Cooper Teare runs 2nd fastest mile/1600m in NCS history

Per his coach Alex Mason (also his photo), Cooper Teare (St. Joseph Notre Dame) this morning ran in the exhibition high school mile (Nike Elite Camp) at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene Oregon. His official time for the mile was 4:06.79 which converts to 4:05.0 for 1600 meters. You can check out the top times in NCS history at this LINK thanks to Keith Conning. Teare now only trails Richard Kimball (De La Salle) on the all-time NCS list with his converted 4:01.0 in 1974.

Also, his 8:51.85 3200m time from the CA state meet is now the 5th fastest time in NCS history trailing only the following runners:
Richard Kimball DLS 8:43.5 1974
Rod Berry Redwood 8:50.4 1977
Bob Grubbs Washington 8:51.5 1972
Jay Marden Mission SJ 8:51.64 1981

2016 Pre-Season North Coast Section (NCS) Division I Cross Country Rankings

For many years, coaches, athletes and even parents complained about the unfair playing field at the California State XC meet. While the sectional races for the most part were quite competitive and fair, the divisional races at Woodward Park, especially in the top 3 divisions, pitted much larger Southern Section schools vs the smaller Northern schools. There is no denying that a larger enrollment is an advantage when it comes to fielding potential podium finishing teams. Over the years, coaches have submitted potential bylaws at their own section level that would potentially even out the state meet fields. All of those proposals did not make it very far until last year when Dublin coach, Chris Williams, was able to get the North Coast Section to change the divisions to this year's FORMAT. The idea was to reconfigure the divisions so that teams could compete against like sized schools at their section as well as the state meet. This year's NCS MOC meet at Hayward HS should be quite interesting. Construction could lead to changes to the regular section 3.0 mile course. Also, some teams are now in state meet contention for the first time while some teams that have booked rooms for Thanksgiving weekend on a yearly basis, now find themselves looking at a far more challenging trip to Fresno.

One of the biggest changes with the new format is in Division I which now only fields 8 potential section participating schools. The usual suspects of teams that have performed well in this division in the past like Monte Vista, De La Salle, and San Ramon Valley are no longer here. Now, the best team on both the boys and girls side appears to be Dougherty Valley which was founded in 2007 and currently boasts 2,330 students. The largest school in NCS is James Logan and with a reenergized track and field team in 2016, their cross country squad could follow suit with two state meet teams. Berkeley should also contend in both races as they attempt to make the state meet as a team. Castro Valley has been one of the top teams in this division and with an enrollment near 3000 students, it won't take much to put them in state meet contention in this division.

Division I Boys (Top 2 Advance to state)

1) Dougherty Valley-Senior Neil Braganza is the best runner on the best team.
2) James Logan-One of the better Division I teams the past few seasons. 
3) Berkeley-New section divisional format gives Yellowjackets hope for a state meet run.
4) Castro Valley-One of the historically strong teams in this division.
5) California-Will need help from some new blood to contend for top 2 finish.
On the bubble: Freedom, Pittsburg, Deer Valley

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) and 2015 NCS meet time:
Neil Braganza (8) Dougherty Valley 15:49.2
Arman Pabla (15) James Logan 16:17.8
Vincent Friesen (21) Castro Valley 16:26.8
Quinn Schmidt (22) Dougherty Valley 16:26.8
Sebastian Andersson (26) Berkeley 16:38.7

Division I Girls (Top 2 Advance to state)

1) Dougherty Valley-Returns the most firepower left in this division.
2) Castro Valley-Stronger up front than chase teams but not a lock for this spot.
3) Berkeley-Definitely in the hunt for a state meet berth.
4) California-The addition of a certain 800 meter state champion would bolster their chances.
5) James Logan-May surprise teams ahead of them.
On the bubble: Freedom, Deer Valley, Pittsburg

Top 5 returning individuals, (place) and 2015 NCS meet time:
Vanessa Mejia (18) James Logan 18:57.0
Kayla Jindrich (30) Dougherty Valley 19:32.6
Aushmitha Grewal (38) Dougherty Valley 20:09.0
Kayla Neumann (43) California 20:13.5
Kaitlin Manning (50) Castro Valley 20:25.4

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. Any impact freshmen that we should know about?

Up next: Continued NCS Rankings

Assistant Coach Position at CSM

"College of San Mateo Track & Field/Cross Country is currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Volunteer Assistant Coach for the distance events and cross country. This is a volunteer position assisting the Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach with all duties involving administering a high level track and field program, including assisting with practice, recruiting, hosting events, and more. Past collegiate running or coaching experience preferred. Drivers license and bachelor’s degree required. Please submit a cover letter, three references, and resume to Head Coach Matt Layten at laytenm@smccd.edu."

New CCS High Jump record for Mt. Pleasant '16 grad, Darius Carbin

Darius Carbin won the USATF Jr. Nationals High Jump with a mark of 7'3.25".

St. Ignatius seeking assistant cross country coach

St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco, CA (CCS) is seeking a High School Assistant for the Cross Country Program. The SI program is a successful and competitive program in the WCAL and Central Coast Section. An applicant should be willing to work with the existing coach & assistants, and have a willingness to learn and contribute to help the program continue to move forward. High school practices Monday through Friday and some Saturdays. This is a paid position. Interested candidates should email their resume and letter of interest to distance coach Nicholas Alvarado at NAlvarado@siprep.org.

San Ramon Valley seeking assistant coaches

Dave Bayliss is the new head coach at San Ramon Valley HS and he is actively looking for assistant coaches. He needs 1-2 full time and 1-3 part time, depending on the mix! Interested parties can contact him directly at davidbayliss@yahoo.com.

Top 10 NorCal boys' teams returning from 2015 California State Cross Country Meet

1) Bellarmine (CCS) As always lots of depth but much stronger up front this season.
2) Palo Alto (CCS) Young talented team all back led by senior Kent Slaney
3) Jesuit (SJS) Division I 3rd place finishers last season with 5 under 10:05 returning.
4) Monte Vista (NCS) Lose #1 Tim Chrisman but everybody else is back.
5) Bella Vista (SJS) Young talented team with lots of room for improvement.
6) Campolindo (NCS) One of NorCal's most consistent programs will be led by senior Jared Yabu.
7) St. Francis (CCS) Young talent up front who will chase Bellarmine for WCAL supremacy.
8) Davis (SJS) Lose very strong senior class but Michael Vernau returns to lead the Blue Devils.
9) Redwood (NCS) Will be led by 4:18.39 frosh 1600 runner, Liam Anderson.
10) Homestead (CCS) Another consistently good program with young talented runners up front.
10) Del Campo (SJS) Coach Bob King will be coaching his 35th season at Del Campo.

Who are the incoming freshmen that will have the biggest impact on the teams above or other teams on the cusp? Who improved the most during the just completed Track and Field season? What teams are going to challenge for podium spots at the 2016 CA XC state meet? Who are the teams that should or could break into the top 10?

Elena Bruckner Valley Christian SJ Gatorade California Track and Field Athlete of the Year

http://www.milesplit.com/articles/184939-gatorade-girls-state-tf-athletes-of-the-year-announced

Charity Track and Field Meet at Davis HS on July 16th at 6pm

I'm the club president for the Freedom from Hunger club at Davis High, and we put on an all-comers track meet each summer to benefit the Freedom from Hunger organization. Freedom from Hunger is a nonprofit that focuses on lifting families out of poverty in developing countries. 

Here's the information for this year's meet:

When: Saturday July 16th, starting at 6 PM

Where: Davis Senior High School

What: an all-comers track meet catering to all events, abilities, and ages

Registration information: 

     -Online or at the gate (starting at 5 PM), $10 for adults, $8 for youth (12 and under)

We will have a solid schedule of events including sprints, hurdles, distance events, relays, and a 5k late in the meet for ideal temperatures. There will be categories specifically for youth athletes, as well. Additionally, we will have field events including the long, triple, and high jumps.

In addition to the races, the Race to End Hunger features a raffle with prizes ranging from gift cards to backpacks. We will also have FAT for all races.

While we are trying to create a fun community event and a fast track meet, the most important function of the Race to End Hunger is as a fundraiser for the Freedom from Hunger organization. As such, we are welcoming donations from corporate sponsors and community members. Individuals and companies can register for the meet or donate at the following link:

https://fundraising.freedomfromhunger.org/davis/events/davis-high-school-freedom-from-hunger-club-race-to-end-hunger/e80081

For more information on the Race to End Hunger, please visit our website at www.racetoendhunger.wordpress.com

Thanks so much,

Fiona O'Keeffe

Top 10 NorCal girls' teams returning from 2015 California State Cross Country Meet

1) Davis (SJS) Return 5 out of top 7 with 3 sub 18 girls at Woodward Park. 2nd place NXN (Maggie McManis photo above).
2) Aptos (CCS) Also return 5 of their top 7 as defending Division III state champions.
3) Monte Vista (NCS) Return 2-5 with senior Meredith Corda taking over lead role.
4) Granada (NCS) Lose top 2 but next five were freshmen with impressive track seasons.
5) San Ramon Valley (NCS) Top 5 all back led by talented Tavella twins.
6) Homestead (CCS) Top 6 back led by junior Elena Kamas.
7) Santa Cruz (CCS) Lose NorCal runner of the year Cate Ratliff but still plenty loaded.
8) St. Francis (CCS) Consistent contender led by senior Emily Skahill.
9) St. Francis, Sacramento (SJS) Gets major boost from freshman Isabella Fauria.
10) Redwood (NCS) Very strong up front but will need to replace 4 graduated seniors from lineup.

Who are the incoming freshmen that will have the biggest impact on the teams above or other teams on the cusp? Who improved the most during the just completed Track and Field season? What teams are going to challenge for podium spots at the 2016 CA XC state meet? Who are the teams that should or could break into the top 10?

Boys will be posted next...