From the 2008 North Coast Section Cross Country Meet of Champions, the above picture is a shot taken by Spencer Allen of the start of the Division V boys' race.
If you have any interesting pictures you have seen online that are of any track or cross country events with NorCal athletes, please forward them my way (albertjcaruana@gmail.com)
I know this is not running related but thought it would be an interesting link. It's mean to be humorous but he does make some very valid points. Enjoy what you have.
Last chance to send in your questions before we decide the topic. Please do so before tonight.
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Some of the most popular posts on this blog have been the training articles that were posted during cross country season by current Miramonte Cross Country and Track and Field coach, Chris Puppione (pictured to the left during his coaching stint with UC Davis). What we did in the past was for me to ask the questions to Chris pertaining to topics that you can see linked below. Some of you are familiar with them already but for those of you that are new to the site, they are definitely worth a look.
We would now like to open up this process to the coaches, athletes, parents and fans out there and ask for your input on topics for Chris to tackle next. YOU come up with the topic and from that topic, you ask the questions. Once we have enough choices, Chris and I will choose the best topic and post the answers on the blog.
Use the comment box below to list your topics and questions.
Peaking (Part I) by Chris Puppione...
Peaking (Part II) by Chris Puppione...
Peaking (Part III) by Chris Puppione...
Nutrition (Part I) by Chris Puppione...
Nutrition (Part II) by Chris Puppione...
Threshold (Part I) by Chris Puppione...
LT Training (Part II) by Chris Puppione...
The Long Run (Part I) by Chris Puppione...
The Long Run (Part II) by Chris Puppione...
Interesting that the Gunn HS girls will be competing in Division I while their boys will be competing in Division II.
What other prominent teams moved up or down from last season?
Just checked with the CCS office and the above numbers are confirmed. In regards to Gunn being in different divisions:
Under the new provisions for placing schools in divisions it is very possible for girls and boys to be in different divisions, especially since we have several all-boys and all-girl schools. This was acknowledged and discussed at the various levels of governance in the section but balancing the number of schools in each division (other than D5) became the number 1 focus.
Today we catch up with former San Benito runner and soon to be UNLV Running Rebel, Courtney Allen. She just recently completed a highly successful senior year in both cross country and track and field. During cross country, Allen finished in 4th place at the CCS Division I race and went on to record a sub 19 minute time on the Woodward Park course at the state meet. During the track and field season, Allen recorded four impressive victories at her league finals as she won the 1600m. (5:16.99), 400m. (58.52), 800m. (2:19.84) and ran a leg on the winning 1600m. relay team (4:07.29). At the CCS final, Allen defeated Allison Sturges of Mt. View in a great stretch duel recording a 4:59.08 for the victory.
1) When did you first start participating in cross country and track and field?
I first started XC my freshman year and I also did track too.
2) When you were first starting out in the sport, what runners did you look up to as role models for yourself (on your own team or other teams)?
When I first started running, I looked up to one of the seniors on our team, Amanda Boyd.
3) During your high school career, did you have a favorite between the two sports?
At first, I liked XC way better, so much better that I did sprinting my freshman year of track. But now, I like track a lot better than XC.
4) What other sports did you participate in during high school or before?
I participated in soccer my freshman and sophomore year, and did it for a few years before. I also competed in gymnastics before that for about five years.
5) When did you first feel like you had a shot of making the state meet in track?
This past season of track, I was the most confident in knowing I could make it to the state track meet.
6) What did a typical week look like for you in terms of training and racing? Miles per week?
For track, my training was mostly speed not just a bunch of miles per week. I would say maybe only up to 20 miles per week. XC, we ran a lot more distance maybe up to 30 to 40 miles a week, with speed and tolerance track workouts.
7) What was your plan going into the CCS final 1600 race and how did the race unfold for you?
My coach and I strategized the race together. He told me he knew I could win it, but it would take patience. I was confident enough to stay with the first pack and that's what I did. Eventually, it came down to the last 110m and my competitor kinda pushed me to the outside of the track. We linked arms but I just kept running. It kinda seemed like she pushed me but it came down to who had the most left and the bigger heart and I won.
8) Tell us a little about your coach and what he has meant to your development as a runner.
My coach, Jess Morales, is a really exceptional coach. I would not be where I am today without his help and determination. He really did a lot for me as a runner and as a person overall.
9) How much did running contribute in your decision in choosing UNLV?
My parents told me I could go to college wherever I wanted to, no matter how much it was, they would support my decision. I chose UNLV because, I really get along with the coach and they have good academic services and a beautiful campus.
10) Favorite cross country course? Woodward Park
Favorite cross country meet? Clovis Invitational
Favorite track distance? 1600m or the 400m
Favorite track meet? West Valley Relays
Favorite competitor? one who is faster than me.
11) What advice would you give a young runner who aspires to run at the state meet?
To push themselves and never give up cause it will get you no where, not just in running but in life also.
I can speak from experience about the strength of Division V in the North Coast Section (NCS). There is no question that the best two sections in the state when it comes to the smallest division are the Southern Section (duh!) and NCS. The SS gets the usual (for them) 7 boys' qualifying teams to the state meet but the NCS is not that far behind with their 5 entries. Last year at the state meet, 22 complete teams scored at the state meet. NCS finished with 4 teams in the top 10 (SF University in 3rd, Redwood Christian in 5th, College Prep in 8th and Head Royce in 10th). Berean Christian, the 5th NCS team, didn't finish in the top 10 but still came in at a not too shabby 12th place.
The clear favorite to win this year's boy's team title will be Redwood Christian. After an impressive 5th place finish at last year's state meet (in their first season in NCS), RC returns all but one runner from last year's top 7. Their top runner, Josh MacDonald, returns as the 2nd fastest returner in this division at both the section and state levels. More on him later. They also return Alex Mattson and Wayne Smith who both broke 17 minutes on the state meet course. With a solid 4th and 5th runners, RC could contend for a state meet plaque this year.
Picking Redwood Christian to win was easy. Now comes the hard part of trying to select the order of the teams that will finish behind them. The two teams that finished 1st and 2nd last year at the NCS MOC, SF University and Berean Christian, were both devastated by graduation, losing the majority of their teams. Given that University has won 10 NCS titles in the last 12 years, there is a pretty good chance that they will be competitive again, sooner rather than later.
The next teams in line will be two more BCL East competitors, College Preparatory and Head Royce. CPS will be led once again by longtime successful coach, Jack Coakley. Despite losing key members from their top 5 (including #1 runner Charlie Sauter), CPS should be competitive again as they always seem to reload following key losses. Head Royce returns the nice one/two punch of seniors Mercer Cook and Walker Holden but will need to find a couple of runners to fill out a solid five.
The team that could make waves this year in this division will be Stuart Hall as they return their entire top 7 from last year. This should be the first time they qualify to the state meet as a team from this division. How competitive they will be in this division will be determined by October as they will have faced many of their rivals at the Stanford Invititational and the BCL Challenge.
The individual favorite as just as clear as the team favorite, as mentioned above, and that will be Josh MacDonald (4:24.65 and 9:37.55) of Redwood Christian. He will have the rare opportunity to win an individual section title in two different sections. MacDonald won the Central Coast Section (CCS) title as a sophomore during RC's final season in that section. The runners that will have the best opportunity to finish in the top 5 will be Mercer Cook of Head Royce (fastest returner), Ned Tannenbaum of SF University, Alex Mattson of RC, Jordan Lee of Chinese Christian, Wayne Smith of Redwood Christian, Walker Holden of Head Royce and Jacob Roth of Berean Christian.
Unlike the boys, the girls' team race will be quite competitive. As is usually the case with girls' teams, many schools return the majority of their rosters mostly intact. You would think that the favorite at this point has to be the defending champions, Marin Academy, which also has the defending individual champion, Lucy McCullough. They won their first section title in cross country last year as well as their first state meet plaque with their 3rd place finish. Including McCullough, MA returns 6 out of their top 7 from last year.
Considering all that, my favorite for this coming season will be University HS. University is no stranger to success here as they won 10 straight section titles from 1995 to 2004 and have participated in every Division V race at the state meet since it's inception in 1996. They finished in 3rd place at the NCS meet last year and a more impressive 4th place finish at the state meet.
They return their top five which includes sophomore Holland Reynolds who finished in 8th place at last year's state meet. UHS also had an outstanding track season as the majority of their cross country runners shined at the end of the season such as the following results from the NCS Class A Meet. They are also adding an impressive freshman in Jennie Callan who won the BAIAL cross country final last year by a considerable margin on the modified Crystal Springs course.
College Prep returns one of the best runners in the section, sophomore Kai Wilson, along with the rest of the top 4 runners from last season (Emily Erickson, Adrienne Strait and Sarah Eppley). Wilson finished in 2nd place last year on the Hayward course just edging out University's Reynolds at the finish line. Along with their 2nd place NCS finish last year, CPS won the Track and Field Class A Meet to end this past school year and were the 2007 NCS Cross Country champions.
The battle for the final state meet berth will pit East vs. West as BCL East school (Head Royce) takes on BCL West school (Lick Wilmerding). A nice influx of freshmen aided both teams last year with LW claiming the 4th and final state spot. Head Royce missed making the state meet with their 6th place finish but their front runner, Savannah Ryder, qualified as an individual. Perhaps her experience in Fresno can inspire the rest of the Jayhawks to join her again this coming season.
Individually, there is one clear favorite and that is McCullough of MA. As impressive as her cross country season was last year, McCullough took it to a new level on the track. She qualified for the CA state meet running 4:54.82 at the NCS MOC in the 1600m and had a pr of 2:18.90 in the 800m. She will not only be the favorite to win NCS this year but I believe she will now have a realistic shot to win the state title as a certain Jordan Hasay will be wearing Oregon green (or is it black now?) next year.
Besides Wilson of CPS (26.30, 58.05, and 2:25.18) and Reynolds of UHS (5:25.04 and 11:53.18), the other contenders for top 5 finishes will be Jessica Ho of Chinese Christian, Emily Lewis of MA, Emily Erickson of CPS and a now healthy Margaret Wehner of UHS. The next group includes a trio of freshman who all finished in the top 15 at the NCS MOC and those runners are Savannah Ryder of Head Royce and Lick Wilmerding teammates, Sara Peletz and Rachel Prensky-Pomeranz. The unknown in the individual race will be the freshman (like Jennie Callan) who always make an impact but those will be determined later.
Besides Wilson of CPS and Reynolds of UHS, the other contenders for top 5 finishes will be Jessica Ho of Chinese Christian, Emily Lewis of MA, Emily Erickson of CPS and a now healthy Margaret Wehner of UHS. The next group includes a trio of freshman who all finished in the top 15 at the NCS MOC and those runners are Savannah Ryder of Head Royce and Lick Wilmerding teammates, Sara Peletz and Rachel Prensky-Pomeranz. The unknown in the individual race will be the freshmen (like Jennie Callan) who always make an impact but those will be determined later.
2008 NCS Meet of Champions (XC) Division V Results Girls
2008 NCS Meet of Champions (XC) Division V Results Boys
Division V Boys (Top 5 Advance to state)
1) Redwood Christian-Can they contend for a state meet plaque?
2) University-Have a strong number one runner in Tannenbaum.
3) Head Royce-Strong one/two punch up front.
4) College Prep-A consistent contender in this division.
5) Stuart Hall-Poised to make 1st state meet in school history.
On the bubble: Marin Academy, Lick Wilmerding, Chinese Christian, St. Joseph Notre Dame, Urban
Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2008 NCS meet time:
Josh MacDonald (2) Redwood Christian 15:52
Mercer Cook (10) Head Royce 16:26
Ned Tannenbaum (11) University HS 16:29
Alex Mattson (12) Redwood Christian 16:33
Jordan Lee (13) Chinese Christian 16:34
Division V Girls (Top 4 Advance to state)
1) University-In position to reclaim the NCS crown.
2) Marin Academy-Defending NCS champions.
3) College Prep-Can they put five together to challenge top two teams?
4) Lick Wilmerding-Good group returns from last year.
5) Head Royce-Return top 6 with possible help coming from their MS.
On the bubble: Urban, Santa Rosa Christian
Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2006 NCS meet time:
Lucy McCullough (1) Marin Academy 18:35
Kai Wilson (2) College Prep 19:05
Holland Reynolds (3) University 19:05
Jessica Ho (4) Chinese Christian 19:30
Emily Lewis (5) Marin Academy 19:45
Please feel free to chime in on the rankings above. I won't be offended if you strongly disagree as the above rankings are meant to be a launching pad for conversation. Fortunately section titles and state meet berths are decided by the runners themselves. Did I miss any teams or individuals? Any other impact freshmen that we should know about?
For this year's North Coast Section (that's #2 on the left) pre-season rankings, I was originally planning on posting the Division V rankings first and work my way up to Division I. I am actually almost done with those rankings but as is the case sometimes, change of plans.
With the help of several coaches who have been kind enough to offer their input in all the divisions, I have been able to piece together the rankings for several divisions. One of the coaches who was able to offer his insight is Amador Valley HS assistant coach, Jason Oswalt. What started out as a simple question, turned into a pretty cool breakdown of Division I (girls and boys).
Unfortunately I was not able to post Jason's work on this blog (such are the limitations on blogs sometimes) but never fear cross country fans. You can download Jason's breakdown at the following link. It's a word document and you can locate it at the top of the page link.
http://www.eteamz.com/csuxc/handouts/
If you have any input into this division or you want to be complimantery toward Jason's work, please feel free to chime in below in the comment section...even anonymously.
GIRLS
1 Jessie Petersen 11 Carlmont (D1)
Peterson has won the CCS Championship for 3200 meters as a freshman and a sophomore, winning this years title in a personal best 10:51. Now a Junior, expect her to come into her own and be one of the top runners in the CCS. Having run 17:54 at Crystal Springs and 18:01 at State last year (not to mention her second place finish behind Fedronic in the D1 race) it is hard to argue against her being one of the best runners to return this season.
2 Rachel Hinds 11 St. Ignatius (D3)
There is a strong argument that she is the #1 cross country runner in the CCS. She does Lacrosse in the spring but that hasn’t slowed her down as she has seen steady improvement. The only question is: how will she respond without Daly there pushing her?
3 Marissa Ferrante 12 Aptos (D3)
Having run 18:06 at the Crystal Springs Inv. in 2008 Ferronte will once again battle for the top spot. Having run 4:52 for 1600 meters as a sophomore she battled through injury to start the 2009 track season but despite the late start ran a spectacular 10:56 in the 3200 meters. Her best races have come from a sit and kick strategy which will be tough to do on the hilly Crystal Springs course.
4 Samantha Hamilton 12 Half Moon Bay (D4)
The D4 champion in 2008 she is perhaps one of the strongest runners in the CCS this year. Before getting injured in the 2009 track season she ran an impressive early season time of 5:10 for 1600 meters. She should be ranked higher but just doesn’t have people to push her in D4 to run the fastest time in CCS. She enters the season with a time of 18:32 for Crystal Springs in 2008.
5 Allison Sturges 10 Mountain View (D2)
Not sure what happened at the end of XC last year but she was stellar on the track in 2009 as she finished 2nd in the CCS for the 1600meters. She progressed steadily throughout the season and it should carry over to the hills as she enters the season with a personal best of 18:46 for the Crystal Springs course. She very well could be the number one runner in CCS this year.
6 Lisa Fawcett 12 Gunn (D2)
Top returning runner in the highly competitive D2 finishing 4th in 2008. She ran 11:28 on the track this spring and is posed to lead a very powerful Gunn team.
7 Zoe Pappas 12 Mountain View (D2)
She finished as the #3 runner for Mountain View at the CCS Championship which was an astonishing 5th place over-all! She is the top returning cross country runner from last year’s very powerful team. Expect her to do great things with a training partner like Sturges.
8 Cindy Huang 11 Lynbrook (D2)
Making a huge jump in the 800 meter final at the CCS Championship Huang snagged 3rd place and was off to her first State meet. What is even more impressive is her range as she was not scared to mix it up with the longer distances. In fact, she ran the 3200 meter semi-final the week before she made State. She enters the season with a personal best of 18:46 for Crystal Springs.
9 Claudia Barnett 12 Leland (D2)
Her sister dominated cross country for four years and now she has a chance to get out of her sisters shadow and shine. If Leland can convert their track success to cross country she should have some quality training partners and be up at the top of the leader board once again.
10 Samantha Garcia 10 Evergreen Valley (D1)
This girl had a spectacular freshman year and steadily improved all year. Running 19:31 over Crystal Springs she really shined on the track this season consistently ran in the 11:30 range for 3200 meters and had a huge breakthrough at the BVAL final where she beat Barnett in a personal best time of 11:14. Expect great things from her this fall.
OTHER TOP CONTENDERS:
Katie Castro 11 Los Gatos (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal Springs- 18:57; Torro - 19:34; State - 19:35
Melissa Hopper 12 Leigh (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:08; Torro - 19:30; State - 19:43
Victoria Tsolis 11 Presentation (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:06; Torro - 19:51; Track - 5:13 (1600), 2:14 (800)
Kim McMullen 12 Aptos (D3)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:14; Torro - 19:52; State - 19:26
Erin Hicks 12 Los Altos (D2)
2008 Best: Crystal – 19:18; Torro – 19:40; Track – 11:19 (3200)
Abby Barker 12 Carlmont (D1)
2008 Best: Crystal - 19:14; Torro - 19:51; State - 19:33
Kendra Higgins 12 Valley Christian (D3)
Previous Bests: Crystal - 18:57; Torro - 18:43. Great runner who placed 3rd in CCS (D3) as a freshman but how will she respond after a year off?
PEOPLE TO WATCH:
Angie Korpusik, Presentation
Abbey Blake, Westmont
Linnea Biddick, Aptos
Michelle Hopper, Leigh
Emily Sitler, St.Francis
Emily Blaha, Valley Christian
Athena Alarcorn, Gilroy
Ellie Sanders, Santa Cruz
Kat Grgeory, Woodside Priory
Kieran Gallagher, Gunn
WILL THESE TOP TRACK ATHLETES RUN XC IN 2009?
Erin Robinson, Gunn
Melissa Hastings, Hillsdale (5:04, 11:09)
Morgan Healy, Saint Francis
Jordan Diaz, Leigh
Nisha Parmeshwar, Leland
BOYS
1 Garrett Rowe 12 Mountain View (D2)
This young man is perhaps one of the best runners to come through the CCS in a long time. A combination of talent, supportive parents, excellent coaching and motivated teammates seems to be the keys to success. He returns with the fastest time at Crystal in 2008 (14:56) and an amazing 15:03 for the Woodward Park course. Running 8:55 for 3200 meters on the track at the State Meet he has demonstrated time and again he knows how to peek and run well when it counts.
2 Ian Myjer 12 Mountain View (D2)
If Rowe is to be considered one of the best runners in the CCS this decade than you have to consider Myjer as well. Running just one second behind Rowe (14:57) over the Crystal Springs Course they a the most potent 1-2 punch this season. With this talent at the top, it might just be a knockout for Mountain View.
3 Mitch Moriarity 12 Aptos (D3)
There are a few boys in the mix that can pull the upset and Aptos’ Moriarity is one of those guys. He had a breakthrough season this spring running 9:05 for 3200 meters. The biggest challenge to climbing the rankings is that when it comes down to CCS Myjer and Rowe will push each other for the win in D2, while Moriarity will be running solo at the front in D3 which just might be the few costly seconds that keeps him from the #1over-all spot. It would be nice to see these guys match up at some invites this year!
4 Philip MacQuitty 12 Palo Alto (D2)
Another highly talented runner in D2 is MacQuitty from Palo Alto. He proved he can run fast when it counts finishing the Woodward Park course in 15:14 last year. This spring is where he really took off running 4:15 for 1600 meters and 9:07 for the 3200. If this young man has an amazing day he very well could pull the upset and win the CCS title for D2.
5 Paul Summers 12 Gunn (D2)
Running 9:13 for 3200 meters on the track he improved dramatically throughout the year. Running 15:40 at Crystal something seemed to click this spring. Gunn is a quality program with great coaching, count on him carrying that momentum into this cross country season.
6 Will Geiken 11 Los Gatos (D2)
It is crazy to think that D2 will line up 5 runners who have run 9:20 for 3200 meters last spring. One of those is Geiken who last year ran 15:56 over Crystal. Los Gatos has a tradition of developing talent, and expect this runner to be right up there with the best in Wildcat history. Expect him to be right there with the front pack charging the hill at the mile mark. Like most runners it will be the last 2 rolling miles that will test you. Geiken could very well be there all the way.
7 Parker Schuh 11 Mountain View (D2)
It will be interesting to see how Schuh responds to not running track this spring. He very well could be rested and ready to tear it up, but the guys ranked ahead of him had amazing breakthroughs this spring. If he is anything close to how he ran last year (running 15:31 at Crystal Springs and finishing 4th in the CCS Championship - D2) it very well could be a 1-2-3 finish for Mountain View.
8 Ethan Scardina 11 Carlmont (D1)
Winning the CCS Championship (D1) as a sophomore he is back to defend his title. He missed track due to an injury but will hopefully bounce back strong.
9 Weston Strum 12 Pioneer (D3)
A fantastic track runner Weston ran 4:17 for 1600 meters this spring. He broke 16 at Crystal in 2008 and finished 5th in CCS (D3). He and his brother will be at the top of D3 this year but will need some help from their teammates in the team competition. He could very well could move up the rankings while they are certainly middle distance specialist the only question is how will they do over 3 miles?
10 Luca Signore 12 Lynbrook (D2)
In the mix of the highly competitive D2 division is Signore from Lynbrook. Ran very consistently throughout the track season he ended up running 9:41 for 3200 meters. Running 15:48 for Crystal Springs he should be once again a top runner this year.
OTHER TOP CONTENDERS:
Kranti Peddada 12 Monta Vista (D1)
2008 Best: Finished 4th in D1 (16:25 at Torro); 9:45 for 3200 meters on the track. If teammate Bishop runs could elevate team and Peddada to the next level.
Nathan Strum 12 Pioneer (D3)
2008 Best: Ran 15:49 at Crystal Springs; On the track ran 4:21 for 1600 meters and 1:54 for the 800. No marks for the longer 3200. Will the short speed translate over a hilly 5k?
Kyle Rae 11 Bellarmine (D1)
2008 Best: Crystal – 16:17; Track -4:23 for 1600 meters. A great program that turns out top runners year after year. Count on Rae having a big jump in 2009.
David Perez 12 Salinas (D1)
2008 Best: Torro - 16:11; State - 16:27; Track - 4:23 for 1600 meters. Ran great over his home course in the early season but struggled in the heat at CCS. Had a great track season, could be in the mix for the D1 title.
Aaron Hsia-Coron 11 Anzar (D5)
Won CCS Championship (D5) as a sophomore and will defend his title.
PEOPLE TO WATCH:
Dalton Guthrie, Bellarmine
Nathan Lee, Carlmont
Benjamin Heck, Carlmont
Grant Foster, Prospect
Donald Plazola, Willow Glen
From the 2009 CCS Track and Field Final in the girls' 1600m. courtesy of the Hollister Freelance. Courtney Allen of Hollister battling Allison Sturges of Mountain View down the stretch.
Check out the following lists compiled by Jim Crowhurst in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. As always, Jim does an amazing job covering track and field and cross country in that area.
All-Empire picks
Area includes North Bay League, Sonoma County league & Coastal Mountain Conferense. Not the same as NCS Redwood Empire.
BOYS 2009 ALL-EMPIRE TRACK & FIELD
GIRLS 2009 ALL-EMPIRE TRACK & FIELD
BOYS
Carlmont shocked all the pundits and form charts with its victory over pre-race favorites Bellarmine and Salinas at the 2008 CCS meet. The Scots, led by a number of sophomores and juniors a year ago, head into the 2009 cross country season as the favorite to claim their fifth consecutive Division I team title. Surprise individual champion Ethan Scardina missed track season with a stress fracture but will return with vengeance along with standout seniors Nathan Lee (1:57 800, 4:25 1600 this past track season) and Benjamin Heck. The dismissal of Jeff Gilkey opens up the coaching position at Carlmont, leaving many questions about the future of the program.
Bellarmine loses three of their top five runners, but will likely remain contenders with the presence of junior Kyle Rae (4:23 1600, 7th at CCS finals) and senior Dalton Guthrie. Coach Patrick McCrystle's ability to field large-sized teams gives the Bells a tremendous talent pool to scout for new talent.
Salinas, with four returning runners under 17 minutes at Toro Park, Serra, and San Benito should also be in the mix for one of the two spots to go to state.
Top 5 Teams (Top 2 advance to state)
Watch out for: Monta Vista, Gilroy, Evergreen Valley
David Perez of Salinas will be the main challenger to defending champ Scardina for the individual crown. Perez was 11th at CCS last season, ran an exceptional early season 15:46 at Woodward Park, and was a 1:57 half miler during track. His known speed at the end of a race will make him a factor over the ladder stages of a race. The other returning individual state meet qualifier is Monta Vista's Kranti Peddada. As a junior, Peddada ran 16:01 at Crystal Springs and 9:45 over 3200 meters during the track season.
Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2008 CCS meet time:
Just losing Stanford-bound Justine Fedronic, the Carlmont girls team is a solid favorite for to take its fifth straight CCS Division I championship. Jessie Petersen was 2nd at CCS and should be a contender at the state meet with her 9th place finish there last year. Petersen capped off a great sophomore year with a 10:51 3200 meters to win her second CCS track title. Seniors Abby Barker (11:22 for 3200m) and Georgia Cottong (19:33 at Crystal Springs) should also be important contributors to Carlmont's success.
Gilroy also returns four of their five scorers from its second place team in 2008, when the Mustangs only trailed Carlmont by only six points at the CCS meet. Like Carlmont, Gilroy loses their number one runner, Kathleen Miller, but return seniors Brandie Rodriguez and Patricia Hernandez and sophomores Savannah Silacci and Athena Alarcon.
Two other major contenders for the top two spots advancing to the state meet are Evergreen Valley and San Benito. Sophomore Samantha Garcia leads the Cougars, who finished fourth in Division I a year ago and return their top four runners. Garcia emerged as one of the best in the CCS with a 11:14 3200 meters for an upset win at the BVAL track finals. San Benito loses CCS 1600m champ Courtney Allen, but will be led in 2009 by Rachel Shimabukuro, a 11:33 runner on the track over 3200 meters.
Top 5 Teams (Top 2 advance to state)
Watch out for: Monta Vista, Piedmont Hills, Homestead
Petersen is the consensus favorite for the individual championship, but a number of runners will be contending for the five individual spots to state. Dari Salvador of Alisal is the top returning individual state qualifier. Another runner to watch out for is Salinas's Kelsey Palassou. The senior ran a very impressive 19:50 at Toro Park last year, but struggled in the heat at CCS finals and did not advance to the state meet.
Top 5 returning individuals, (place) & 2008 CCS meet time:
From the Peninsula Athletic League (PAL)
Boys First Team All-County Track
All-County Boys Track and Field Coach of the Year
San Mateo's Spencer is Boys Track and Field Player of Year
All-County Girls First Team Track and Field
Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year: Matt Vaughn of Burlingame
San Mateo County Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Lauren Irish of Half Moon Bay
From the East Bay
East Bay Girls Track and Field Athlete of Year: Ciarra Brewer of James Logan
East Bay Girls Track Coach of the Year: Lee Webb of James Logan
East Bay Boys Track and Field Athlete of Year: Hammed Suleman of Deer Valley
Boys Track Coach of the Year: Kevin Selby, De La Salle
From the Gilroy Dispatch
The Dispatch's Female Athletes of the Year
If your local paper did the same thing as the posts above, let me know at albertjcaruana@gmail.com and I will be happy to post the links.
The following are the top 15 boys and girls team ranked by Valley Christian SJ coach Josh Small. He posted this on the dyestatcal.com message board and with his permission, I am posting this on here as well to get the feedback from coaches, athletes and parents out there. If you have any input or information that may effect the following rankings, please chime in below in the comment section.
My “officially unofficial” ranking for BOYS 2009 CCS XC
(My opinion poll for individual rankings next week...)
1 Mountain View (D2)
Top 3 boys return, including Rowe who is coming off of an 8:55 for 3200 at state. With the best 1-2 combo in the CCS and a strong Frosh-Soph group last year I don’t see any team that is close to the level of Mountain View. There is no question here: this team should dominate once again.
2 Carlmont (D1)
This team is loaded and returns 8 of their top 10 runners from last year, 6 of them now Juniors. This team very well could have 5 runners all in the 15’s for Crystal this fall.
3 Palo Alto (D2)
MacQuitty leads the return of 5 seniors. They will need runners 4 & 5 to step up, which I would safely bet on.
4 Gunn (D2)
Returns their top 6 runners, 5 of whom are seniors. Summers leads the team but will need help from the core runners if they expect to move up the rankings.
5 Los Gatos (D2)
8 of their top 9 runners return. There is no standout but all the runners are close and just might take a big jump together. If they do they could be ranked as high as 3rd.
6 Aptos (D3)
4 of their top 7 return but they lose some heavy hitters. I wouldn’t worry too much, Aptos seems to be one of those teams that always have someone developing, just waiting to move up.
7 Salinas (D1)
They didn’t run Crystal last fall but ran very well over their home course at Torro. They return 5 of their top 7, but the question is how will they fare against the northern schools away from their home course?
8 Bellarmine (D1)
Rae is the top returning runner on a team that brings back only 3 of their top 7. This is another one of those teams that seems to have underclassman step up every year, and this year will not be any different. Expect 7 runners all in the 16’s or faster at Crystal.
9 St. Ignatius (D3)
Only 3 return this year as Birsinger and Innes have graduated. I won’t go as far as to say this is a rebuilding year but they will not be as strong as in the past.
10 Pioneer (D3)
Led by the Strum brothers this team has potential! Returning all 7 runners they will need for runners 3-5 to step up big. This is my "dark horse" pick of 2009.
11 St. Francis (D2)
4 of their top 7 return, all in the 16’s last year at Crystal.
12 Serra (D1)
Their top 3 all return, all of whom were in the 16’s at Crystal…but the big question is: who will fill the big gap left by six graduating Seniors?
13 Lynbrook (D2)
Returns 4 of their top 7, including Singnore who broke 16 at Crystal last year. Will need the underclassman to step up to be a factor this year.
14 Woodside (D2)
3 of their top 5 return but the team lacks depth from the 4-7 runners.
15 Menlo-Atherton (D2)
Returns their top 7 runners but lacks a star. They are grouped very close together but to see success will need everyone to improve 30-45 seconds over last year’s Crystal times.
Teams to Watch:
Monta Vista (D1) – Returns all 7 runners, all in the 17’s at Crystal last year. If they work hard over the summer they could surprise some people this year.
Evergreen Valley (D1) – Graduation hurt this team as 3 of their top 5 graduated. One of the biggest schools on the east side should replenish and be a factor though.
Cupertino (D2) – Returns their top 5 runners.
Double click image to the left to view the larger version.
If you spot any errors, please email me at albertjcaruana@gmail.com.
Some interesting data from the list:
Most overall plaques: McFarland with 13
Most state championships: Jesuit, McFarland with 9
Most 2nd place finishes: Flintridge Prep with 6
Most 3rd place finishes: San Francisco University with 5
The team that had the longest span of time between it's 1st and last plaque: Jesuit with 18 years (1988-2006)
The team that has won the most combined plaques (boys and girls): Nordhoff with 19 plaques. A close second and still collecting plaques is San Francisco University with 17 plaques.
The list below contains every girls' team that has finished in the top 3 at the California State Meet. During the first few years, the podium teams included only 2 teams but for the sake of uniformity, I included the top 3 teams for every year starting with the first ever California state meet in 1987.
Double click picture below to view the list without having to use a magnifying glass. If you find any errors, please send them to albertjcaruana@gmail.com and I will update the list.
Some interesting data from list to the left:
Most overall plaques: Chadwick and San Francisco University with 10
Most first place plaques: Corona del Mar and San Francisco University with 6
Most second place plaques: San Francisco University, Woodbridge and Woodcrest Christian with 4
Most third place plaques: Campolindo, Chadwick and Dana Hills with 4
Two teams had the longest span of time between their 1st and last plaque:
Corona del Mar with 19 years (1989-2008)
I will post the boys' podium teams tomorrow.
Look for other interesting state meet stats during the summer.
We are putting on a fund raising (and fun raising) clinic to help benefit John Larralde, the long time coach at Carpinteria High School. John was in a coma for a week and hospitalized for 4 weeks due to complications from the MRSA staph infection. As a result, he has some rather significant hospital bills. John has done so much for so many and we are trying to help him with those bills. Some of you may know him as a former assistant at Cal, or the head coach at Santa Barbara City College. Still others may know him in his present position, as an assistant at Westmont College. For many years, he was one of the guiding lights for the fantastic Carpinteria High program, coaching such outstanding athletes as Coley Candaele.
Brian FitzGerald of Rio Mesa, Kevin Smith of Oak Park, Tim O'Rourke of Mt Sac and LA 84 fame, Ken Reeves, and Van Latham of Carpinteria have banded together to form the "fly by the seat of the pants productions" to create the return of the Know IT All Clinic. Originally active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was a very informal clinic where high school staffs met in event areas. This was not your powerpoint/lecture clinic, it was high school coaches helping each other coaching high school athletes from the fastest to the speed challenged. The curriculum is coach driven and each session will be unique The clinic always concluded with a very enjoyable coaches' social.
This year, the clinic is scheduled for August 1 in the lovely seaside town of Carpinteria. Bring the family, bring the staff and enjoy a weekend of interaction, sand, surf and enjoyment. The cost per staff is $100. Individuals can attend for $35. All proceeds will go directly to John's hospital bills and no speaker fees will be paid. However, in these tight times, if you would like to attend and don't have the money, come down for the interaction and forget the clinic fee. On the other hand, if you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation to help with John's bill, please don't hesitate to send me a check (make them out to Carpinteria Boosters, John Larralde fund).
Vern Gambetti, the founding father of functional training and former Cal Bears head coach will be there to work with Brian FitzGerald and Kevin Smith on the sprint staff. Fred Morgan, the highly successful throws coach from Ventura High (coached CIF D1 Champion in the boys' and girls' shot and Masters' Champions in the boys' shot and girls' discus), Terry Hearst and Erik Pedersen of Royal Results (timers for Division 4 CIF prelims, CIF Finals, CIF SS Masters Meet, USC-UCLA Dual Meet, Arcadia Invitational, Ventura County championships along with several other meets) will do a session on Hy-Tek including meet manager and team manager. Other specific staff members will be listed as information comes available. See attached flyer for more information.
Please contact Ken Reeves at kenreeves@sbcglobal.net if you would like more information or if you would like to make a donation.
Ken
Full flyer is posted at the following link on dyestatcal:
http://images.dyestat.com/dyestatcal/images/2009/August/01%20Know%20It%20All%20clinic/KIA%20flyer%2009-2.pdf
ESPN will be covering the meet at 4:30pm on both days (Saturday and Sunday).
If you want to check out the coverage online, go to the following link:
http://www.flotrack.org/videos/coverage/view/235247/live
German fifth in US track nationals (The Modesto Bee)
Vessey moves on at U.S. track championships (SanLouisObispo.com)
2008-2009 All Gilroy Team (Gilroy Dispatch-including Peter Guenther)
College of Marin condemns track as safety hazard (Marin IJ)
Novato’s Madson is a triple threat, and loves it (Novato Advance)
Remember these Titans
Sprinters are the first Chavez athletes to accept Division I scholarships (recordnet.com)
Special Olympics kickoffs today (UC Davis)
ABOVE & BEYOND
Mayfield, Whitlock hurdle the competition to become area’s best (The Manteca Bulletin)
Launching pad: All-Area Track and Field Athletes of the Year (Merced Sun-Star)
Roseville's Elliott is the PT athlete of the month (granitebaypt.com)
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