Kyle and Drew Shackleton (former Carlmont Runners)

For those of you that remember the Shackleton twins (pictured above at the '03 XC State Meet), here is an article I found about them on www.letsrun.com. Kyle and Drew graduated from Carlmont HS in 2004. In the '03 Cross Country season, they helped lead Carlmont to a 2nd place finish in the Division II State Championship race (behind St. John Bosco). They both went on to compete in cross country and track and field at UCLA.

Twin Brothers Representing Team Fox Chase Olympic Trials Qualifying Time and Vow to Donate Prize Money to the Michael J. Fox Foundation at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11

Coverage of some of the top teams/individuals in Northern California...

Mountain View High School (CCS)
Mountain View cross country has quantity and quality

Davis High School (SJS)
Blue Devil harriers aim to nurture legacy
LEGACY: DHS to be pushed by Trojans?

Carlmont High School (CCS)
Carlmont teams sweep PAL cross country meet
PAL #2 - 10/06/09

Gunn High School (CCS)
Gunn Titans invade Chicago and sweep the boys and girls titles!

From Santa Rosa Press Democrat (NCS)
Saucony/Heart & Sole Redwood Empire XC Runner of the week

Any more links?  Send them to albertjcaruana@gmail.com and I will add them to the list above.

Top 10 Sac-Joaquin Section Rankings (Teams and Individuals)

Thanks to the contributors on SJS Dyestat thread for the following rankings. Are there any teams or individuals missing from the top 10 lists? Who should be ranked higher? Lower?

SJS Boys:
1) Davis Sr
2) Oak Ridge
3) Del Campo
4) Jesuit
5) El Camino
6) Rocklin
7) Woodcreek
8) Franklin
9) Grace Davis
10) Granite Bay

SJS Girls:
1) Davis Sr
2) Woodcreek
3) Oak Ridge
4) Granite Bay
5) Del Oro
6) Del Campo
7) Vista Del Lago
8) Colfax
9) St Francis (Sac)
10) Vacaville

SJS Boys Individual:
1) Kurt Ruegg - Napa
2) Chris Kigar - El Camino
3) Nathan Williams - Oak Ridge
4) Amjed Aboukhadijeh - Oak Ridge
5) Adam Kelly-Strong - Jesuit
6) Trevor Halstead - Davis Sr
7) Roberto Rosas - Grace Davis
8) Tyler Raposa - Woodcreek
9) Julian Patterson - Franklin
10) Jack Nevins - Del Campo

SJS Girls Individual:
1) Brooke Holt - Granite Bay
2) Karlie Garcia - Oakmont
3) Breanne Mitchell - Bear River
4) Christine Zavesky - Granite Bay
5) Hayley Scott - Oak Ridge
6) Juliana Green - Davis Sr
7) Shannon Harcus - Placer
8) Courtney Crosta - Woodcreek
9) Christine Bowlus - Davis Sr
10) Shayna Powless - Roseville

Northern CA Cross Country Newspaper Coverage...

HIGH SCHOOL
Bulldogs running as a team (Contra Costa Times)

Around the Horn (Contra Costa Times)

Vaca cross country runs at Yolo (The Reporter)

Local roundup: Watsonville cross country teams each win four of five races at MBL meet (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Davis' Roberto Rosas draws inspiration from cancer-stricken brother (modbee.com)

Placer teams fare well at invitational (auburnjournal.com)

Local Roundup: SLV's boys cross country team hands Aptos rare loss (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Prep Roundup: Tracy, West host league cross country meet in town (Tracy Press)

COLLEGE AND OPEN
Stanford men's cross-country takes over top spot (PaloAltoOnline.com)

Gray, Wickman get CCAA honors (chicoer.com/scroll down)

2 runners die in San Jose half marathon (San Jose Mercury News)

Catching up with Lynbrook HS runner, Luca Signore...

Today we chat with Lynbrook HS senior, Luca Signore. He's had quite a season already splitting with Weston Strum of Pioneer by winning the Lynbrook Center Meet and finishing behind Strum at the Earlybird Invitational in the senior race. Luca then went on to dominate at the Iolani XC Invitational winning the Varsity Boys' race by close to 40 seconds. At the Stanford Invitational, he finished 2nd in the Division II race behind Santa Rosa's Reesey Byers, running a PR of 15:50 on the 5K course. He also finished 2nd behind the debut race of Mountain View senior Garrett Rowe in the Central Park Invite. At this past Saturday's Artichoke Invitational, Luca (pictured finishing his race) recorded the fastest time of the day as he was the lone runner to break 12 minutes on the 2.33 mile course.

1) How did you get your start in running?
I didn't start running as a sport until 7th grade track but in elementary school we would run the mile every month on this big grass field. I remember running 9:41 in 4th grade and wanting to beat the fastest kid in class so every time after that we always raced to see who would win. In 7th grade at Miller we had an annual race called the Turkey trot and I ran it because my friend wanted me to run it with him but I ended up getting third and I realized running was my thing so I joined track and I've been in love ever since.

2) Tell us a little about your experience with the cross country and track and field teams as a freshman and sophomore.
My freshmen year in Cross Country was the most amazing experience I've ever had. I went from being the quiet freshmen in the corner to the loud, slightly immature freshmen that loved to hang out with all the upper-classmen and just getting to know everyone that year was amazing. Track was more of the same with the seniors that year being great role models, influencing us to become the seniors we are today. Sophomore year was again a lot of fun in Cross Country but it ended on a slightly disappointing note as I injured myself right before DAL finals and I had to drop out a mile into the race. Track season for me was great that year as I surprised myself by qualifying for CCS trials in the 1600.

3) What were some of your accomplishments last year as a junior in both sports?
Qualifying for the state meet last year was amazing and winning my first varsity XC race at DALs was the moment I was most proud of. Track was a bit of a disappointment as I started off the season strong but became sick in early February and after recovering from the sickness I kept trying to get back into it by just putting in lots and lots of hard miles which ended up killing me rather than helping me so even though I was able to PR in the 3200 by a bit, I didn't improve my 1600 at all.

4) Describe your summer training before this season. What was your most miles per week? Any workouts?
I took three weeks off from running at the beginning of summer when in Italy visiting my family; it's hard to run when the food there is so good. When I got back to the states I started with 3-5 miles a day in the hills for a week, moving to 6-8 a day, and then we went for a 5 day running camp in the Santa Cruz mountains with the team. We planned to run no more than 11 miles on any given day but thanks to our coaches maps and our poor sense of direction we had nothing shorter than 9 and a 14.5 miler and a 16 miler as well which may not have felt great at the time but all the mileage really helped us in the long run. During August I ran pretty much 7 days a week, 5 with my team and 2 by myself, usually two long runs in the hills per week and no real speed work. I finished off summer with an amazing run to the top of Black Mountain in Rancho San Antonio.

5) Tell us a little about your success during the early part of this cross country season.
I've been fortunate to have some great races so far in the season but I'm just hoping that I can keep this up and help my team make states as that has been our dream for a long time and I would much rather take the whole team to states than go alone, I'd trade all my good races for it.

6) What would you say has been the biggest reasons for your early season success?
All the mileage I put in last track season, along with the mileage I put in over summer has really helped me, and as cliche as it sounds; the girl I'm currently in a relationship with makes me very happy and when I feel happy, I run much better. That and just the love I have for running really keeps me going.

7) Tell us a little about your team's trip to Hawaii. Highlights?
It was my 2nd time going to Hawaii, I got to go as a freshmen, and before the trip this year I feared that it wouldn't stack up to the one my freshmen year as it was just an amazing experience getting to know everybody and feeling like a part of the team, but this year was amazing in it's own way. Coming back as a senior was a great way to end my high school XC career and though I had a great race individually, it would have made me much happier to win that team title, and losing it by a point (46-47) made it just that much harder on us, but we didn't point any fingers on the team as we all had more to give and the loss brought us closer as a team and it makes for a great story.

8) You have your own blog (http://speedyspaghetti.wordpress.com/). How did that start and what kinds of things do you write about?
I started my own blog after reading my friend Andrew Lum's blog who was also a runner for Lynbrook. His words inspired me and even though I didn't like writing for school at all, after I started writing about something I love it made it much easier and it's great to try and put down in words what running means to me, even though words don't really do the feeling justice. My posts range from photo posts from various trips such as camp or my run to Black Mountain or just some philosophical views on life and how running has affected mine.

9) Can you identify a time when you think you became really passionate about the sport of running? What are some of your favorite sources to learn more the sport of running?
I've always enjoyed running but I fell in love with it the summer after freshmen year when Gene (a runner on the team at the time) took me on a run at 1 in the morning in the middle of Rancho San Antonio and running blindly into the darkness made me realize what running is all about and after that night I've never doubted my love for running. The best way to learn about running is running, whenever I need to sort out some problems in my life, I lace up my shoes and run up this one really steep hill near my house until I can't think about anything any more and I feel completely calm after that.

10) Tell us a little about your coach and what he has meant to you and the Lynbrook HS cross country team.
Hank Lawson has been more than a coach to me, and the rest of the LHS XC team. He's always there to help us, whether it's about running, or anything else. His training prepares us for the races and his lessons prepare us for life outside cross country. He has had a great impact on myself and anyone who is lucky enough to have been coached by him at Lynbrook. I honestly believe that Hank has not only made me a better runner, but also a better person.

11) What would your best advice be for a young runner who has aspirations to excel in cross country?
As long as there is a love for the sport, all you have to do is put in the work. Talent will only take you so far, after that it just takes lots of dedication and hard work.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
Thank you for interviewing me and I hope I helped. I want to say is thank you to everyone that been around me during my four years in LHS XC, my coaches, teammates, and everyone else that has helped us. I'm doing everything in my power to enjoy my last season in Cross Country to the fullest and I hope that my teammates and I will share a ride to Fresno come thanksgiving as making states as a team would be the greatest accomplishment for me in these four years.

Thank you very much for your time Luca! AJC

What does Cross Country do for you?

While out on a run yesterday with my team, I experienced (for a brief moment mind you) that exhilarating feeling you get when on a long run. Out on the trail with perfect weather, I experienced feeling that I think only runners can understand. For me, those long runs are the best. Its the sense of accomplishment that you get from finishing a long run – it can’t compare with anything. It’s camaraderie with your teammates or runners (if you are a coach).

So what is it about cross country that gives you that kind of feeling? What do you enjoy the most about the sport? What are non runners missing out on?

Please include your name and team you run for this season. I hope lots of runners out there can contribute to this.

Newspaper Coverage for this past week...

HIGH SCHOOL
Local roundup: Hetke leads SLV cross country at Artichoke Invitational (Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Yolo County speed demons square off in championship (Daily Democrat)

Bay Area local scoreboard for Oct. 4 (insidebayarea.com)

McKinleyville boys, Arcata girls tops at H-DN Hiller Park cross country meet (Times-Standard)

XC: Hsia-Coron takes 1st, but York edges Anzar (Hollister Free Lance)

Aaron Williams: Sports success lasts a lifetime (redding.com)

COLLEGE
Burke’s breakthrough no fluke (auburnjournal.com)

Kara Lubieniecki earns CCAA female runner of week award (paradisepost.com)

Hartnell women run off with title (Monterey County The Herald)

Yes, running can be fun

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20091002/NEWS/910029979/1009/NONE&parentprofile=1057

Annual Optimist Retro Relays brings out a costume party

By Steve Yingling, Tribune sports editor

Aragon "AARP" Coaching Staff...

From the San Mateo Times and John Horgan:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_13439234?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com

Quite a pair

At Aragon High School, no one can accuse the cross-country team's coaching staff of lacking experience. Bill Daskarolis and Frank Hunt are a combined 141 years of age.

Hunt, 70, runs with the young athletes on a regular basis — which is impressive, considering that he underwent multiple coronary bypass surgery several years ago.

Hunt, a volunteer, joined the coaching staff at Aragon after a decade of doing the same thing at Burlingame High School and Skyline College in San Bruno.

Daskarolis, though retired as a full-time instructor, has been on the Aragon coaching roster since the early 1960s. In fact, the 2009 long-distance running season marks his 46th at the San Mateo school. There is no one coaching prep sports in San Mateo County who comes even remotely close to that amazing record of longevity.

Let's just dub these two dedicated guys — Aragon's own fit-as-a-fiddle, dedicated AARP duo — Scintillating Senior Citizens.

NCS Rankings #3

Here is my best attempt to list the top 5 teams in each division in NCS as well as a wild card team(s). Feel free to chime in your thoughts in the comment section below.

Division I
Boys
1) San Ramon Valley
2) De La Salle
3) Castro Valley
4) Monte Vista
5) Amador Valley
Wild Card-Livermore

Girls
1) Castro Valley
2) Monte Vista
3) Amador Valley
4) San Ramon Valley
5) Livermore
Wild Card-Mission San Jose/Granada

Division II Boys
1) College Park
2) Alameda
3) Santa Rosa
4) Casa Grande
5) Montgomery
Wild Card-Arroyo

Girls
1) Casa Grande
2) College Park
3) Carondelet
4) Montgomery
5) Alameda
Wild Card-Clayton Valley/Santa Rosa

Division III Boys (UPDATED)
1) Las Lomas
2) Campolindo
3) Petaluma
4) Eureka
5) Maria Carrillo
Wild Card-Acalanes/Piner

Girls (UPDATED)
1) Campolindo
2) Acalanes
3) Maria Carrillo
4) Petaluma
5) Miramonte
Wild Card-Las Lomas/Redwood

Division IV Boys
1) St. Mary's Berkeley
2) San Rafael
3) Tamalpais
4) Piedmont
5) Sir Francis Drake
Wild Card-Cardinal Newman

Girls
1) Piedmont
2) Sir Francis Drake
3) Dougherty Valley
4) Tamalpais
5) Moreau Catholic
Wild Card-St. Mary's Berkeley

Division V Boys (UPDATED)
1) Redwood Christian
2) University
3) College Prep
4) Urban
5) Marin Academy
Wild Card-Stuart Hall/Santa Rosa Christian

Girls (UPDATED)
1) College Prep
2) University
3) Marin Academy
4) Lick Wilmerding
5) Urban
Wild Card-Sonoma Academy/Santa Rosa Christian

FIRE AWAY! Your thoughts are encouraged.