislaus 
Logan Meredith, Orland (NS) Chico 
Brielle Mosley, Silver Creek (CCS) Cal State University Fullerton 
Madeline Ross, Los Altos (CCS) Emory University 
Jonelle Scott, Soquel (CCS) Long Beach State University 
Eliot Traxler, Amador (SJS) University of CA Berkeley 
Sineth Andrabadu, Hillsdale (CCS) Davidson
Maya Eisenberg, Mt. View (CCS) Johns Hopkins University
Grace Veloza, Newark Memorial (CCS), Cal State East Bay 
Aidan Dub, California (NCS) Cal State Marcos
Owen Anderson, McClatchy (SJS) Chico State
Joshua Guzman, Gilroy (CCS) Chico State
Aydon Stefanopolous, Los Gatos (CCS) UCLA
Axelle Allanic, Los Altos (CCS) UCSB (NEW)
Emily Soobrian, Los Altos (CCS) Wisconsin (NEW)
Javin Schmitt, St. Mary's Berkeley (NCS) UC Irvine (NEW)
Eshaan Hussain, California (NCS) UC Riverside (NEW)
Callum McBride, Albany (NCS) UC Berkeley (NEW)
Kyle Jakary, Jesuit (SJS) Cal Poly SLO (NEW)
Will Mulliken, Archie Williams (NCS) UCSB (NEW)
Sam Vellutuni, Rocklin (SJS) UCSB (NEW)
Charlotte Orr, Las Lomas (NCS) American University (NEW)
Lily Montilla, Las Lomas (NCS) UC Berkeley (NEW)
Carson Hedlund, Pioneer (CCS) UCSB (NEW)

If you know of other runners who have committed already and shared publicly, please add them to the list in the comment section below.

Post season invitational results

Hoka Festival of Miles
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/614106/results/all

Golden West Invitational
https://milesplit.live/meets/695552

Brooks PR
https://live.athletictiming.net/meets/54197

Bob Rush's 90th birthday celebration

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

California State Meet

For those of you who were able to watch the state meet in person or online, what were some of the most impressive performances that you witnessed over the two days? What were the most competitive races? Biggest surprise? 

The Marin Mile results

https://diablotiming.com/results/2025-05-31/

Live Results for California State Meet

https://rt.trackscoreboard.com/meets/53025/events

West Coast XC EP 25 State Meet Previews

2nd Annual Marin Mile

We would be happy to provide a discount code to your readers now that most high schoolers' seasons are over and there are only a couple of days before registration closes on Thursday!

Feel free to share code XCEXPRESS with your readers for a 20% off race registration.

The 2nd Annual Marin Mile on May 31st! Sign up at themarinmile.com 

Join us at the Marin Mile— a festival of miles at Archie Williams High School on May 31st, 2025. Inclusive of all levels and all ages, the Marin Mile welcomes anyone who wants to run or race a mile with their peers. 

As this event is electronically timed and USATF-sanctioned, it serves as a great opportunity for high school distance runners to get a last chance race to share with college coaches or to better their personal bests one last time! We wanted to make sure all Bay Area HS distance runners were aware of this race opportunity if they want to take one last shot at a PR or run a full mile on an outdoor track with family and friends! Stick around for the final elite heat where we are hoping to see new Marin County Mile soil records, including Marin's first sub-4 mile!

Heats will take place in the afternoon, running in descending order from slow to fast. The exact schedule will be determined in mid-May

Sign up at themarinmile.com 

NorCal Section Meets live results (and maybe not so live)

CCS
https://live.athletic.net/meets/53294
Malcolm Slaney photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolmslaney/albums/

NCS
https://diablotiming.com/results/2025-05-23/

SJS
https://timerhub.com/get_web_index.php?page=redcaptiming.com/2025/sjsmasters/

NS
Today. First event at 3pm. 

SF
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/580235/results/all

OAK
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/573585/results/all

NorCal Section Meet Entries

CCS
https://live.athletic.net/meets/53294

NCS

Bayshore: https://live.adkinstrakwest.com/meets/53094

Class A: http://www.highspeedtiming.com/51725/

Redwood Empire: https://live.athletictiming.net/meets/53202

Tri-Valley: https://diablotiming.com/results/2025-05-17/

SJS

Division 1 results: https://timerhub.com/get_web_index.php?page=redcaptiming.com/2025/sjsd1/

Division IV/V results: https://timerhub.com/get_web_index.php?page=redcaptiming.com/2025/sjsd45/

Catching up with Sacred Heart Cathedral senior, Miles Cook

Today, we chat with Sacred Heart Cathedral senior Miles Cook. This past fall, Miles continued his rise in the rankings with a 14:52.9 CCS Division III victory and followed that with a 14:54.5 3rd place finish at the state meet. Last spring, Miles qualified for the California state meet in the 1600m following his 4:08.33 3rd place finish at the CCS meet. He has continued to impress this spring with a victory at the Sacramento Meet of Champions 1600m as well as an open 800m PR of 1:53.90 at the WCAL Championship meet.

1) What was your sports experience before high school? What sports did you participate in? Running experiences? PRs you remember?

Before high school, I was mostly a soccer player, like a lot of distance runners. I ran one season of middle school track before COVID, doing the 400m, but never took it too seriously. I think I ran 66 seconds and would show up to practice once or twice a week. Before COVID, my experience of running was never too serious, but once I quit soccer in the 7th grade spring, I joined a track club called Team Onalysis. I never competed for them due to injury and not having the time on weekends, but learning how to properly sprint and doing things like form drills seriously helped my form today, and having sprint training before starting any real distance work was a real help, especially later becoming a mid-distance runner. 

2) What or who inspired you to start running? 

My dad inspired me to start running. he was never a super serious runner, but being able to go out on runs with him during COVID really helped me create a love for the sport that I could keep going into high school. 

3) What was your experience as a freshman at SHC in both cross country and track and field? Lessons learned? Highlights?

I had a great experience as a freshman on both the XC and Track teams, I came into a team with such strong mentor characters who really cared about the sport and were really able to help me cultivate and develop my own passion and work ethic for track has been so valuable to me in the long run. I was an ok athlete at the time so I never made the state meet but there is a memory that really stands out to me from that initial XC season. Due to COVID regulations still being in place, our coach didn't want us staying in hotel rooms together, so I remember sleeping in a random high school gym in Fresno after a Twilight meet with my team and realizing what a cool community of people it really was. At the time, I had only been in high school for a month or two, but had already met so many amazing people. 

4) When do you feel like you really caught the running bug and started considering yourself a runner?

I think I truly caught the running bug my sophomore year after CCS, although I didn't qualify for state, the race was a culmination of the last month of straight pr's and really realizing that I could do something in running. At the time I had dropped from 4:34 before my league trials all the way down to 4:19 at CCS finals and smashed my pr goals for sophomore season. Ending the season on such a high note really propelled me going into Junior year and some of my fondest memories were that summer of training with my teammates really just being excited to push each other and see what we could achieve as a team. 

5) When do you feel like you made your biggest jump during your high school career? Was there a particular season? Summer? Winter? Workout? Race? 

I think I've made a lot of relatively big jumps during my running career but the biggest leaps for me have always come during the offseason. Of course having a few months before the season of training is helpful but not having races always meant that I would surprise myself when I raced for the first time again. I often find myself coming into the season equaling my pr from the year before within my first race or two. There have been quite a few times where I thought I was dead in the water with my racing shape because of sickness or inconsistent training in weeks before track or XC and then I would open with a race that would completely catch me off guard for where I was at. 

6) Looking back at your junior year, what were some of your proudest accomplishments during the cross country and track and field seasons?

My biggest accomplishment from Junior year was definitely running my pr in 1600m. It felt like a culmination of so much work in the months leading up to the race, but mostly it just felt relieving. I knew I had the fitness and was more than able to run a time that fast but I just hadn't found the race to put it together up until that point. To finally run it so late into the season was just such a weight off of my shoulders and an amazing feeling to get it done. 

7) What does a typical week look like for you, training-wise? About how many miles a week? How many workouts? Longest run? Morning runs? Lifting sessions?

This track season a typical week of training for me has between 50 to 60 miles per week. I'll do a monday long run normally about 14-15 miles long. Tuesday will be morning weights and an easy run in the afternoon. On Wednesday I will have a workout most weeks before doubling on Thursday to help get mileage. Friday is either a pre meet or an easy day to prepare for a race or hard workout on Saturday. I'll then take Sunday off most weeks. 

8) Favorite cross-country course? Favorite cross-country meet? Favorite cross-country workout? Favorite track event? Favorite track meet? Favorite track workout? Favorite long run? Favorite free time activity?

My favorite XC course has to be Clovis, and the state meet is there. It has always been such an amazing course to race on and just seems to bring out my best most days. Workouts-wise, when it comes to offseason and XC training, I have always been a big proponent of tempos. I love to get in that zone where you're just pushing a little out of the comfort zone and just really seeing how long I can sit in it. Throughout my high school career they have always really been a pretty good fitness indicator for me. When it comes to track my favorite workouts have to be 400m repeats, I don't think I can go a season without throwing up during one of them but regardless I just feel like those kinds of workouts are what propell every big jump I've had in the mile. For track, my favorite meet is definitely CCS, it's always been what Coach Andy has peaked me for, and as a result, it's where I have my best memories of racing. 

9) Tell us a little about Coach Andy Chan and how he has helped develop the runner you are today.

Coach Andy has been an amazing resource to have as a coach over the last 4 years and is a big reason for where I am today. Of course, running is a sport that leans on natural talent and ability to a big degree, but that potential means nothing if it is not cultivated and coached correctly. Coach Andy has always been there by my side after good or bad races with suggestions on an endless amount of things, saying "how about we tweak this next time" or "what about changing this during our next workout so you feel more comfortable during X aspect of a race". That level of coaching and advice has been massive during my high school running career and is a large part of why I am the runner I am today. 

10) You will be competing at Cal Poly SLO next year. How did you go about choosing that college, and what other colleges were also involved in your final decision?

My decision for college was always very likely to end up in California, as I love the state and the running culture here. Once I'd weighed my options, Cal Poly was a pretty easy decision to make. While the distance coaching talent across California sits at a very high level for most D1 schools here, what stood out about Cal Poly was the team culture. It's a group of California kids who really want to become something at a national level and are willing to work to get it. I knew for college competition and how I function, I was either going to be all in or nothing, so being in a place where everything and everyone in the program is geared towards getting as fast as possible made it a pretty easy choice. 

11) What advice would you give a young runner with aspirations of being an elite high school runner and potentially a college competitor?

Track isn't a one-season journey. Almost anyone you see running massive pr's or rising to the top of your league, section, or state in running has been working to get to that level for way longer than anyone else could see. Big seasons come with years before of failed seasons or "mediocre" racing that can all stack up as base training and a stepping stone to reach a higher level. Patience is one of the biggest virtues in distance running and training. If you put in the work and are patient in not doing too much too early, and being ok with small steps, then success will come. 

12) Anything else you would like to add?

- Thanks so much for the chance to answer a few questions. I don't often think back to my freshman and sophomore years of running, so it was a nice chance to reminisce. Good luck with everything, and I'll see you at CCS, Miles 

West Coast XC Interview talking about 4 x 800 and top distance runners in California

 

NorCal League Championship Results

CCS
WCAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/606736/results/all
PAL: https://www.rtspt.com/events/cif/2025Meets/pal/compiled.pdf

SCVAL ECL: https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/2025/ecl_fn.htm

SCVAL DAL: https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/TRACK/2025/dal_tr.htm

SCCAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/571070/results/all

BVAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/611265/results/all

PCAL Cypress: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/580564/results/all

PCAL Gabilan: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/575018/results/all

PCAL Mission: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/577520/results/all

PCAL Santa Lucia: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/581855/results/all
WBAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/582359/results/all

SJS

SFL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/571131/results/all

Delta: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/570293/results/all

CCAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/579225/results/all

NCS
MCAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/604877/results/all
DAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/574660/results/all
EBAL: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/588494/results/all

HDN: https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/572067/results/all

Central Coast Running Camp, presented by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Central Coast Running Camp, presented by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

Are you a high school runner that's eager to elevate your training, experience a collegiate environment, and learn from some of the best in the sport? Join Cal Poly Cross Country this summer for the inaugural Central Coast Running Camp!

What is Central Coast Running Camp? Central Coast Running Camp is an immersive experience designed for high school runners entering grades 9-12 in the 2025-26 academic year. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or just starting your running journey, this camp welcomes athletes of all ability levels. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Central Coast, you’ll have the chance to live and train like an athlete on the campus of a competitive Division 1 program.

When and Where? Camp runs from Wednesday, July 9th, to Sunday, July 13th, 2025, hosted on Cal Poly’s scenic campus in San Luis Obispo, CA.

What to Expect:

• Trusted Mentorship: Learn from and connect with Cal Poly’s cross country coaching staff and current student-athletes, gaining valuable insights into training, racing, and mental preparation.

• Elite Training Environment: Spend 5 days training on Cal Poly’s renowned running routes and facilities.

• Athletic Growth: Participate in daily runs, workshops, and discussions covering topics such as training, recovery, team culture, and more.

• Community Building: Connect with like-minded runners, forging friendships and memories to carry into your future seasons.

Why Attend? The Cal Poly coaching staff is thrilled to host this camp, designed to help athletes of all levels take the next step in their running journey. Campers will leave more prepared and excited for the cross country season ahead, equipped with new skills, motivation, and a deeper understanding of their sport. This camp offers a unique chance to experience what it’s like to be part of a highly motivated program that values relationships and growth alongside performance. Spots are limited, so register today!

All of the details and the link to register are at CentralCoastRunningCamp.com.

RIP, De La Salle/Carondelet coach John Harvey

 

Northern California Invitational Results

Sacramento Meet of Champions at American River College
https://timerhub.com/get_web_index.php?page=redcaptiming.com/2025/smoc/

NorCal F/S Championships at Dublin HS
https://diablotiming.com/results/2025-04-26/

Jesuit Twilight Relays
https://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/meet/563240/results/all

Catching up with St. Ignatius coach, Michael Kennedy

Today, we chat with St. Ignatius jumps coach, Michael Kennedy. An alumnus of the school, Coach Kennedy has been the St. Ignatius jumps coach since 2015, leading one of the best jump programs in the section and state. His athletes have included multiple section champions (notedbelow in the interview) as well as state meet podium finishers in multiple jump events. Thisseason, St. Ignatius athletes lead the section in the boys' triple jump (Noah Gonzalez) andthe girls' long jump (Elle McCuskey-Hay, photo below), and have multiple jumpers also ranked in the top 10. During meets, you can definitely find the enthusiastic coach guiding his athletes to a new PR.

1. What was your own athletic experience? Where did you go to high school? What sports/events did you do, and what are some of your proudest achievements?

I grew up playing anything and everything – basketball, baseball, soccer, flag football, etc. As the youngest of four siblings and many older cousins, I was always the smallest, just trying to hang. Those experiences made me extremely competitive from a very young age, and it’s not a trait I’ve been able to turn off. I ended up playing football, basketball, and running track at St. Ignatius (SI). I remember going to my older brother and sister’s meets when they were at SI, so I always had an interest in following in their footsteps. Plus being the fast kid growing up, it made sense to give it a try. I sprinted my first two years at SI, running 11.11 as a sophomore and qualifying for State in the 4x1 in 2008. We got a new coach that year, and she told me I should also try long jumping over the summer. I ended up jumping 21’ 10” my third meet and qualified for the Junior Olympics. I suffered a bad ankle injury my junior football season that required two surgeries, which essentially wrecked my junior track season. But after a lot of work and rehab, I had a big senior year at SI running 10.79 and jumping 23’ 0”. I was a State Long Jump finalist in 2010 and our 4x1 also qualified for State that year running 42.31. Both sprint times were School Records for 15 years up until being broken earlier this season! I then ran collegiately at UC Irvine and was a two-year captain there, something I am very proud of. I ran 10.63 while at UCI, which was on the all-time Top 10 list when I graduated.

2. How did you get into coaching, and have you coached at other schools outside of St. Ignatius?

Like many new graduates, I moved back home after graduation in 2014 and needed to figure out what was next. I studied biology at UCI and was contemplating the Medical School route. The application process takes a full year, so I knew I’d have some time in the Spring. Long story short, I did a part-time coaching year at SI in the spring of 2015 before diving in fully in 2016. Even in 2015, I learned very quickly that seeing athletes progress and get better is an addictive feeling. I knew from those early days that I wanted to continue coaching. I haven’t coached outside of SI at this point. I’ve been fortunate to receive a couple of college inquiries over the last few years, but haven’t jumped on them yet. It’s been rewarding building something special at my alma mater while also progressing in my professional biotech career.

3. Who were your coaches during your athletic career, and what did you learn from them? Who have been your coaching mentors during your coaching career?

I’ve had many coaches over the years and have taken bits and pieces from each of them. For starters, my dad and godfather coached me most of my childhood in almost every sport I played. I’d say being the son of the coach prepares you in a more regimented way than other athletes. I think those were the first moments that shaped me from an athletic perspective. Moving into high school, I had mentors who altered my life by simply believing in me. Coach Lisa Kinimaka was the first to do so and was the one who pushed me to long jump. Her upbeat, positive nature made track fun and made us want to work hard for her. Football was another area that I grew both mentally and physically. Coaches Steve Bluford and John Regalia were adamant about attention to detail. That focus is vital in what I do on a day-to-day basis. Lastly, Coach Jeff Perkins was my coach at UCI. Seeing the organization and leadership of a D1 team was key for my understanding in how a proper team should be run. 

4. What are the qualifications for a good jumper? How do you go about selecting the athletes that might excel in any of the jump events?

Oh man, this is such a loaded question. I’ll start by saying most of the athletes I coach have never done track before. They come to SI and have an interest in track, and they go through the tryout process of finding an event. As high school coaches, we usually don’t get everything we want when it comes to the perfect athlete. Or when we do have the textbook athlete, they usually can be good at a multitude of events, and we have to figure out the exact balance. When it comes to jumping, there are a variety of ways to be successful in my eyes. There are speed jumpers, there are bouncy jumpers, and in ideal cases, there are jumpers who have both. In high school, we don’t have the luxury of only taking perfect athletes, so my job is all about maximizing what each athlete needs to be good with their specific skillset.

5. What does a typical training week look like for your athletes? What else are they doing aside from their work on the track?

It’s variable depending on a few different factors: who is the athlete, what part of the season are we in, and what meets do we have coming up? For an elite sprinter-jumper earlier in the season, we’ll be doing more sprint work, both from a base perspective but also mechanically. Similarly, all of my athletes will do more weight room work earlier in the cycle. For a pure jumper with no sprint events, bounding and plyos are a big focus early on. For all jumpers, jump drills are crucial to understanding positions and movements. Some level of our various jump drills are worked in every week for consistency. As we move toward championship season, the focus shifts to more fine-tuning and runway approach management. 

6. What are some of the biggest mistakes that you usually have to correct as a jumps coach?

Having athletes who have never done track before has its pros and cons. The major pro is that I usually don’t have horrible habits to break. But there have definitely been cases where things have to be undone and restarted. I’d say the approach is probably 90% of where problems lie. If you aren’t sprinting correctly into takeoff, it is almost impossible to be successful in any jumping event. Having a sprint background is helpful in that regard, as I can identify when things are not correct. Once the sprint mechanics and posture are sorted, the rest becomes relatively straightforward to teach and/or fix.

7. During your time at St. Ignatius, what are some of your biggest highlights and proudest accomplishments by your athletes?

I’ve been so fortunate over the years to have moments that I will never forget. As you’ll see, my jumpers have a trend of waiting until their last jumps to make things happen, which often times makes the moment unforgettable. I’m leaving out countless fond memories, but happy to name a handful of highlights. Kaela Lee was my first 18-footer and Arcadia night meet jumper. Her PR jump of 18’ 5.75” at CCS Finals in 2016 to qualify for State was my first overwhelming coaching moment. 2018 was an all-timer as SI was the first school in CCS history to win both CCS male and female long jumps in the same year. Alex Enos (25’ 0”) and Megan Ronan (19’ 6.5”) took me on the ride of a lifetime that year, placing 2nd and 5th at State respectively and shattering our school records at CCS Top 8. Megan won CCS on her final jump that year going 19’ 3” to steal the win. We also had 4 boys jump 21’8” or further that year, which will be tough to duplicate. Similarly, in 2022, we had 7 different girls jump further than 16’ 5”, which was pretty cool. That year, Kate Walsh went from 8th to 2nd on her final jump at CCS Finals PRing half a foot to qualify for State. We’ve had a female long jumper qualify for State every year since 2016, and that streak wouldn’t be alive today if it weren’t for Kate’s clutch jump. In 2023, Monroe Barnum and Mariel Rocca both broke 30-year-old School Records in the Triple Jump. Monroe qualified for State on his last jump at CCS Finals that year as well. Also in 2023, Ellie McCuskey-Hay won the CCS LJ and PR’d half a foot on her final jump at State Finals to break Megan’s school record, going 19‘ 7.25”. 15 minutes later she ran a giant 100m PR finishing 2nd at State Finals in 11.52 – it was a mind-blowing sequence of events. A year later in 2024, Suraya Newman and Noah Gonzalez broke those Triple Jump School Records again. Ellie and Suraya went 1-3 in CCS LJ for the second straight year and Noah won SI’s first CCS TJ title on his final jump, PRing by almost a foot going 46’ 11” to shatter the school record. Both Ellie and Noah went on to medal at State Finals. I also want to mention the amount of pride I had in our boys’ team winning the CCS team title last year. It was a decade’s worth of work culminating in a tight-knit team coming together to win our first team title in 30-plus years.

8. What would be your advice for other jump coaches on how they could help their athletes reach their potential?

To me, connecting with the athletes is the most important part of any coach’s job. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge a coach has; if the athlete doesn’t buy in and trust you, it is so difficult to have lasting success. Beyond that, a desire to get better is critical. Observing how other coaches work, seeing how elite athletes move, taking courses on event mastery, testing what does and doesn’t work, etc. – any and all ways to improve yourself as a coach will ultimately help your athletes. I’d also say being honest is a critical factor. Athletes can tell when you’re not being genuine. The coach is obviously the final decision maker, but the coach-athlete relationship truly is a partnership.

9. From your competitor days to now, what do you feel has changed, and what has remained a constant?

I’ll start by saying so much has changed in the last 10-15 years. I think people’s access to information and the general athlete’s temperament are entirely different than when even I was competing. Because of the increased access to information, most of my athletes follow all their favorite college and pro track athletes and ask about what they see from their posted workouts and results. It helps them catch the ‘track bug’ and get invested in the sport, which is a cool thing to see. I’d say that ability is relatively new and allows them to engage in the sport in a new way. 

The constant is that each athlete is different and it’s the coach’s job to try and find the sweet spot for each of them. This can obviously be very difficult as us coaches manage so many different personality types. But I think there’s something to be said for meeting individuals where they are while bringing them together as a unit.

10. How have you changed as a coach from your first year? What have you learned the most during that span?

I remember coming into my first SI practices in 2015 and having this D1 background and thinking I had this grand plan to implement. I learned very quickly it’s not that simple, and working with 14-18-year-olds is a whole different ballgame. Because of that, I have evolved immensely over the last decade, as each year is filled with different athletes and challenges. I tell people I feel like I could write a book just based on the experiences and stories that have arisen over the years. And I’m sure many coaches can relate. Being a coach is far more than having a set plan and sticking with it through everything. Based on my experiences over the years, I now view myself as being whatever is needed to whomever may need it at any point in time; whether it be a mentor, a teacher, a psychologist, an older brother, a cheerleader, or even an authoritative figure. But the one thing that has not changed over the years is the absolute thrill it is seeing an athlete buy in and progress and do things they didn’t think were even possible. Seeing their excitement and their confidence grow is beyond rewarding.

11. Anything else you would like to add?

I’ll just end by saying I feel very fortunate to be involved in the track community over these last 20 years as both an athlete and coach. Most of my fondest adolescent memories were sports-related, so it’s fulfilling being able to pay it forward. I appreciate all the coaches out there doing the same as well as media members like yourself that shine a light on all the work going on behind the scenes. Thank you again!