Great article from New York Times

Interesting article about an underrated yet successful college coach on the East coast. You might have to register on the NY Times website but it's well worth the read.|

At Haverford, Tossing It All in Name of Teaching (NY Times)

CCS Cross Country Newspaper Coverage...

Valley Christian's Bergman runs to CCS crown (San Jose Mercury News)

Monte Vista girls win NCS water polo (SF Chronicle, scroll down)

CCS Girls Cross Country Championships: Aptos, Santa Cruz headed to state (Mercury News)
CCS boys Cross Country Championships: Aptos takes second straight section title (Mercury News)

Carlmont wins CCS cross country again (San Mateo Times)

Gilroy runs all the way to state (Gilroy Dispatch)
MONTEREY MOVING ON TO STATE (Monterey Herald)

Five local teams run to state meet berths (Palo Alto Online)

If you have any other links from the CCS meet, please forward them to me at albertjcaruana@gmail.com and I will add the link to the list.

Some stats from today's CCS Meet

Results from today's CCS Meet:
http://www.dyestatcal.com/ATHLETICS/XC/2008/ccsres.htm

BOYS
Fastest #1 Runner
Tyre Johnson (12) Palma #1 15:28
Fastest #2 Runner
Ian Myjer (11) Mt. View #2 15:37
Fastest #3 Runner
Parker Schuh (10) Mt. View #3 15:56
Fastest #4 Runner
Robert McLauchlan (12) Mt. View #4 16:30
Fastest #5 Runner
Bryan Crook (10) Mt. View #5 16:41
Fastest #6 Runner
Neil Lingarkar (12) Mt. View #6 16:46
Fastest #7 Runner
Alex McGuirk (11) Mt. View #7 16:59

GIRLS
Fastest #1 Runner
Jennifer Bergman (12) Valley Christian SJ #1 18:15
Justine Fedronic (12) Carlmont #1 18:15 Fastest #2 Runner
Jessie Peterson (10) Carlmont #2 18:43
Fastest #3 Runner
Zoe Pappas (11) Mt. View #3 19:13
Fastest #4 Runner
Kristine Talbot (12) Mt. View #4 19:23
Fastest #5 Runner
Martina De Geus (11) Mt. View #5 19:54
Fastest #6 Runner
Sarah Wells (9) Mt. View #6 20:09
Fastest #7 Runner
Susie Reynolds (10) Mt. View #7 20:12
Top 10 Senior Boys
1 TYRE JOHNSON 12 PALMA 15:28
4 BRENNAN LYNCH 12 SANTA CRUZ 15:38
5 NOHE LEMA 12 WILLOW GLEN 15:44
10 NICK OLIVER 12 HOMESTEAD 16:09
11 DANIEL FILIPCIK 12 WOODSIDE 16:14
12 PETER BIRSINGER 12 ST. IGNATIUS 16:16
13 LAWRENCE SMITH 12 BELLARMINE 16:17
16 RYLAN HUNT 12 APTOS 16:26
17 KEVIN LIAO 12 EVERGREEN VAL. 16:28
19 CHARLIE AVIS 12 PALO ALTO 16:30
20 ROBERT MCLAUCHLAN 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 16:30
22 MARCOS HINOJOSA 12 BELLARMINE 16:30

Top 10 Junior Boys
2 GARRETT ROWE 11 MOUNTAIN VIEW 15:29
3 IAN MYJER 11 MOUNTAIN VIEW 15:37
6 PHIL MACQUITTY 11 PALO ALTO 15:48
8 MITCH MORIARTY 11 APTOS 16:07
14 PAUL SUMMERS 11 GUNN 16:25
15 KRANTI PEDDADA 11 MONTA VISTA 16:25
18 WESTON STRUM 11 PIONEER 16:29
24 NATHAN LEE 11 CARLMONT 16:34
26 NATHAN STRUM 11 PIONEER 16:35
27 BENJAMIN HECK 11 CARLMONT 16:36
28 LUCA SIGNORE 11 LYNBROOK 16:36

Top 10 Sophomore Boys
7 PARKER SCHUH 10 MOUNTAIN VIEW 15:56
9 ETHAN SCARDINA 10 CARLMONT 16:08
21 WILL GEIKEN 10 LOS GATOS 16:30
23 DONALD PLAZOLA 10 WILLOW GLEN 16:32
29 STEVEN MANDAC 10 WESTMOOR 16:41
30 BRYAN CROOK 10 MOUNTAIN VIEW 16:41
45 AARON HSIA-CORON 10 ANZAR 16:54
51 TONY FERRARI 10 BELLARMINE 16:58
57 CHET REYEN 10 CARLMONT 17:01
60 JOSE CASTILLO 10 SAN BENITO 17:02

Top 10 Freshman Boys
33 GRANT FOSTER 9 PROSPECT 16:43
63 MICHAEL MCCABE 9 WILLOW GLEN 17:04
109 MITCH MARTIN 9 HALF MOON BAY 17:32
133 CHRIS WASCHURA 9 WOODSIDE 17:47
138 PETER ANTHONY 9 CUPERTINO 17:49
143 MICHAEL HESTER 9 MENLO ATHERTON 17:51
148 KURT REFUERZO 9 INDEPENDENCE 17:52
155 NATHAN MADONICH 9 SOUTH SF 17:56
157 EDGAR GARCIA 9 WATSONVILLE 17:56
175 ERNEST LARDIZABAL 9 SACRED HT CATH 18:02
Top 10 Senior Girls
1 JUSTINE FEDRONIC 12 CARLMONT 18:15
2 JENNIFER BERGMAN 12 VALLEY CHR. 18:15
3 KATY DALY 12 ST. IGNATIUS 18:34
4 STEPHANIE BARNETT 12 LELAND 18:36
7 MARY REYNOLDS 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 18:45
8 ALEX WESTBROOK 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 18:56
10 KATHLEEN MILLER 12 GILROY 19:08
14 RACHEL STUMP 12 LOS GATOS 19:21
15 COUTRNEY ALLEN 12 SAN BENITO 19:21
16 KRISTINE TALBOT 12 MOUNTAIN VIEW 19:23

Top 10 Junior Girls
9 LISA FAWCETT 11 GUNN 19:08
11 ZOE PAPPAS 11 MOUNTAIN VIEW 19:13
12 MARISSA FERRANTE 11 APTOS 19:15
17 MELISSA HOPPER 11 LEIGH 19:30
18 CLAUDIA BARNETT 11 LELAND 19:33
21 SAMANTHA HAMILTON 11 HALF MOON BAY 19:37
22 DARI SALVADOR 11 ALISAL 19:37
25 ERIN HICKS 11 LOS ALTOS 19:40
31 ABBY BARKER 11 CARLMONT 19:51
32 MARTINA DE GEUS 11 MOUNTAIN VIEW 19:54

Top 10 Sophomore Girls
5 JESSIE PETERSEN 10 CARLMONT 18:43
6 RACHEL HINDS 10 ST. IGNATIUS 18:45
13 CINDY HUANG 10 LYNBROOK 19:19
19 KATIE CASTRO 10 LOS GATOS 19:34
24 EMMA DOHNER 10 GUNN 19:39
26 ANGIE KORPUSIK 10 PRESENTATION 19:41
27 ELIZABETH SCOLERI 10 LOS GATOS 19:44
29 DOMINIQUE GUINNANE 10 PROSPECT 19:50
36 EMILY SITLER 10 ST. FRANCIS 20:00
46 VICORIA TSOLIS 10 PRESENTATION 20:10

Top 10 Freshman Girls23 ABBEY BLAKE 9 WESTMONT 19:38
35 SAMANTHA GARCIA 9 EVERGREEN VAL. 20:00
44 SARAH WELLS 9 MOUNTAIN VIEW 20:09
60 LAUREN CROSHAW 9 ARAGON 20:30
63 ATHENA ALARCON 9 GILROY 20:31
70 KIERAN GALLAGHER 9 GUNN 20:37
71 TATIANA BAIZA 9 SACRED HT CATH 20:37
76 SAVANNAH SILACCI 9 GILROY 20:41
77 MEGAN SHEARER 9 CARLMONT 20:41
79 ISABEL GARCIA 9 VALLEY CHR. 20:43

Weather temps for todays races (courtesy of www.lynbrooksports.com):
10:00AM 70
11:00AM 78
12:00Noon 83
1:00PM 87
2:00PM 88
3:00 89
4:00 88

Teams qualifying both teams (girls and boys) to the state meet:
Carlmont Div. I
Mt. View Div. II
Gunn Div. II
St. Ignatius Div. III
Aptos Div. III
Carmel Div. IV
Crystal Springs Uplands Div. V

More stats to come. Feel free to comment on today's races below. Congratulations to all the competitors today and all the state meet qualifiers (team and individuals).

CCS Guesstimates by Walt Van Zant

Here is a great way to see what might happen at the CCS meet today before it actually takes place:
2008 CCS Guesstimates

Best of luck to all athletes and coaches today.

Catching up with Harker coach Blossom Marimpietri...

Today we chat with Harker coach Blossom Marimpietri who in her first year as the cross country coach at Harker led her team to two varsity team titles (girls and boys). Harker was part of the new WBAL (West Bay Athletic League) this year which included the addition of Sacred Heart Prep, Menlo and Crystal Springs Uplands. This coming Saturday, her boys and girls teams will attempt to qualify for the state meet as they battle against the usual suspects in Division IV such as Carmel, Half Moon Bay and San Lorenzo Valley.

1) Tell us a little about your running background.
My first cross-country race was in the 10th grade and it was the first time I ever ran 3 miles (it hurt…a lot). I joined the team after persuasion from my soccer coach, but after my second race I knew it was the sport I was meant to do. That was at a public school in Los Angeles, but the following year my dad moved to Ventura County and I transferred to Oak Park High School. It was there where I began to take running seriously and helped the team win its first 2 state championships. I then came to the Bay Area for college where I ran for Santa Clara University. I was honorable mention All-West Coast Conference once. I recently joined the Impalas and am excited to be competitive again once I get healthy.

2) How did you get involved in coaching? Do you or have you coached other sports? What else do you do besides coaching?
This is my first season of coaching ever. I found out about the job through my friend (and assistant coach), Lauren Swigart In the back of my mind I had been thinking about coaching for years so when the opportunity came along I was excited to take it. I am also currently working full-time as a counselor for adolescents with eating disorders.

3) As a coach, who would you consider to be your coaching mentors?
Definitely my high school coach, Kevin Smith, and my college coach, Tom Service. Every year Coach Smith has over a hundred kids on the team and leads an amazingly organized, challenging, and fun program to success. Tom is one of the most caring coaches I’ve ever had and was basically my father while I was away at college. Right after I got the job at Harker I went back to Los Angeles for my sister’s wedding. While I was there I met with Coach Smith at Starbucks and typed notes for over 3 hours as he told me everything he knew about coaching. I’m sure we could have sat there longer, too, but I needed to start my drive home because it was getting late! Throughout the season I have talked to both of them for advice and opinions. My high school and collegiate running experiences were some of the most formative of my life and I know it will take years for me to become the kind of coach they are. They have taught me so much about running, life, and myself; I am fortunate to have had them to learn from.

4) How long have you been coaching at Harker?
This is my first season!

5) What was the state of the team when you started coaching at Harker?
By the time I was cleared to work with the kids it was very late in the summer. Only a handful of kids did any sort of summer running and when I held optional summer practice only 5-7 would show up. However, the previous coach did a great job with the team and I was lucky to arrive to positive, “coachable,” and team-oriented athletes. They were coming off a pretty good season last year and were motivated to do well again.

6) How big is your team this year and what do you do to attract runners to your team?
We have 43 runners this year. Honestly, I’m pretty lucky to have that big of a roster since I’m so new to the school. I think we are lucky because Harker has a middle school XC team and the coach runs a great program which feeds into ours. They hosted 2 middle school races this year, so we had some of our athletes volunteer at them. I definitely have ideas to increase the roster size for next year, though!!

7) What are your expectations for your runners during the summer?
I didn’t get a hold of them in time! We are very pleased with how the season is going, but I know we could do even better with more summer training. Unfortunately, as I mentioned already, I could not start working with the kids until very soon before the start of school. I’m already talking to them about next summer, though, and I think most are excited to put in a good base. I plan on having a structured summer with an attendance policy…mileage will depend on experience. I am trying to emphasize that a good summer is the backbone of a successful season.

8) This was the first year for the newly formed WBAL (West Bay AthleticLeague). How does this league differ from the past league you were involved in the past?
Well, I did my homework and looked up the WBAL and PSAL results from the past years, which is what Harker used to be in. I think the new WBAL is definitely more competitive, which is good because it raises everyone’s standards. The league was especially deep on the girl’s side this year. I think a league with 12 girls teams is huge.

9) Looking back at your seasons at Harker, could you identify an athlete or two that really stand out in helping the team become what it is today?
Prior to meeting with any of our athletes, my fellow coaches, our AD, and I met to talk about the season. One name that kept coming up was Sam Levine. “Oh, Sam will do that. Sam always takes care of this. Don’t worry, Sam does it.” All I could think was, “who is this kid?!?” But as soon as I met him, his leadership was evident. As one of our captains, he has led by example as well as verbally. He has made sure to keep up team traditions and keep his teammates in line and motivated. He also just won the league title so he has left his mark on Harker XC in many ways. He is leaving some big shoes to fill when he goes to college next year.

On the girl’s side, Elena Madan stands out. Like Sam, she has put in the work the past few years and has led by example. She is committed to the team and all of her teammates recognize her dedication to and respect for the sport. She has raised the bar and the expectations for the ladies, while being a fair and considerate captain to everyone. She was on the team as an individual CCS qualifier 3 years ago and now is hoping to go with her teammates to state. Next year, the team will look to Adam Perelman and Tara Hansen.

10) Who is going to be your biggest competition for your team in CCS this Saturday in the girls and boys races?
It’s going to be fun. On the boy’s side, I expect we’ll be competing with teams like Scotts Valley, Harbor, and Stevenson. For the girls, we hope to be competing with Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay, and SLV.

11) What advice would you give new cross country coaches if they are just starting out with a new school and team?
Oooh. Tailor your approach to meet where the team is currently at and then gradually work it towards your expectations and goals. Have a very detailed attendance policy and always stick to it. Order team t-shirts early. The Stanford Invitational fills up really quickly! Remember how young a 9th grader is. On that note, don’t forget how many kids will be totally new to running or sports in general; don’t forget to teach the importance of proper running attire (running shoes, athletic shorts, sports bras, t-shirts), the necessity for hydration, the expectations for stretching and core work. Set goals early in the season and revisit them midway through. Ask the kids for feedback – we did midseason evaluations and got great, constructive comments from many of our athletes. Every time you think of a way you can improve something for next year, jot it down immediately. Explain why you do what you do…and be prepared to repeat yourself many times.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
Thanks and good luck to everyone in the postseason!

Thank you very much for your time Blossom!

More NCS/CCS Cross Country Results/Newspaper Articles

CMC Results (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
SCL Results (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
SCL Finals Story (Santa Rosa Press Democrat)
Prep cross country: Redwood rules the day at MCALs (Marin IJ)
Knights in running for state cross country meet (Las Lomas Cross Country)
See you at state? (Gilroy Dispatch)

Other NCS league results have been posted already. See previous posts.

Peaking (Part III) by Chris Puppione will be posted tonight.

NCS Rankings will be posted sometime next week before the Meet of Champions on Saturday.

Best of luck to all runners and coaches.

BCL East League Championships Results and Race Summary

BCL EAST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS AND RACE SUMMARY

NOVEMBER 11, 2008

2.6 MILES AT JOAQUIN MILLER PARK, OAKLAND

For the second consecutive year, the boys course record was broken on the short but difficult Joaquin Miller Park course. Josh MacDonald from Redwood Christian crossed the line in a time of 14:29, beating the old course record of 14:33 set by Victor Ho of Chinese Christian just last year. Josh will be a definite medal contender at both the NCS and the state championships.

Redwood Christian’s move to a new league and a new section this year was a successful one, as they also won the boys team title over College Prep by a convincing 21 point margin. As has been the case for most of the season, College Prep’s superior team depth could not overcome Redwood Christian’s outstanding top four runners. Both teams are expected to easily qualify for state out of NCS, probably in third and fourth place, behind University and Berean Christian.

Chinese Christian took a very respectable third place with 76 points, while Head-Royce, still missing their number one runner due to injury, could only manage fourth place with 100 points. Both these teams could be contenders for that coveted fifth place position at NCS, but would have to run outstanding team races to do so.

To no one’s surprise, College Prep took the girls team title with 22 points, and will battle it out with University and Marin Academy for the top three team placings at NCS. Head-Royce ran a strong team race to take second place with 54 points, and with the move of Crystal Springs Uplands to the CCS this year, could be in contention for that coveted fourth place position at NCS.

Kai Wilson of College Prep, Adrienne Strait of College Prep, and Jessica Ho of Chinese Christian have been running together at the front of the pack in league races all season. Kai took the win at the league championships, and her time of 17:14 was the second fastest time in league championship history. All three of these runners are possible contenders for individual medals at NCS and state.

SCHOOL ABBREVIATIONS

ATH: Athenian
BENT: Bentley
CCC: Contra Costa Christian
CCS: Chinese Christian
CPS: College Prep
CSD: California School for the Deaf
FC: Fremont Christian
HRS: Head-Royce
RC: Redwood Christian
VC: Valley Christian

GIRLS JV
(1) Sarah Eppley CPS 11 20:05
(2) Emma Vinella-Busher CPS 9 21:52
(3) Gina Kabasakaus CPS 10 22:10
(4) Deanna Wong CPS 11 22:23
(5) Julia Beery CPS 10 22:43
(6) Alice Del Simone CPS 11 22:59
(7) Kate Feeney CPS 12 23:19
(8) Valentina Garcia CPS 11 23:40
(9) Sarah Trutner CPS 9 23:41
(10) Elaine Truong HRS 11 23:56
(11) Haley Gandsey CPS 12 24:07
(12) Sarina Romero CPS 9 24:35
(13) Kate Schroeder HRS 12 24:44
(14) Sarah Green CPS 9 25:07
(15) Rori Collins CPS 12 25:11
(16) Chelsea Mitchell CPS 11 26:39
(17) S. Schaff BENT 9 29:16
(18) Elizabeth Hernandez CSD 10 29:31
(19) Jenn Leser CPS 11 30:58
(20) Ruby Martinez CSD 9 34:24

Team scores:

(1) CPS 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – (6) – (7) = 15

HRS, BENT, CSD INC

BOYS JV
(1) Jeff Sohn ATH 11 16:27
(2) Benjamin Wang ATH 12 16:35
(3) Julian Compagni-Portis CPS 10 16:51
(4) Chris Lane CPS 12 18:04
(5) Kalvin Charles RC 9 18:15
(6) Allan Kwan CCS 12 18:16
(7) Nick Gallagher CPS 11 18:19
(8) Everett Chang CCS 9 18:34
(9) Andrew Peterson CPS 11 18:37
(10) Brendan Wong CCS 12 18:42
(11) Matt Rosenthal CPS 10 18:44
(12) Mark Bavoso CPS 9 19:05
(13) S. Lee BENT 9 19:11
(14) Elijah Ben-Izzy CPS 11 19:13
(15) Michael Gittner RC 11 19:19
(16) Nolan Feeney CPS 11 19:40
(17) Tyler Peters CPS 11 19:56
(18) Martin Salazar CPS 9 20:00
(19) Michael Fung CCS 12 20:11
(20) Ryan Chan CCS 11 20:16
(21) Daniel Cohen CPS 9 20:17
(22) Parker Hamren ATH 9 20:24
(23) Daniel Mather ATH 11 20:30
(24) Nicholas Taylor ATH 9 20:59
(25) Joseph Giltner RC 10 21:07
(26) Josh Landgraf VC 9 21:09
(27) Allan Wan HRS 11 21:27
(28) Jonathan Chia CPS 11 21:31
(29) Micha Titus CPS 9 21:35
(30) Paul Mo CCS 9 21:51
(31) Danny La CCS 11 21:55
(32) Frank Nguyen CCS 10 22:15
(33) Kevin Truong HRS 10 22:37
(34) R. Lu BENT 9 22:41
(35) N. Ricci BENT 12 22:48
(36) Chris Davis RC 9 24:04
(37) C. Marchman BENT 9 25:22
(38) W. Peng BENT 11 26:54
(39) J. Birnie BENT 9 28:25

Team scores:

(1) CPS 1 – 2 – 4 – 6 – 8 – (9) – (11) = 21

(2) CCS 3 – 5 – 7 – 12 – 13 – (14) – (15) = 40

(3) BENT 10 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – (20) = 80

ATH, HRS, RC, VC INC

GIRLS VARSITY
(1) Kai Wilson CPS 9 17:14
(2) Adrienne Strait CPS 10 17:22
(3) Jessica Ho CCS 10 17:37
(4) Emily Erickson CPS 11 18:00
(5) Savannah Ryder HRS 9 18:20
(6) Heather Anderson HRS 10 18:41
(7) Celeste Northcott VC 12 18:43
(8) Tina Solvik ATH 10 19:01
(9) Lucia Holmlund RC 10 19:11
(10) Cat Truesdell CPS 12 19:41
(11) Alex De Denko ATH 12 19:44
(12) Michelle Deloison-BaumCPS 10 19:57
(13) Lyanna Tompkins CCC 9 20:02
(14) Sydney Knudsen CPS 10 20:07
(15) C. Lewis BENT 10 20:19
(16) Hannah MacDonald RC 10 20:37
(17) Charlotte Bowles HRS 9 20:42
(18) Lena Hermans CPS 11 20:59
(19) Maddy Gold ATH 11 21:07
(20) Katie Zablocki CCC 10 21:15
(21) Allison Melendez HRS 12 21:15
(22) Jessica Suplick HRS 10 21:28
(23) L. Zuckerman BENT 9 21:51
(24) Danielle Szuch BENT 12 21:52
(25) Kristina Chang CCS 11 22:02
(26) Hillary Streeter HRS 11 22:26
(27) Annie Wanless HRS 9 22:30
(28) Emily Robledo CCC 10 22:42
(29) Jennifer Truong CCS 12 22:56
(30) Jennifer Sy CCS 11 23:07
(31) C. Chavez BENT 9 23:20
(32) Emily Wong CCS 9 23:25
(33) Marie Anderson ATH 11 23:29
(34) Sarah Lonn RC 10 24:00
(35) C. Durant BENT 9 24:21
(36) E. Whaley-Mayda BENT 11 24:22
(37) Jasmine Lee CCS 11 24:38
(38) M. Morris BENT 11 24:50
(39) Hoi Lam Chan CCS 11 24:52
(40) Roxanne Monesi CCC 11 27:28
(41) Katleen Dugas CCC 9 28:16

Team scores:

(1) CPS 1 – 2 – 4 – 7 – 8 – (10) – (13) = 22
(2) HRS 5 – 6 – 12 – 15 – 16 – (20) – (21) = 54
(3) CCS 3 – 19 – 23 – 24 – 26 – (29) - (31) = 95
(4) BENT 11 – 17 – 18 – 25 – 27 - (28) - (30) = 98
(5) CCC 9 – 14 – 22 – 32 – 33 = 110
VC, ATH, RC INC

Final overall league standings (Center meets + League championship):

(1) CPS 30 + 20 = 50
(2) HRS 27 + 18 = 45
(3) CC S 23 + 16 = 39
(4) BENT 22 + 14 = 36
(5) CCC 12 + 12 = 24
All other teams have scores of 0.

BOYS VARSITY
(1) Josh MacDonald RC 11 14:29 (Course record)
(2) Charlie Sauter CPS 12 14:49
(3) Alex Mattson RC 11 15:06
(4) Wayne Smith RC 11 15:11
(5) Jacob Huemoeller RC 10 15:11
(6) Chris Wendt ATH 12 15:15
(7) Jordan Lee CCS 11 15:18
(8) Walker Holden HRS 11 15:28
(9) Philip Lafreniere VC 12 15:32
(10) Cole Ashcraft HRS 12 15:33
(11) Eugene Cheung CCS 10 15:41
(12) Tim Hunt CPS 11 15:56
(13) Nate Ong BC 12 16:13
(14) John Williams CPS 12 16:28
(15) Andrew Glass ATH 12 16:32
(16) N. Bergen BENT 10 16:37
(17) Aviv Adler CPS 12 16:40
(18) Daniel O’Kelly CPS 11 16:41
(19) Chris McIntosh CPS 11 16:45
(20) Dan Husted CCC 12 16:53
(21) Christian Clemens CPS 12 16:53
(22) Hugh Green HRS 12 16:59
(23) P. Fitzgerald BENT 12 17:01
(24) David Voong CCS 11 17:05
(25) Kevin So CCS 11 17:06
(26) Jacob Swanson RC 11 17:13
(27) Michael Eng CCS 12 17:17
(28) Alex Freiberg HRS 12 17:35
(29) G. Gardner BENT 12 17:48
(30) R. Dorhmann BENT 11 17:50
(31) Pavel Kanavalchuk CSD 12 17:58
(32) Donald Sherwood ATH 10 18:05
(33) Tae Ho Kim ATH 12 18:07
(34) Jonathan Ellis RC 11 18:18
(35) D. McClennan-Colon BENT 9 18:20
(36) Takumi Murayama HRS 11 18:21
(37) M. Bahai BENT 9 18:22
(38) Matthew Gregory FC 11 18:30
(39) Keith Holmlund RC 12 18:32
(40) Ramie Ali-Abeeb ATH 10 18:39
(41) Jeremy Lai CCS 11 18:40
(42) Zach Punty CCC 11 18:40
(43) Danny Anduza CCC 11 18:47
(44) D. Saba BENT 10 18:56
(45) Andrew Mercado CSD 9 18:59
(46) Nick Wong HRS 9 19:00
(47) Scott Hecker CCC 12 19:02
(48) Max Stayman HRS 9 19:21
(49) Stefan Cortlidge ATH 11 20:15
(50) Dylan Stanton ATH 12 20:30
(51) David Yoeono CCC 11 21:06
(52) Bradley Weber CSD 10 21:25
(53) Noel Garcia FC 10 22:14
(54) Christopher Nguyen FC 12 22:32
(55) Kenneth Shin VC 12 22:36
(56) Patrick Garcia FC 9 22:45
(57) Christian Nguyen FC 10 22:52
(58) Gregory Spriggs-Cuojo CSD 9 24:15
(59) Carlos Del Angel CSD 10 25:51
(60) Charles Abrams CSD 9 26:29 Team scores:

(1) RC 1 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 25 – (33) – (38) = 38
(2) CPS 2 – 11 – 13 – 16 – 17 – (18) – (20) = 59
(3) CC S 7 – 10 – 12 – 23 – 24 – (26) – (40) = 76
(4) HRS 8 – 9 – 21 – 27 – 35 – (45) – (47) = 100
(5) ATH 6 – 14 – 31 – 32 – 39 – (48) – (49) = 122
(6) BENT 15 – 22 – 28 – 29 – 34 – (36) – (43) = 128
(7) CCC 19 – 41 – 42 – 46 – 50 = 198
(8) CSD 30 – 44 – 51 – 56 – 57 – (58) = 238
(9) FC 37 – 52 – 53 – 54 – 55 = 251

VC INC

Final overall league standings (Center meets + League championship):

(1) RC 29 + 20 = 49
(2) CPS 27 + 18 = 45
(3) CC S 24 + 16 = 40
(4) HRS 20 + 14 = 34
(5) ATH 20 + 12 = 32
(6) BENT 15 + 10 = 25
(7) FC 10 + 4 = 14
(T8) CCC 4 + 8 = 12
(T8) CSD 6 + 6 = 12
(10) VC 0 + 0 = 0

MCAL XC Championships

The MCAL XC Championships was held today at Indian Valley College in
Novato.
Ideal weather conditions.
The course is a moderately hilly 3.0 mile course.

THE GIRLS
Individually, Theresa Devine, a junior at Marin Catholic, was extremely
dominant, leading from wire to wire in a winning time of 18:46. A front
runner for the NCS D-IV title, she had a superb race, looking strong, fit,
and controlled. Ellie Ryan, a freshman phenom from Drake had an
incredible 2nd half of the race, moving way up in the field to run 19:02.
She should be in the mix for a D-III State Meet berth. Courtney Madson, a
sophomore from Novato and State Meeet qualifier last year (19:24), Caitlin
Schmitt, a junior from Redwood (19:48), and Devin Patrick, a senior from
Tamalpais (19:56) rounded out the top five. Team-wise, there was a
titanic battle between Drake and Redwood. Drake had already won the dual
meet pennant. Redwood finished on top though today by a scant 7 points
(52-59). Look for both teams to battle for a D-III spot (Redwood has
qualified as a team the past two years and looks to 3-peat). New to the
scene were the Terra Linda girls finishing 3rd overall. These girls have
a great shot to make it on in D-IV as a team next Saturday with a strong
1st to 5th set of runners.


THE BOYS
Erik Olson, on his home course, showed he knows these trails intimately.
From the gun, he took the lead with an extremely fast first 1/2 mile and
never looked back. Just a junior, he has now won back to back league
titles. He simply decimated the field with a time of 15:20. Look for
Erik to contend for the NCS D-III crown next weekend. Following Erik,
with a more conservative style but great later race effort was Steven
Iglehart, a senior from Branson, in a time of 15:34. Currently ranked 2nd
in the State for D-V, he will be a front runner the next few weeks for NCS
and State Meet individual accolades. Dan Milechman of Tamalpais is only a
sophomore but showed tremendous poise and guts with a stellar 3rd place
run and time of 15:41. He has to be considered now the top seed for NCS
D-IV next week based on this effort. Peter Kissin, a senior from Redwood
was 4th (16:13, individual State Meet qualifier last year) and Brian
Hernandez, a senior from San Rafael was 5th (16:23). Team-wise, Redwood
showed incredible strength and won going away with 54 points. They look
towards next weekend to punch their ticket to Fresno in D-III. San Rafael
and Tamalpais had a close battle for the 2nd and 3rd place team standings.


Thanks,
--Jason Jacobson (San Rafael HS)

Catching up with Castro Valley coach Peter Brewer...

Today's interview is with Castro Valley coach Peter Brewer. Peter is one of the most active coaches in the NCS (and perhaps the state) in terms of being involved in the logistics of how our sport is run and in the advancement of the education of coaches in Northern California through his summer clinic at Canyon Middle School. Peter's teams have also been very successful in both cross country and track and field. His girls' team last year won the NCS Division I title and as he would say, they return the whole kit and kaboodle ready to defend their crown. His boy's teams have consistently been one of the challengers for the state meet berths and last year's team boasted the top runner in NCS Division I, Jack Leng. His boys' track and field team last year won the NCS Bay Shore meet and then went on to finish in 2nd place at the NCS Meet of Champions behind De La Salle HS.

1) How did you get involved in Cross Country and Track and Field?

As a rookie teacher back in 1982 I had a cross country runner in one of my English classes. He kept me informed a bit on the team's progress. That next spring I wandered up to the track a few times and helped out with running the meets, mostly at the long jump and the high jump. Tim Bruder was head coach at Castro Valley that year.
That fall I asked the cross country coach, Tony Casillas, if I could jog along with the JV's once in a while because I wanted to quit smoking. It turned out that I was the only on-campus coach for both cross country and track the next two years, so I became the recruiter and a keeper of the stats. In 1986 both the track and cross country head positions became available and I've been at the helm ever since.

2) What was your sport experience in your youth?

I was a monumental klutz in all sports. High school was my first attempt at sports. I tried football and never got past the interior line because of my size and awkwardness. I did a little cross country but the JV's were my permanent home. In track I had a little success, but in those days 5-8 in the high jump was laughable.

3) How long have you been teaching and coaching at Castro Valley HS? What do you teach?

I am in my 27th year of teaching. My contract says I am supposed to be teaching English, but I end up teaching mostly manners.

4) Who are/were your mentors for you in terms of your coaching?

Tony Casillas showed me the absolute necessity of intensity in coaching. If it doesn't matter deeply, then whatever anyone attempts is less than a full effort.
Norm Guest quietly displayed a real sense of organizational structure. Having a framework of attention to the details adds immeasurably to coaching. No one really notices that part of the job particularly, since it is supposed to be the background against which the coaching takes place, but when the details are missing the whole coaching effectiveness is compromised.
I can only mention briefly the many top-flight national level coaches who write books and give clinics, but without the likes of Joe Vigil, Dr. Jack Daniels, Irv Ray and others I never would have had any real entry into the physiological realities of the sport. My high school peers who have achieved top level success are also very helpful resources, and I love to steal their ideas.
Peter Jensen and Tim Kuta gave me a running head start on the importance of archiving and sorting historical data to keep alive traditions and program continuity.
My long-time assistant, Raoul Perez, has shown me the patience necessary to effectively coach girls. I was a slow learner on that one, and he showed a real knack for anticipating group dynamic crises before they really developed.

5) When you first started coaching at CV, what runners (boys and girls) helped you grow the program into what it is today?

My very first cluster of talent came in 1986-1988, and those boys gave me my first taste of the State Meet when it started. We were able to grab 7th in Division II twice in 1987 and '88, all without a real star. That group bought into running hard and long and with competitive intensity. I still see them all somewhat regularly -- Matt Johanson (9:24 3200), Jason Atwood (4:18 1600, 15:50 5K), Paul Denzler (4:24 1600), Todd Saunders (1:58 800), Mark Wallace (10:15 3200 on an undiagnosed stress fracture), Tim Gravino, Brian Berry, Jimmy Martini.
It took a lot longer to get any momentum with the girls' program, as a few stars would come along (Elice Patterson 19:01 11th 1990 D-II State Meet, Jennie Ewing 1996 18:28 8th D-II State Meet) but no real consistency happened until about 2000. Then a very young group of girls came, the previous cluster of girls completely graduated, and the new ones brought a different level of commitment with them.

6) During your tenure as the CV coach, what has been the change you have implemented into your training program that has had the most positive impact with your team?

Well, it took long enough for me to realize what was really necessary, even though I had heard it dozens of times in clinics. I simply stopped putting up with excuses. I literally had to weed out the "cancers" of limited expectations, of partial commitments, of pre-disposed sloth and indolence, and of pure unadulterated teenage smarmy defensive oppositional crap. If I were to have smaller teams because of it, then so be it.
So, the first was girls' soccer. I stopped giving accommodations to soccer girls simply because they were fast. Once I did this, and the soccer girls went away, it turned out there was still considerable talent on the team and we are doing just fine.
Then it was homework. I challenged these excuses as most likely the product of procrastination (and possibly because we were doing intervals that day). Also, the phrase "student-athlete" is a single word, so they are expected to be able to do both. In addition, sports are considered Advanced Placement P.E., so the athlete is expected to do more.
Finally it was sloth. It a runner consistently worked out below expectations, he or she is dropped from the team. "Walk" is a four -letter word that ends in "k."
The result is now that I have 65 runners that show up every day, work hard every day, and are congratulated each day for it.
All this allowed for part two -- running harder. Once there were no more snivelers to gum up the works or cut short the workouts, I could implement longer, harder, faster and more consistent workouts. In just the past two years I have been able to ratchet up the intensity and the volume of workouts significantly. Of course, I have had to monitor the athletes much more closely and adjust for recovery and injury. We have instituted ice baths and fruit snacks after each workout to reduce those risks.

7) Your team does morning runs. Tell us a little about the benefits you have seen with your team and why you added them.

About 12 or so years ago I realized that my program had gotten "flat," and that my runners were not improving nor were there any real advances in overall consistency. I then identified all the coaches I could that had consistently superior programs and then made a point of taking a full year to go up to them at invitationals and championship meets and ask them what they did. The one response that was the same from the majority of the coaches was the morning run. So, in 1997 I tried it with my varsity boys only for 6 weeks. That year we won the NCS D-I title.
Since then we have gone through a few permutations -- classes start earlier, so we have to run earlier; administrators objected to the stadium lights so parents had to rally and protest; girls don't want to have to shorten their school preparation time; but generally the top athletes and a few other make 3-4 sessions a week.
The absolute benefit of morning workouts is to get the athlete to adapt to a shortened recovery period. Over a period of two months, as workouts increase in intensity, the athlete has to continually adjust to this two-a-day regimen. This is a simple matter of making the athlete stronger. I find that these athletes are tougher over the last mile of races, have more consistent races over a season, have fewer injuries, and are more ready for the next season of track.
Ironically, this year several factors limited attendance at the morning workouts, so we had to stop them much earlier than I had planned. However, since I made some substantial changes to the regular afternoon workouts we have been doing well regardless.

8) You are in charge of the CIF and can make any changes to cross country at the state level. What changes would you make? What has been your involvement with that level in the past?

With only a little boasting, I can say that I helped write policy on the current at-large process for advancing teams to the state meet from the sections. With some finagling I have been able to sit on the State Advisory Committee for several years and at least be present when recommendations are made.
If I had the magic wand, I would split up the Southern Section. It is far too unwieldy and represents a number of logistical accommodations. It is entirely true that yearly several truly qualified teams do not advance to the state meet. It is equally true that because of its size, the Southern Section at times gets too much press focus to the detriment of the rest of the state. At least two, if not three sections could easily be carved out of the current configuration.
I would also add the San Francisco Section to Central Coast, and tuck the Oakland Section into North Coast. This would be for cross country and track only. Let the original sections hassle over the other sports.

9) Tell us a little bit about the process to get the all weather track facility (and new football turf/field of course) at CV HS.

Well, I was advocating a new track for over a decade, but met a lot of opposition from all levels in even suggesting the possibility of planning for it. Then Martin Capron, a parent and track enthusiast, started up the Castro Valley Sports Foundation with the single purpose of raising enough money for a new track. Well, raising that amount of money is tough, but his website published several very unflattering pictures of how rundown the CVHS stadium was. He also posted pictures of the glittering new facilities at nearby schools, such as Amador Valley.
This did not please district administrators, but it did galvanize voters. So, when the district was able to float and get passed several bond issues, the track and stadium was added to the latest one. The last barrier was the sudden rise in construction costs just before the project went out to bid. Our district business manager, Jerry Macy, came to the rescue and was able to get project tweaked to fit available funds and get it done.
It really is a nice stadium and facility, and I am pleased that we got a steeplechase water barrier built as well.

10) Is it possible for you to single out a coaching highlight(s) when it comes to Cross Country?

No, not one definitive single moment. There are always highlights, but each year has highlights. I think that the real satisfaction that I allow myself is when the running alumni come to visit. This allows the current runners to see that they are a part of a long and proud tradition, and adds a level of validation to their own efforts.

11) Your summer clinics at Canyon Middle School have been a great resource for Northern California coaches. If you had to give your best advice to a new Cross Country coach, what would it be? (Peter, feel free to include information about the clinic next summer)

The first piece of advice I would give any new coach is to hang in there. Survive. The first few years may seem overwhelming, and coaching well takes time and energy. At times the odds may seem stacked against the coach, as athletes, parents, and even administrators may be resistant. However, it is always worth it. Any small increment of structure and consistency and improvement that we can add to the increasingly chaotic world that kids face is good. Coaches add more than they can realize to the good of society.
The next clinic is again in July, most likely after the USATF nationals in Eugene. This year I am trying to get a college coach on the panel, and I'd like to add again an athlete's section.

12) Anything else you would like to add.

We need more young coaches in profession. We need more on-campus coaches, or at least coaches who are close to the school community. Running is a growing sport, especially on the girls' side, and I'd like to see lots and lots of younger folks (younger than me, at least) get started.

Thank you very much for your time Peter. Continued success to your team!

San Joaquin Section Preview (Boys Divisions I-III)

Sac Joaquin Section Boy's Preview Division 1-3

Division 1 (2 Team + 5 Ind. State Qualifiers)
Section Meet Team Qualifiers: Davis Sr, Franklin, Modesto, Grace
Davis, Sheldon, Galt, Kennedy, Vintage

Preview: Expect Davis to not take Sections as easy as they did
Subsections. A controlling victory will give the Blue Devils much
confidence going into the State Meet - for which they are most
assuredly going to qualify. Senior Matt Peterson of Davis will lead
the charge in an exciting race up front. Look for a winning score
below 40.

The race for the final State team qualifier will be a little more
exciting. However, it looks as though Franklin (Elk Grove) is in a
position to simply defend their positions and let the race unfold in
their favor. Superman-like performances will not be needed for
Franklin but expect them to run very hard to close the gap as much as
they can on Davis.

The battle up front will possibly be the most compelling in this
contest. Juniors Roberto Rosas (Grace Davis) and Kurt Ruegg (Napa)
will battle the Seniors Matt Peterson (Davis) and Chris Haworth
(Kennedy). Neither of these four young men are afraid to run fast up
front.

Individual Qualifiers: Roberto Rosas (Grace Davis), Kurt Ruegg (Napa),
Chris Haworth (Kennedy), Chris Izquierdo (Grace Davis) and Andrew Deck
(Vintage) will all fight for those coveted 5 individual State
qualifiers.

Predictions: Davis Sr wins another banner, Franklin (EG) gets the
plaque and another 2 weeks of life. Matt Peterson (Davis) and Chris
Haworth (Kennedy) wage an epic battle in the last mile with Peterson
breaking away in the final half-mile to win. If the weather's nice in
Folsom/Willow Hills, winning time of 16:10-16:20.

Division 2 (4 Team + 5 Ind. State Qualifiers)
Section Meet Team Qualifiers: Oak Ridge, Del Campo, Fairfield,
Woodcreek, Jesuit, Ponderosa, Rocklin, Granite Bay

Preview: At 11:05am on November 15th 2008 you will want to be at
Folsom HS/Willow Hills Reservoir to watch this perfect example of BIG
TIME team competition. With all major teams having major
front-runners, the race for the low score will be fantastic for the
spectators.

Unless Del Campo improves their squad by adding in an injured #3-#4
runner, expect Oak Ridge's top 4 to take care of business in the team
contest. If DC does add that #3-#4 runner (Robert Pflasterer), the
story might become one of the "Mighty Mighty Cougars!" - with
Fairfield, Woodcreek and Jesuit running for the final qualifiers.

I admit that Fairfield is the sleeper here. They are running great and
barring complete calamity, they have to be a lock for at least 4th
place (and that final state berth). The question then becomes "How
easy did Jesuit run at Subsections?" With their capability, finishing
5th at Subsections was probably not an ideal way of heading into
Sections. However, one can bet that these particular Marauders were
made well aware that Jesuit does not NOT qualify for the State Meet 2
years in a row. So expect a 5-man throng of Red and Gold up near the
front.

In the front, you have Seniors Garrett Seawell (Woodcreek), Dan
Mitchell (Del Campo) and Emilio Garcia (Jesuit) and then Juniors Amjed
Aboukhadijeh (Oak Ridge) and Josh Mercado (Del Campo) all capable of
running really fast. Which of these young men will be left standing at
the finish?

Individual Qualifiers: Garrett Seawell, Zachary Zadrozna (Rocklin),
Seth Lawerence (Ponderosa), Jon Ahmann (Pleasant Grove) and Sam O'Hair
(Rocklin) will likely be the 5 individual qualifiers.

Predictions: Given that Benji Xie (Oak Ridge) will run much faster and
the uncertainty of Robert Pflasterer's return to Del Campo, I have to
say Oak Ridge will come out with the banner. Del Campo, Jesuit and
Fairfield will follow in that order. Expect Mitchell and Seawell to
drop the rest of the front-runners just after 2 miles and then
complete their local xc seasons with what I hope will be a fastest
time of the day performance. Count on Seawell's superior 3200m PR to
outlast Mitchell's better 1600m PR. Winning time sub-16:10 if the
weather's nice.

Division 3 (2 Team and 5 Ind. State Qualifiers)
Section Meet Team Qualifiers: Placer, Sonora, El Camino, Del Oro, St.
Mary's, Weston Ranch, Woodland, Sierra

Preview: It will be a GREEN PARTY battle! Placer, Sonora and El Camino
all have green in their school colors. The black tops of El Camino and
the white/green/yellow of Placer will all be near the front. Placer
outscored El Camino by nearly 50 at Subsections but don't expect the
same result on Saturday. Both teams have strong 5-man squads with
similar time spreads over most courses. Get out your pen and paper for
this one. If Placer's 5th man beats El Camino's 5th man, they win. If
it's the other way, El Camino wins. Don't sleep on Sonora however. The
message boards on DyeStat stated that Sonora was without their usual
3rd runner. If that's true, then expect a 3-team battle of 5th men.

The race for first will be just as exciting as the team battle. El
Camino, Placer and Sonora all have 1 or 2 guys that can handle
winning. The pace will likely go out relatively conservative (most D3
races are slower in general). Watch for El Camino's duo of Senior Evan
Bornstein and Sophomore Chris Kigar, Placer's duo of Junior Lucas
Stancliff and Freshman Christian Finkbeiner, and Sonora's Senior John
Glick.

Individual Qualifiers: John Glick, Alejandro Garcia (Ceres), Roberto
Alvarez (Weston Ranch), Juan Segundo (Livingston), John Bowers
(Sierra) will likely qualify as individuals.

Predictions: El Camino's entire team was in the Top 15 at the mile
mark at Subsections while wearing trainers. They then stepped off the
gas and cruised their way into the Section qualifier. Placer ran very
hard and were amply rewarded. Both teams are capable of winning. I am
going with my gut on this one. El Camino hasn't won an XC Section
banner in 45 years. It's been a long time coming. El Camino will get
the title by a very slim margin.

Evan Bornstein and Chris Kigar (El Camino) battle John Glick (Sonora)
all the way to the line. Bornstein wins, Glick 2nd, Kigar 3rd...
Winning time 16:30-16:40.

Recap
Division 1
1 Davis
2 Franklin
Division 2
1 Oak Ridge
2 Del Campo
3 Jesuit
4 Fairfield
Division 3
1 El Camino
2 Placer

--
Jason Jimenez
El Camino High School