I will have a more comprehensive explanation of the rankings below in a moment but for now, here you go. BOYS
1) Granada
2) De La Salle
3) College Park
4) Foothill
5) Heritage/Mission San Jose
Individuals
1) Connor Livingston De La Salle
2) Russell Sullivan Foothill
3) Tyler Hattori Granada
4) Maxwell Waechter Heritage
5) Seth Jeppson Granada/Arnav Arora Mission San Jose
GIRLS
1) Granada
2) San Ramon Valley
3) Monte Vista
4) Liberty
5) Clayton Valley/Freedom/Livermore
Individuals
1) Colleen McCandless Granada
2) Kelli Wilson Monte Vista
3) Kalea Bartolotto Granada/Kinga Bihari Granada
4) Gracie Dupuis/Sidney Isom Monte Vista
5) Tavella sisters (Kate & Emma) San Ramon Valley/Valenton sisters (Veronica & Viviana) Livermore Feel free to comment on this division in the meantime. You can find what teams will compete in this division this season at this LINK.
Somebody asked in a comment section about who is the best NorCal XC team in history. I threw out a few teams like the '85 Jesuit team with the Mastalir twins and Paul Thomas, Mt. View team that won state in 2009, last year's St. Francis team and the Davis team (girls) that finished 2nd at NXN. I am sure there are others so who are the other candidates? Woodward Park All-Time Course Record for girls: Great Oak 2015 89:13 Top 3 NorCal Team Times 1) Davis 2015 89:33 2) Davis 2016 89:56 3) Davis 2013 91:02 Top 3 NorCal Team Times Course Record for boys: Great Oak 2015 76:10 Top 3 NorCal Team Times 1) Dublin 2017 77:55 2) St. Francis 2017 78:25 3) Mt. View 2009 78:26
If we had to come up with a list of the top 10 cross country programs in Northern California, what teams would make that list? What qualifications should be part of choosing those teams? Should we consider history or is this based on current strength? State championship teams only or are there other factors? What is the best overall program in Northern California and why? Remember that the sections included are NS, SJS, NCS, OAK, SF and CCS and you can choose a program that is equally strong for both boys and girls or pick a program that is strong for either boys or girls. Please feel free to include the schools that you think deserve mention and I will add them to a growing list. Listed in alphabetical order Aptos (CCS) girls Bellarmine (CCS) boys Campolindo (NCS) boys and girls Carlmont (CCS) Davis (SJS) boys and girls Dublin (NCS) boys Granada (NCS) boys and girls Jesuit (SJS) boys Lick-Wilmerding (NCS) boys and girls Los Gatos (CCS) San Francisco University (NCS) boys and girls San Lorenzo Valley (CCS) girls St. Francis, Mt. View (CCS) boys St. Joseph Notre Dame (NCS) Urban (NCS) Who else?
The site High School Harrier has been doing a countdown of the best teams in the entire nation. You can check out their list at this link on twitter. https://twitter.com/HSHarrier NEW
ca.milesplit.com has been running their yearly countdown toward the two best teams in California. You can check that out at the link below with lots of NorCal teams already in the mix. http://ca.milesplit.com/series/1724 (NEW)
After 15 years at USF, Helen Lehman-Winters was just hired by the University of Oregon as the associate head coach for cross country and track and field. Lehman-Winters coached at El Cerrito and Carondelet before joining UCLA as a volunteer coach. You can read more about Lehman-Winters' hire at this LINK. You can also check out my coaching legend article about Coach Lehman-Winters at this LINK.
Today we catch up with Los Altos senior, Owen MacKenzie. This past Track and Field season, MacKenzie won the 3200m at the CCS Championship meet with a new personal best of 9:07.95. You can check out a video of that race below thanks to Kristen Colonna. During the 2017 Cross Country season, MacKenzie was named to the 1st team All-NorCal team as he led his Los Altos team to the state championship with an individual 2nd place finish at the CCS Division I race. He went on to finish in 14th place at the state meet with a time of 15:32.7 after leading at the 2-mile mark. This coming season, MacKenzie will be favored to win the CCS Division I race and will contend for a top finish at state. He will also lead a talented Los Altos team that will be looking to improve their on their team places this past school year.
1) When did you get your start in running? Did you have any running experience before high school? If so, what were your PRs? What other sports have you played aside from XC and TF?
I began running when I was very young because I grew up in New Zealand where all primary school kids have to participate in a school cross country race every year. I was fairly fast, but I still preferred playing soccer and cricket. When I was 8 years old I joined my parents running club the Wellington Scottish Harriers, and I ran in a few kids races because I had to go watch my parents race anyway. At the end of the year, we went to the awards banquet and I was so surprised to receive a medal for being the fastest 8-9 year old in our club. From that day I knew I wanted to be a runner. I moved to Los Altos in 6th grade and ran one season with Palo Alto Lightning. My personal bests at age 12 were 5:13 for the 1500m and 11:07 for the 3000m. I then ran with Egan Jr. High and my PR in 8th grade was 5:10 for the 1600m.
2) What do you remember about your freshman seasons in XC and TF? Who were the older runners that you looked up to (whether on Los Altos or other teams) who were mentors to you as a young runner?
I was very small when I was a freshman but I had big goals and I was very determined. I had two amazing mentors on my team, Ben Zaeske, and Andreas Godderis, who were seniors and I really looked up to. They inspired me, believed in me and were great friends. I enjoyed playing up my innocence to make them laugh. I was very excited to run 17:00 on Crystal Springs at SCVAL finals but had to miss CCS because I got sick the morning of the race. I managed to break 5 in the mile, running 4:55 during track season. I was not the fastest freshman, but I was confident that I was going to get better and be like Ben and Andreas.
3) At what point in your high school career do you feel like you made the biggest jump as far as your running times? What do you feel led to that improvement?
I made equally large jumps between freshman year and sophomore year and between sophomore year and junior year. Part of the reason was that I increased my summer mileage each year, but it was also because I kept growing.
4) Looking back at last year's cross country season, what do you feel was your best race? Proudest accomplishments? Biggest lessons you learned?
Last cross country season my best race was the CCS Championships at Toro Park. All I wanted was to go to the State meet with my team. Los Altos had not been in many years and CCS only had two spots: one which was definitely going to go to the dominant Bellarmine, and the other was a toss-up between us, Homestead, Carlmont, and Paly. I had never been able to beat the two Palo Alto runners Henry and Sam in the league meets, but I knew that if I could do that at this meet, our team had a great chance. At the first mile Meika Bedouin-Rousseau started breaking off. I knew what an amazing runner he was so it would have been easy for me to be complacent, but I forced myself to stick with him and I managed to come second. I was so happy when I heard the Los Altos team also placed second and we were all going to the State meet. My proudest accomplishment was being the first to cross the 2-mile mark at the state meet. I knew that with all the big names in the race, it would be so easy for me to give up and fall out the back. That is why before the race I made my plan to be up front at 2 miles then hold on. I got passed by 13 runners in the last mile, but I learned that a runner's mental game and determination is almost as important as their training and talent.
5) Last year, you won the CCS 3200. At what point in the season did you feel like you had a chance to win the race? What was your plan going into the race? When did you feel like you were about to win and how satisfying was it winning a track section title?
At the beginning of track season, my goal was to make it to the state meet. I did not really think about winning CCS because my goal was just top three and I was much more preoccupied with thinking about all the other races I had to get through first. The morning of CCS finals was when I really decided I wanted to win even though everyone told me placing top 3 would be hard enough. I had learned my lesson at Arcadia that it is not smart to try to lead the whole race, and I had been developing a very strong kick that I did not have the year before. My strategy was to be patient in the pack, but still wary of anyone's attempt to break away. I had to surge a few times to pull the leader back to the pack, but I never tried to break away myself because I trusted in my kick. I felt like I was going to win with 200 to go because I felt really strong and fast, but I was not sure at all. I was so tired after the race, but I had so much adrenaline in me that I couldn't sleep that night. The next day it sunk in and I was satisfied but even hungrier for more.
6) For the upcoming cross country season, what invitationals are you most looking forward to racing?
I am most looking forward to competing at Stanford and at Clovis because our team should hopefully be able to compete in the Championship race for the first time. I am also excited to race an invitational at Toro Park because I think that I can break 15:00 and our team should be able to get another school record.
7) What does a typical training week look like for you during the season? Any morning runs? Weight room work? Typical weekly mileage? Longest run distance? Pace of most of your easier runs?
A typical week of training would include a tempo run, hill reps or track intervals and a long run with easy days in between. Last track season I went to the weight room a few times but it wasn't a regular part of my schedule. I'm really excited to train harder this season adding in more weights and perhaps a double every Wednesday. I like to build up lots of miles during the summer and then bring it down during the season. Last summer I ran 70 miles one week as my max, but brought that down to 60 miles early season and then 50 at the end. I still kept up a long run of 13-16 miles. It is very hilly in Los Altos so the pace is slower, but I would say we do most of our easy runs around 7:00-7:30 minute pace per mile.
My favorite XC course is Toro Park, my favorite Invitational is Clovis, my favorite XC workout is Hill-Tempo Sandwich, my favorite long run is a 16 miler to the top of Black Mountain, my favorite track event is the steeplechase although I haven't ever tried it, my favorite track invitational is CCS top 8, favorite track workout is 10 x 400m and my favorite free time activity is singing and playing guitar with my band the Shark Cops.
9) Tell us a bit about your coaches and how they have helped you get to your current status?
I will have had 4 different head coaches in my 4 years at Los Altos. The only constant coach I have had is my Mom who has been our distance track coach and assistant xc coach for the past two years. She will be the head xc coach this year. She is a great coach because she has read so many different opinions about training and she is good at communicating and individualizing the program not just for me but for my teammates too. She still races xc so knows what we're going through and we get along really well which is also good. Andrew Zaeske was my coach in my freshman year and still coaches the sprinters during track season so he has continued to be a big supporter of me and gives me great advice on race strategy and weight training.
10) This coming season, three teams will qualify to state from CCS in Division I. Who do you feel will be the biggest team competition for Los Altos? What about individually for you?
Our team wants to win CCS this year but to do that we will have to beat a very strong young Bellarmine team. I'm a little biased, but I believe that my toughest competition individually might come from two of my teammates Kevin Andrews and Adam Sage. I am so fortunate to get to train with them and the rest of my team every day. Two more of my teammates Tomo Yoshino and Daniel Ghasemfar have been logging some fast long runs this summer, so there is no telling who is going to be the fastest Los Altos runner. Colin Peattie of Bellarmine had the best track season out of all of us so I am excited to see what he can do in cross country. Henry Saul, Ryan Ma, and Justin Hsu will also be tough to beat.
11) Now that college is a bit more on your radar, how much will running in college impact your decision in choosing your college destination?
I am really looking forward to running in college so it is going to be an important part of my decision. I hope to study Engineering and be part of a strong running team.
Scotts Valley '13 graduate Vanessa Fraser was a 2-time Ca state champion in cross country in Division IV. She also qualified for 3 state championships in the 3200m with 3rd place finishes at those 3 qualifying meets and 4:54.32 and 10:28.63 personal bests. She may have also been overshadowed during her high school career by Nikki Hiltz and Anna Maxwell who all ran in the SCCAL. Fraser continued to develop as a runner at Stanford University and was one of their top distance runners the past few seasons. She has continued to race well after her NCAA season ended this season and recorded a 4:09.74, 1500m PR on July 14th. Today, Fraser finished in 7th place in the women's 5K with a new PR and Stanford record 15:09.62 at the Nacht van de Atletiek in Heusden, Netherlands.
According to an anonymous poster below, Jeremy Kain ran 4:35.4. A pretty good time for a 13-year-old about to start high school in a month or so. ================= This Thursday at 6pm, Jeremy Kain (center in photo to the left) of Scotts Valley will be attempting to set another unofficial world record in the mile. Last year as a 12-year-old, Jeremy set a new record with a time of 4:36.80. You can read about his attempt last year as well as watch a video of that race at this LINK. You can also find a link to all the world age group records in that article if you are interested. The current record for 13-year-olds is 4:29.0 which was set by Andrew Barnett in 1969. This will be the 5th LGAC meet of the season. You can find results of the previous four meets at this LINK. Also, as posted below, there is another world record holder in Northern Californis, Daniel Skandera. In fact Daniel has broken 34 world records including a 4:53.4 mile as a 10 year old. BAREFOOT! You can read more about Daniel in this LINK.
With the divisional changes that took place two seasons ago, Division V will still have the majority of the teams under the past cutoff of 500 (only seven teams are above that number). Although the top end of this division now goes up to 600, the top teams will remain the usual suspects who compete for the state qualifying spots year after year.
During the 2017 season, SF University proved to not only be the best boys' Division V team in BCL and NCS but in the entire state. At the California state XC meet, University won their first boys' state championship in school history. They had podiumed 7 times before under the tutelage of former coach Jim Tracy with two 2nd place finishes and five 3rd place finishes.
This season, University will be favored to win their 2nd straight section title. University has won 12 section Division V titles and 16 section titles overall. Should they win their 17th section title, that amount would tie them with De La Salle for the most NCS titles in cross country.
University will be led by two strong juniors in Charlie Kennedy (1:56.26/4:24.23) and Clay Mills (4:35.5/9:56.11). They graduated two seniors from last year's top five but have plenty of back up with Ezra Parkhill (4:39.96/9:59.78) and three runners who all ran faster than 4:50 in the 1600m (Nick Pantelick, Colin Cooper, and Chase Leffers).
The next three best teams seem to be very similar and could all be competing for 2nd place. St. Joseph Notre Dame missed making the state meet for the first time since 2008. They return their entire lineup from last year's team and will be led by super talented junior, Zavier Annis (6th at NCS). Annis was also a sprinter during the Track and Field season with 11.29, 22.49 and 20'3.75" personal bests. Quite a combination of endurance and speed.
College Prep has been another strong program in this division and will contend here once again. They will be led by the duo of Jacob Lehmann Duke (4:41.31/9:57.53) and Kabir Bhansali (4:40.43/9:57.66). Lick-Wilmerding finished in 3rd place at the state meet last year but will be in rebuild mode this coming season. They will have one of the top runners in this division with Nick Harris (1:59.89/4:24.34/9:56.60) and always have a lot of depth.
The battle for the 5th and final qualifying spot for the state meet should be a very competitive one considering there were 26 complete teams at last year's section final. One of the teams that will be in contention will be Rincon Valley Christian. They finished in 14th place last year but the entire team returns and they were very impressive during this past Track and Field season. They will also be led by coach Harry Skandera who used to coach Santa Rosa Christian before the school closed it's doors in 2011.
The rest of the contenders will include Marin Academy, Convent & Stuart Hall, and Head-Royce. All three teams took a bit of a hit with graduating seniors so they will need their younger runners to step it up this coming season. Marin Academy has one of the top runners in Rob Hudson and returns two additional runners from their varsity team last year. Convent & Stuart Hall also returns three runners, finished in 4th place last year and have been in the top 10 the last three years. Head-Royce is another program on the rise which finished in 9th place last year. They return 5 runners from last year's team and could be a factor in November.
The race for the individual title may be not quite as wide open as last year. Andre Williams of Sonoma Academy is the top returner and will be slightly favored to win his first section title over Nick Harris of Lick-Wilmerding. Keeping them honest will be the University duo of Charlie Kennedy and Clay Mills as well as Marin Academy junior Rob Hudson. College Prep's Jacob Lehmann-Duke and Kabir Bhansali both broke 10 minutes for 3200m. on the track and could be in the mix as well. Zavier Annis of St. Joseph Notre Dame could be another dangerous runner considering the speed he displayed during this past track and field season.
Division V Boys (Top 5 Advance to State) 1) University-Defending state champions are the best team returning. 2) St. Joseph ND-They missed making the state meet last year but could finish as high as 2nd. 3) College Prep-Another solid top 3 level team 4) Lick-Wilmerding-Last title before 2016 was Division III in 1989. Will be aiming for top 3 finish in '18. 5) Rincon Valley Christian-Finished in 14th place last year and will finish much higher this year. On the bubble: Head Royce, Marin Academy, Stuart Hall Top 5 returning individuals, (place) and 2017 NCS meet time: Andre Williams (3) Kelseyville 15:51.00 Nick Harris (4) Lick-Wilmerding 15:52.20 Charlie Kennedy (5) SF University 15:53.8 Zavier Annis (6) St. Joseph Notre Dame 15:54.1 Clay Mills (8) SF University 15:56.0
