German Fernandez continues to AMAZE...

Stunning describes best what German Fernandez (pictured to the left by yours truly at the Artichoke Invitational as he torched the new course with a time that might last for a very long time) accomplished today at the California State Meet. Following his double at the SJS meet, predictions were made about what he could possibly run at the state meet but none of them came close to what he actually ran.

4:00.29 and 8:34.23!!

You can find videos of his races as well as all the other events at the following link:
http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/coverage.php?c=288&id=15905

He has a few more races left in his high school career. How much faster can he run when pushed?

Who as at the state meet or has seen videos of all the races? Best race of the day?

State Meet Coverage for Northern California

•Locals shine on big stage (San Mateo Daily News)

•CIF TRACK AND FIELD STATE MEET Bay Area storylines dot finals Henderson is 1st qualifier from S.F. Section in years (San Francisco Chronicle)

•Spencer looks at home with elite (San Mateo Times)

•Lodi high jumpers Ray Nikzat, Samantha Balentine leap into finals (Lodi-News Sentinel)

•Prep track: Marin contingent comes up just short at state (Marin Independent Journal)
•Mt. Pleasant's Thomas looks to rally in 100 finals (SJ Mercury News)
•Gordon, Quirke out strong at state track meet (SJ Mercury News)

•Vacaville's McMillan still in hunt for gold (Sacramento Bee)

•Campolindo vaulter in state finals (Contra Costa Times)
•De Anza's Rogers can breathe: He's in state finals (Contra Costa Times)

•Riverbank's Fernandez to shoot for state meet distance double (Modesto Bee)

More will be posted later.

CA State Meet Trials...

So any big surprises today besides the usual DQ's and dropped batons?

Who wants to offer some predictions for the Saturday finals? How many races will Northern California athletes take down?

Who will win between Fleet and Fernandez? Can either Derek Thomas or Sebastian Sam take down the 800m?

Newspaper articles covering today's trials will be posted tomorrow.

Clemente ends distinguished career

One of the best Cross Country/Track and Field coaches you may have never heard of is calling it a career as he is retiring after 34 years of teaching and coaching at Cunha MS. For many teams competing in CCS Division IV, one team that has been a consistent challenger for multiple CCS titles and state meet berths has been Half Moon Bay HS. Howard Clemente (pictured to the left) deserves a lot of the credit for HMB's success in cross country as he began the running careers of many of the Cougar runners.

You can read all about Clemente's final track meet at CSM at the following link:
Clemente ends distinguished career
Teacher, coach inspired thousands

Riverbank's Fernandez blisters distance field at section championships

Runner sets top 3,200 mark this season

By WILL DeBOARD
wdeboard@modbee.com

SACRAMENTO -- German Fernandez wanted to use the 1,600- and 3,200-meter runs at Friday's Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Track and Field Championships as a test.

The Riverbank High senior was hoping to compete well in both events, so that he'd be able to race them both again at next week's CIF State Meet.

He more than passed. He aced the course at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento.

To read the rest of this article, go to the following link:
•Riverbank's Fernandez blisters distance field at section championships

NCS Meet of Champions Coverage

•Livermore's George scores rare repeat NCS distance double

•NCS Track: St. Elizabeth's Purvis sisters prime for state spectacular

•Five H-DNC athlets head to state track meet

•Riggins: Fastest in North Coast (100m. winner)

•Taylor Duncan and Rebecca Cink heading to state track & field finals (Del Norte HS athletes)

•Prep track: Redwood duo qualify for state

•Runner picks up the pace (old article about Wyatt Landrum, Liberty winner of the 3200m. at MOC)

More to come as I find them.

NCS Results link

•NCS Meet of Champions Results
•Team Results

So those of you that were at the meet, what was the best race?

Let me throw out three races...

Boys' 1600m., boys' 200m., boys' 3200m... any others?

Section Coverage

Video coverage of all NCS races can be found at the following link:•NCS Meet of Champions Videos (courtesy of flotrack.com)

•CCS girls track and field championships: SLV's Johnson edges Aptos' Ferrante for 1,600 title (NEW)
• CCS TRACK He's finding his best field Top sport for Spencer isn't football

• NCS TRACK Carondelet sophomore hits the height Adrienne Johnson's 5-10 ties best state mark in high jump

•Spencer flies to 2 CCS titles

•Spencer leads locals at CCS boys track meet

•Mt. Pleasant's Thomas dominates at CCS

•Surprenant undeterred by wrist cast at CCS

•Jesuit High School clocks fast times in Masters Meet

•CCS boys track and field championships: Santa Cruz's Sanders, Aptos' Hunt advance

•Locals shine at CCS track meet

•CCS track and field championships: Aptos sends four to state meet, NMC gets one

•Prep Track: Drake's Cunnington vaults way to state meet

Pick the State Meet Qualifiers from NCS

Pick your top 4 for both girls and boys in the comment box below.

Event 17  Girls 3200 Meter Run
===============================================================================
Saturday 5/26/2007 - 3:38 PM
Sponsor: Les Schwab Tires
Top Four Qualify to State
National H.S:   9:48.59  5/24/1996   Kim Mortensen (Thousand Oaks, CA)        
 State Meet:   9:52.80  6/1/1996    Kim Mortensen (Thousand Oaks)            
    NCS MoC:  10:06.30  1978        Cheri Williams, Livermore HS             
          Name                        Year School                 Seed     Finals
===============================================================================
 1     66 sumpter, sarah                11 Healdsbrg/nc       11:21.13
 2    572 George, Diana                 11 Livermore/nc       11:23.19
 3     26 taylor, jacque                10 Casa Grnd/nc       11:24.74
 4    431 Raymond, Beth                 12 Washngtn/nc        11:32.75
 5    620 Houser, Kellie                11 Carondelt/nc       11:33.36
 6    621 Orders, Grace                  9 Campolndo/nc       11:36.15
 7    354 Santisteban, Kelsey            9 Castro Vy/nc       11:36.23
 8    618 Gregg, Abigail                11 Livermore/nc       11:42.32
 9    622 Smidebush, Anna               12 Concord/nc         11:43.81
10    429 Mitchel, Rachel               11 American/nc        11:45.80
11    355 Wummer, Elise                 10 Castro Vy/nc       11:46.30
12    427 Kearney, Samantha             12 Arroyo/nc          11:49.57
13    571 Smith, Rosie                  11 Cllg Prk/nc        11:51.04
14    430 Crinigan, Catherine           11 Irvington/nc       11:52.60
15    619 McVay, Elaine                  9 Calfrnia/nc        11:52.73
16    168 Davis, Michelle               12 San Rafl/nc        11:52.85
17    428 Spees, Kaitlyn                 9 B. O'Dowd/Nc       11:55.12
18    258 Furlong, Cecilia              12 Sn Frncsc/nc       11:55.71
19    171 Ripp, Kelsey                  12 San Rafl/nc        11:55.97
20    163 Schmitt, Caitlin              10 Redwood/nc         11:58.19
21     73 DiRado, Sarah                 11 Mra Crlo/nc        11:58.61
22     86 Fisher, Natalee               12 Marin Cth/nc       12:05.88
23    287 O'Connor, Morgan              12 Sn Frncsc/nc       12:19.70
24    286 de Souza, Alysha              12 Crystl Sp/nc       12:31.08

Event 18  Boys 3200 Meter Run
===============================================================================
Saturday 5/26/2007 - 3:55 PM
Sponsor: Les Schwab Tires
Top Four Qualify to State
National H.S:  8:41.10  5/13/2000   Dathan Ritzenhein (Rockford, MI)          
 State Meet:  8:44.9h  6/7/1975    Eric Hulst (Laguna Beach)                 
    NCS MoC:  8:58.50  1979        Rob Wentworth, Livermore HS               
          Name                        Year School                 Seed     Finals
===============================================================================
 1    627 Beach, Nate                   12 Acalanes/nc         9:24.52
 2    625 Landrum, Wyatt                11 Liberty/nc          9:26.84
 3    125 lockert, sterling             11 Petaluma/nc         9:36.10
 4    108 Olson, Erik                   10 Novato/nc           9:38.23
 5    624 Kanzaria, Bhavik              12 Monte Vst/nc        9:39.45
 6    623 Summers, Alex                 10 Granada/nc          9:40.08
 7    134 yungert, cole                 12 Petaluma/nc         9:41.38
 8    157 Kissin, Peter                 11 Redwood/nc          9:41.85
 9    628 Pulford, Robert               11 Campolndo/nc        9:41.94
10    626 Johnson, Eric                 12 DeLaSalle/nc        9:45.06
11    116 felipe, brandon               11 Petaluma/nc         9:46.31
12    289 Thomas, Skyler                11 Mendocino/nc        9:47.49
13     83 Williams, Grant               11 Mra Crlo/nc         9:47.67
14    629 Drosky, Greg                  12 Las Lomas/nc        9:47.90
15    121 griepenburg, bjorn            12 Petaluma/nc         9:48.55
16    288 Iglehart, Steve               11 Branson/ nc         9:51.49
17    424 Leng, Jack                    12 Castro Vy/nc        9:53.84
18    290 Ho, Victor                    12 Chinese Chrst/nc    9:54.88
19    421 Duffy, Matt                   12 St Mary's/nc        9:58.92
20    426 Synder, Austin                11 Berkeley/nc        10:00.57
21    423 Miller, Martin                12 Arroyo/nc          10:07.77
22    348 Borjon, Augie                 12 Newark M/Nc        10:08.09
23    425 Rich, Ben                     10 Washngtn/nc        10:08.30
24    422 Maxwell, Dan                  10 St Mary's/nc       10:08.37 

More newspaper articles as we head in Section Championships

Castro Valley junior surpasses father's footsteps

Seven Warriors qualify for Meet of Champions (high jump picture alone is worth a peek)

Eight track Dragons reach MOC after NCS Area efforts (Sonoma Valley High School)

Three Braves triumph at NCS track and field championships (Justin Siena HS)

Lawson clears yet another hurdle (St. Mary's Berkeley)

Castro Valley deposes Logan

Weiler, Quirke out to defend their titles at CCS track meet

Sizzling into finals (CCS athletes)

On top of her game (Tracy HS pole vaulter)