World-Class Track and Field at Stanford, June 29th

Witness Track Town USA's new professional track and field series at Stanford’s Cobb Track and Angell Field on Thursday, June 29th. While the world class athletes compete for individual victories and team points, fans will be up front and center, close to the action on the infield and in the outside lanes, or track-side in the beer garden. Professional events are slated to begin at 6pm with the Men's and Women's Hammer, followed by the remaining field and running events at 7pm and concluding at 8:30pm.

TICKETS for all areas are $10 and may be purchased HERE  (sftracktown.eventbrite.com)

In addition to the professional events and an elite high school boys mile, you can PARTICIPATE in the action through these activities:

All-comers’ 400m, Mile and 100m: $10 entry into the all-comer’s events (starting at about 5pm) includes entry into the TrackTown Summer Series!

Open 4x400 and Community 8x400: Grab your friends and co-workers for a chance to race on the Stanford track!  Each participant will receive a tee shirt and a drink ticket for the trackside beer garden.

Kids’ Half-Lapper: The meet will conclude with a 200m (half-lap) race for kids 12-and-under where they will be cheered on by the pros! Pre-registered kids will receive FREE entry into the meet.

Volunteer: All volunteers will receive a tee shirt and free entry into the meet.

To register for the community events, or to volunteer, click HERE (sftracktown.eventbrite.com)

2017 North Coast Section Division III Girls pre-season rankings by Andy Lindquist

Overview:

Much like their male counterparts, the 2016 NCS championship came down to the wire between Campolindo and Redwood, with Campolindo prevailing to win their 4^th consecutive team title. With the Cougars returning most of their team from a year ago they are primed to capture yet another title. Maria Carrillo returns a strong contingent of runners and will look to improve upon their 4^th place finish from a year ago while the 3^rd and 4^th positions are wide open.

1. Campolindo:

“Campo” seeks to capture their 15^th girls team title since 1996 and are the heavy favorites now. Not only do the Cougars return their entire scoring 5 from last season but they are all coming off impressive spring track seasons. Hannah Ruane and Isabella Chao were dynamite last fall as they both finished in the top 10 at state and that success continued this past spring with Chao running 10:51 in the 3200 and Ruane running 5:02 in the 1600. However, the emergence of Jenna Miles has really tipped the scales in Campo’s favor with the senior breaking out at MOC running an astounding 10:49 for 3200. With these 3 leading the way it will be tough for any team in the division and as usual, the Cougars have plenty of depth to back them up. Last year’s #4 scorer Jessie Foxworthy also had a solid spring in running 11:53 for 3200. Paloma Hancock (5:33, 12:24 1600/3200) and Alicia Hober (5:36/12:24) lead a strong contingent of underclassmen who dominated the Diablo Athletic League at the F/S level this spring and if they can continue their improvement curve Campo will be even better than advertised. As it stands now Campolindo should roll to another section title and challenge for a podium position at Woodward Park in November.

2. Maria Carrillo:

The Pumas return most of their 4^th place team of a year ago, including their top 3 and will look to make another trip to Fresno come November. Aimee Armstrong had a fantastic track season in advancing to the finals of MOC in the 1600 and running 5:03 while Sydnie Rivas ran 11:36 in the 3200. Throw in Talia Leano, who finished 10^th at last year’s NCS meet and Maria Carrillo has a great starting point. Sophomore Jasmin Hirth flashed great potential during her track season in running 5:29 for 1600 as did Megan Field who notched personal bests of 5:39 and 12:17 for 1600/3200. Put these performances together and the Pumas will have a lot of momentum coming into the season and should be one of the most improved teams in the section by season’s end.

3. Carondelet:

The Cougars narrowly missed out on a state birth last season in finishing in 6^th place, only 8 points away from the 4^th and final qualifying spot. Look for Carondelet to get over the hump this season and secure a top 4 finish. Clare Schumann appears to be the frontrunner now, with her 3200 best of 11:28 being one of the top performances in the division and pointing to great potential for the fall. The Cougars have great depth backing her with Dana Cross (12:12 3200), Sofia Green (12:20), Kasey DeMaria (12:24), and Kelsey Dempsey (12:40) all having massively productive track seasons. The challenge for Carondelet will be working on closing the back end of their scoring 5 and improving the pack margin between their 5^th and 1^st scorers. For now, the Cougars have set themselves up well to be in contention for a highly coveted spot on the awards stand and a thanksgiving trip down to Fresno.  

4. Northgate:

The Broncos finished a respectable 8^th at last year’s NCS meet and they will look to make the big jump to contenders this fall. Northgate had an impressive track season, getting big improvements from many of their projected top 5 runners, with Sara Wheeler (5:18) leading the way. Also notching big personal bests in the 1600 were Nichole Markiewicz (5:39), Jessie McCann (5:39) Jessica Biddle (5:44), Sydney Kupsh (5:47), and Isabelle Antolin (5:48) who should all play big roles for Northgate in cross country. They were also solid over 3200, with Northgate returning 5 under 13:00. The biggest advantage Northgate has is that they will get to face off against top ranked Campolindo throughout the season in the Diablo Athletic League, which will give them a good barometer for how they stack up against the best in the division.

5. Alameda:

The Hornets had a magical season last year in capturing a 3^rd place finish and advancing for to the state championships. To get back there this season, Alameda will have some work to do. While standout Lauren Lum was impressive this spring in running 5:04 for 1600, depth was an issue as only 2 other girls broke 5:40 in the 1600. To match up against the teams ranked ahead of them, Alameda will have to continue to work at bringing some of their younger athletes along and get them closer to the 2-5 scorers of Northgate and Carondelet. While they have a big advantage in bringing back their top runner, the biggest determining factor to their success will be the development of their 4-5 scorers (as is always the case for cross country). Katie Gee (5:36 1600) and Allie Cvitanovic (5:39) both had great track seasons but it will take big step up performances from both Rachel Wellman (5:52) and Elizabeth Cho (5:54) for the hornets to get closer to the depth of teams like Northgate and Carondelet. As it stands now they are slightly behind those teams in the race to land a berth to state.

Individual Rankings

1. Gillian Wagner (Redwood) – Last year’s NCS/State runner up was on fire during track season, ripping a 4:53 for 1600 and sub 10:00 for 3000 and will be tough to beat

2. Hannah Ruane (Campolindo) – Consistent performer for Campo who will benefit from training with a talented group of teammates.

3. Isabella Chao (Campolindo) – One of the biggest improvers in the state last season in landing a podium finish at state and will be even better this fall

4. Jenna Miles (Campolindo) – Huge breakthrough at the end of the track season and will look to continue that momentum

5. Rayna Stanziano (Concord) – Flashed potential last fall but really impressed during track season in advancing to state in the 1600. Remains to be seen if she can translate that to the longer distance but the potential is there

6. Aimee Armstrong (Maria Carrillo) – Steady performer who notched a big personal best in the 1600 running 5:03 at MOC and will look to challenge for the top 5.

On the Bubble:  Lauren Lum (Alameda), Veronica Towle (Las Lomas), Talia Leano (Maria Carrillo)

NorCals best returning Cross Country runners (boys and girls)

Coming up...

Feel free to name a few runners in the meantime along with the fastest returning runner from the 2016 CA state meet, Liam Anderson of Redwood HS (15:05.3). Who is the top returning female from the 2016 state meet you might be asking yourself? Olivia O'Keeffe Davis 17:28.9 and definitely in the neighborhood, Gillian Wagner Redwood 17:30.7. Top NorCal teams will be ranked as well.

Boys (Top 10 non seniors at 2016 CA state meet)
1) Liam Anderson Redwood (NCS) 15:05.3
2) Meika Beaudoin-Rosseau Bellarmine (CCS) 15:09.7
3) Shyam Kumar St. Francis (CCS) 15:48.2
4) Gaurav Phanse Dublin (NCS) 15:52.6
5) Adrian Schroeder Dublin (NCS) 15:52.7
6) John Bennett Granada (NCS) 15:53.1
7) Loic Scomparin Dublin (NCS) 15:53.3
8) Sergio Lopez Del Campo (SJS) 15:55.1
9) Munir Kabbara San Rafael (NCS) 15:55.7
10) Sean Laidlaw Lick-Wilmerding 15:55.9

Girls (Top 10 non seniors at 2016 CA state meet)
1) Olivia O'Keeffe Davis (SJS) 17:28.9
2) Gillian Wagner Redwood (NCS) 17:30.7
3) Marea Zlatunich Aptos (CCS) 17:40.8
4) Mari Friedman Santa Cruz (CCS) 17:41.9
5) Isabella Chao Campolindo (NCS) 17:48.4
6) Isabella Fauria St. Francis (SJS) 17:49.4
7) Sydney Vandegrift St. Francis (SJS) 17:55.2
8) Maddy Denner Oak Ridge (SJS) 17:55.9
9) Alex Stout Pacific Collegiate (CCS) 17:59.7
10) Hannah Ruane Campolindo (NCS) 18:01.2

Former Aptos runner, Nikki Hiltz 2nd in NCAA 1500

With coach Lance Harter following her 2nd place finish, just .02 behind the winner Jaimie Phelan of Michigan 4:13.78 to 4:13.80.

Also, former Los Gatos/Saratoga HS high jumper Mady Fagan wins NCAA high jump with a best of 6'3.25".

Davis HS 2016 grad Fiona O'Keeffe with 5th place finish (15:46.93).

2017 North Coast Section Division III Boys pre-season rankings by Andy Lindquist

Overview: 

Last season was one of the more thrilling NCS championships in recent memory, with Campolindo holding off a spirited challenge from Redwood to claim their 4th consecutive section title. The Campo machine marched on the following week to land a podium spot at state and ended up as the top Northern California team. With the graduation of 5 varsity members, the Cougars have their work cut out for them this season as Maria Carrillo brings back a massive amount of depth that really excelled this track season while Redwood returns the best 1-2 punch in the section with Liam Anderson and Zach Martinez.

1. Maria Carrillo:
The Pumas return the core of their 3rd place team from a year ago and will look to win their 6th section title and first since moving back into DIII last season. The track season Maria Carrillo put together was impressive, with 5 boys breaking the 4:40 barrier in the 1600 and 5 breaking 10:10 in the 3200. Senior Ben Lawson was the team’s consistent frontrunner throughout, notching personal bests of 4:22 in the 1600 and 9:45 in the 3200. Scott Kruetzfeldt rebounded from an injury plagued fall to run 9:58 in the 3200 and should he remain healthy he will be a force to be reckoned with as his best time in the event is 9:38. The biggest surprise of the spring was the rapid ascent of freshmen Colton Swinth (4:34 1600) and Rory Smail (4:39, 10:09 1600/3200). If they can continue this improvement curve Maria Carrillo will be a daunting opponent for any team in the state, let alone the section. Throw in the ultra-talented Junior Will McCloud, who clocked an impressive 1:58 in the 800 and the Pumas have all the makings of a championship team. At this point in time they are the heavy favorites with a strong blend of talented front running and depth.


2. Redwood:
The biggest revelation of last fall was the ascent of Liam Anderson from talented upstart to big time performer, coming on in impressive fashion to capture the section title in addition to a 2nd place finish at state and a top 25 finish at NXN. That trend continued during the track season as Anderson claimed the section title in the 1600 with a scorching 4:12, only to double back with a blistering 9:03 for 3200 meters in the same meet. He took it to another level the following week as he made the podium at the state meet in the 1600. He will undoubtedly continue to be a low stick for a talented Giants team that will look to improve upon their 2nd place finish from a year ago and win their first section title since 2000. Zach Martinez had a breakout spring, with his 4:17 1600 giving Redwood a deadly 1-2 punch that will keep their team score low in big races. Varsity regular Ryan Pole had a solid track season as well running 4:43 and 10:17 for the 1600/3200 and will look to improve upon his 18th place finish at the section meet from last year. While Matthew Phipps (4:43 1600) and Ollie Sagatsume (10:21 3200) both had good seasons, depth is a bit of concern as there is a big drop off after those two. For the Giants to reel in Maria Carrillo it will take a commitment to working on depth at the back end of the scoring positions. As it stands now Redwood will have the front-end power to contend with anyone but still lacks the depth at the 4-5 position to challenge for the championship.


3. Campolindo:
The cougars have put together an impressive 10 year run of dominance, winning 7 section titles in that timespan, including the last 4. However, massive graduation losses leave Campo in a vulnerable position heading into the season and it will take a lot of work to catch up to the 2 teams ranked ahead of them. While the cupboard is not exactly bare, with Campo returning 5 at 10:25 or better for 3200 and 6 at 4:45 or better for 1600, they have the arduous task of replacing 5 varsity members from last year. Teddy Buckley had a solid spring campaign, with the junior-to-be running 9:47 in the 3200 and looks to be the frontrunner heading into the summer. Andrew Tseng is the next best returner, running 10:08 for 3200 but after that there is a bit of a drop off. Charlie Woidat (4:41/10:16 1600/3200) and Owen Hunger (4:40/10:23) both shined at the frosh-soph level this spring but it remains to be seen if they can handle the adjustment to high level varsity racing this fall. Same goes for seniors Timothy Sams (10:22 3200) and Jeremy Ahn (10:23 3200) who have put up respectable performances but will need to make a big jump to make an impact. The two wildcards for Campo are varsity returner Ethan Sauerberg who was injured during the spring, and DAL F/S champion Collin Lekki who did not run track. Considering their upside from last cross-country season, if either one of them could step up and fill in the scoring void for the cougars that could be a boon to their title chances. For the time being, Campolindo is a few steps behind Redwood and Maria Carrillo and will need a huge step up performance from their young talent if they want to close the gap.


4. Tamalpais:
The Red-Tailed Hawks could be one of the surprises of this division as they return a solid group that will look to secure a birth to state. Paul Law had an incredible freshman track season in running 4:34 for the 1600 and looks to be the frontrunner coming into the season. Jake Weisert also posted some solid performances during the spring, clocking 4:37 and 10:24 for the 1600 and 3200. Seniors Nick Wong (10:16 3200) and Ronan Cain (10:25) will look to back them up. If Tam can find a few more people to step up and keep progressing they will be in the mix to finish in the top 4 by season’s end.


5. Las Lomas:
The Knights return 5 members from last year’s 5th place team and they possess the talent to move up these rankings and make it back to state. Preston Norris continued his improvement curve in finishing 4th at last year’s NCS meet and followed that up with a great track season, with his 9:25 performance in the 3200 pointing at great potential for this upcoming fall. Parker Wilkerson was an MOC medalist in the 800 and while he has had more success in track than cross country, he has still flashed plenty of potential in previous years and should be a big factor. Charlie Kisylia and Preston Rodriguez both had solid track seasons but will need to make some big improvements if Las Lomas is to challenge any of the teams currently ranked ahead of them.


Individual Rankings:
1. Liam Anderson (Redwood) – Defending champion and fastest returner state wise in DIII
2. Zach Martinez (Redwood) – Broke out during the spring running 4:17 for 1600 and should continue to improve this fall
3. Preston Norris (Las Lomas) – 4th place finisher from a year ago and primed for another big jump
4. Ben Lawson (Maria Carrillo) – Solid track times of 4:24 and 9:45 for 1600\3200 point to great potential
5. Teddy Buckley (Campolindo) – Had a great finish to the season last year and also this spring, running 9:47 for 3200
6. Michael Wheeler (Northgate) – Dropped his 3200 time down to 9:43 during track season to make him a contender here for a medal position
On the Bubble: Will/Jack Dunbar (Petaluma), Scott Kruetzfeldt, Colton Swinth, and Zach Lindemann (Maria Carrillo)

2017 Northern California Pre-Season Cross Country

Now that the official Track and Field season is over, we can turn our attention to Cross Country. With the help of other coaches, we will begin to post pre-season rankings for all Northern California sections. 

In the meantime, feel free to speak your mind in the comment section below. Let's hear your thoughts on the upcoming season. Also, if you have any questions that you would like to ask other runners, coaches and/or parents, feel free to include those as well.

I will start to build the cross country schedule so if you have any dates, please feel free to add those below.

Coming up next: NCS Division III boys pre-season rankings!

99th CIF State Meet review

WOW! So many different thoughts now that the meet is over. I will have more in the next couple of days but for now, feel free to comment below on any of the events, performances etc.

If anybody doubts what is the best state meet in the country, please!

As always an excellent recap by Darren Sabedra of SJ Mercury News at this LINK.

I also posted this on twitter but as far as the distance races go, here are the NorCal podium finishers for Northern California.

Girls 1600-1, 2 and 4
Boys 1600-1, 4 and 5
Girls 800-1, 2 and 4
Boys 800-1, 2 and 4
Girls 3200-2 and 4
Boys 3200-2, 3 and 4

California State Meet Predictions

For fun, you can enter the winners of all the events at the upcoming California State Track and Field meet in the comment section below. You can see my picks below. There are certain events that I am quite certain of the winner and some events where it is a coin flip. 

Girls 400 Relay: Carson (confident) NOPE

Boys 400 Relay: Rancho Verde (confident) Oaks Christian (had fastest trials time) YUP

Girls 1600: Rylee Bowen Sonoma Academy (ready to win) NOPE

Boys 1600: Luis Grijalva Armijo (Liam Anderson Redwood could upset field) YUP

Girls 100 hurdles: Tara Davis Agoura (confident) YUP

Boys 110 hurdles: Joseph Anderson Upland (confident) YUP

Girls 400: Shea Anderson Norco (confident) YUP

Boys 400: Zachary Shinnick Damien (watch out for Myles Ellis Antelope) YUP

Girls 100: Jasmin Reed Serra (somewhat confident) NOPE

Boys 100: Javelin Guidry Vista Murrieta (Isaiah Cunningham has won 2 out of 3 races this season) YUP

Girls 800: Alyssa Brewer California (lock) YUP

Boys 800: Alex Scales Bellarmine (confident) NOPE

Girls 300 hurdles: Shea Anderson Norco (Jurnee Woodward will give her all she can handle) YUP

Boys 300 hurdles: Joseph Anderson (Wants the double hurdle victory) YUP

Girls 200: Jasmin Reed Serra (Let's see how she does in 100) NOPE

Boys 200: Isaiah Cunningham Rancho Verde (fairly confident) YUP

Girls 3200: Claudia Lane Malibu (lock) YUP

Boys 3200: Cooper Teare (this could be interesting) NOPE

Girls 1600 Relay: Carson (They crushed field last year.) Might be without Roberts so could it be a NorCal school? YUP on the NorCal team winning...BOD!

Boys 1600 Relay: Rancho Verde (They should win) YUP

Girls Long Jump: Tara Davis Agoura (confident) YUP

Boys Long Jump: Bryan Thompson Rancho Verde (Can Sanjay Kettles St. Mary's B hit another big jump?) Matthew DeRoos (comfortably ahead of field at trials but will have to repeat performance in finals) YUP on Sanjay Kettle and huge final jump to win.

Girls Triple Jump: Tara Davis Agoura (confident) YUP

Boys Triple Jump: CJ Stevenson Great Oak (fairly confident) YUP

Girls High Jump: Cassie Ackemann San Lorenzo Valley (ready to win state) NOPE

Boys High Jump: Sean Lee Trabuco Hills (If not Lee, then Sears) YUP

Girls Pole Vault: Rachel Baxter Canyon, Anaheim (lock) YUP

Boys Pole Vault: Tate Curran Redondo Union (fairly confident) YUP

Girls Shot Put: Pamela Amaechi Lincoln (fairly confident) YUP

Boys Shot Put: Jacob Wilson Buchanan (fairly confident) NOPE

Girls Discus: Pamela Amaechi Lincoln (fairly confident) NOPE

Boys Discus: Jonah Wilson Clovis (should win) Robbie Otal only guy over 200 feet in prelims. NOPE

Girls Team Champion: Carson (should win) Need a healthy Roberts to rack up points. NOPE

Boys Team Champion: Rancho Verde (lock) Losing 400 relay hurt but not panicking yet. YUP

California State Track & Field Meet Live results and live feed

Live results:
http://www.rtspt.com/events/cif/2017/

Live feed:
http://www.myspectrumsports.com/ca/socal.html
or
http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/cif

State Meet Preview:
Running-http://ca.milesplit.com/articles/213139-cif-state-meet-preview-running-events
Field-http://ca.milesplit.com/articles/213264-cif-state-meet-preview-field-events

NorCal athletes prepping for California state meet

Rylee Bowen Sonoma Academy (NCS)
You can check out her workout as well as interviews with her coach Danny Aldridge at this LINK. You can also check out an interview with her and her sister at this LINK.

Sanjay Kettles/Kali Hatcher St. Mary's Berkeley (NCS)
You can check out a couple of videos taken yesterday featuring both athletes and coach Jeff Rogers at this LINK.