2 Northern California XC Stars in the news...

Two of last season's biggest stars in CA cross country (Riverbank's German Fernandez and Dublin's James Attarian) are still making headlines. Fernandez is about to compete for the good ole US of A at the World Cross Country championships in Scotland and Attarian just signed his letter of intent to become a Cal Bear. You can read more about both runners in the two following links:

•Riverbank's Fernandez set to do cross country race for U.S. in Scotland

•Dublin's Attarian Cal-bound

If you know of any more articles about Northern California Cross Country and/or Track and Field athletes (high school or college), please send them to albertjcaruana@gmail.com.

TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW in San Francisco Chronicle

HIGHER, FASTER, FARTHER
Northern California schools continue to put out top athletes

Mitch Stephens, Special to The Chronicle

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

(03-25) 21:54 PDT -- Few thought Kevin Craddock could be topped, but David Klech followed.

Many thought the 2006 state girls crown shared by James Logan-Union City would be a long-standing highlight, then Northern California girls teams took the first five places at last year's state meet. East Bay girls, led by Jamesha Youngblood (Hercules) and Ke'Nyia Richardson (Holy Names-Oakland), piled up 10 first- or second-place medals at the 2007 state meet.

It's hard to imagine Bay Area high school track and field getting much better than the last three seasons, but as James Logan coach Lee Webb said this week, "We'll sure give it a good try. (The area) might not reach those marks or accomplish those things but I think we can come pretty close."

To read the rest of the article go to the following link:
•TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW

Catching up on Track Coverage...

•Relays lead track teams to strong finishes (San Benito HS)

•Ogle takes fifth at relays (Elise Ogle of Gilroy HS)

•Making noise: South Fork track and field impresses at Eagle Classic Relays

SLV runner commits to University of Arkansas

It’s college picking time for San Lorenzo Valley senior track star Taylor Johnson, and that means the 17-year-old middle distance runner has done some serious deliberating.

Johnson generated national attention with her four-minute, 57.01-mile time last season, one of the top times in California. Since then, her sights have been set on a major university with a strong track program.

She maxed out her official college visits (five) and made another unofficial visit, narrowing her choices to two powerful track and field schools — University of Arkansas and Arizona State University.

For the rest of the article from the Press Banner check out the following link:
•SLV runner commits to University of Arkansas

Football/Track and Field Facility at Terra Nova HS (Pacifica)

The amount of all-weather Track and Field facilities in the San Mateo County will be going up a substantial amount in the next year or so. Starting on April 1st (no not a joke), they will close all the San Mateo County schools that have dirt facilities and a makeover will take place as they convert those tracks to all weather facilities. Some of the schools that will be getting an upgrade, going south to north, will be Hillsdale HS, Aragon HS, Mills HS, my high school, Capuchino HS and Terra Nova HS.

The following article details the process Terra Nova HS (and their athletic director) have taken in making a new state of the art facility a reality.

•Vision of new Tiger Stadium getting clearer

Newspaper Articles covering Northern California Track and Field

•Rivalry renewed: MV beats LA in track (Mountain View vs. Los Altos)

•Cougars second in relay (Half Moon Bay at Skyline Distance Fiesta)

•Girls' Athlete of the Week (Jenna Lundgren, Maria Carrillo)

•Petaluma distance medley relay team fastest in state (from previous week)

•A day at the races (Novato Track team)
•March 13 track notebook (Novato Track cont.)

•Griz tracksters out run Scots (Golden Sierra High Track team)

Los Gatos community gathers around German pole vaulter to help him excel

By Marianne Lucchesi Hamilton
For Bay Area News Group

In the past couple of years, Nico Weiler has done a lot of flying. He's hopped several planes between his homeland of Germany and California, and has visited New York, Idaho and various other states. But mostly he's flown on his own power - as a world-champion pole-vaulter and member of the Los Gatos High School track and field team.

Weiler is a senior, and in his second year as a student at LGHS. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother Sasha, who also came from Germany to spend a year as a member of the Wildcats' pole-vaulting squad. How the Weiler brothers ended up in Los Gatos is a story in itself.

In 2003, LGHS track coach Brandon Vance was attending the National Pole-Vault Summit (Vance is also a former Wildcat, in 1994 posting the team's prior best mark of 16 feet, 4 inches, then vaulting 17 feet as a Fresno State student). At the summit, Vance heard his name being called over the public address system. "I went to a booth and saw the coach of the German national team, who were competing at the event," says Vance. "The coach and these two other guys started asking me all of these questions, and proceeded to grill me for an hour. Afterward I thought, 'Who were those guys?' "

To read the rest of this article check out the following link from the San Jose Mercury News about Los Gatos Pole Vaulter Nico Weiler (defending state pole vault champion):
•Los Gatos community gathers around German pole vaulter to help him excel

Track articles in the Paly Voice (Great coverage for Palo Alto HS)

•Track hopes for stellar performance in upcoming season

•Varsity boys' track and field slaughters Monta Vista in 115-12 blow-out

•Varsity boys' track and field secures solid 80-47 win over Mountain View

•Boys' track and field returns with "no weaknesses"

•Girls' track evens record with win over Monta Vista

•Viking girls drop track opener to Mountain View

Skyline Distance Fiesta DMR on Video

Thanks to Bhavik Kanzaria (who had two outstanding days with his 3200 PR on Friday and anchoring the winning MV DMR team on Saturday) for positing the video of the race on Flotrack at the following link:
•Skyline Distance Fiesta DMR Video

NCS Divisions for 2008-09 School Year posted

You can find the breakdown of all the schools at the following link (PDF format from the NCS website):
NCS Divisions for 2008-09 School Year

Check out what school drops to Division III. Can you say loaded boys' division? I know we are in the midst of Track and Field season but it's never too early to look ahead to XC.

Thanks to Las Lomas coach Andrew Schreiber for sending the link.