2004 Legends of Cross Country

LEGENDS OF CROSS COUNTRY

The purpose of the Legends of Cross Country is to honor the best high school cross country runners in Southern Nevada, past and present. Established in 1997, Legends of Cross Country initially included the top 50 southern Nevada high school cross country runners from the 80’s and 90’s. All state champions and southern zone winners from those years plus a few other outstanding runners from area high schools were chosen by yours truly. Since that beginning in 1997, the list has been broadened by adding athletes from as far back as 1972 (for boys) and 1978 (for the girls), the first years that a Nevada State Championship was held in cross country. Those selected were chosen by yours truly after consultation with other local-area cross country coaches.

Then starting in 2001, I turned the Legends selection process over to a committee of current coaches and past Legends. I used the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) selection process as a guideline and came up with criteria for selection that required 75% of the votes for induction from a list of nominees that included current graduating high school seniors who had been cross country standouts. The only automatic selections now are State Champions. I will continue to fine tune the selection process as necessary, such as having a Veteran’s Committee consider past overlooked potential Legends as they do with the baseball HOF. The Veteran’s Committee will meet every four years beginning in 2005. As of now there are 120 Legends, which averages out at two boys and two girls per year.

Criteria for Selection

1. State Champions (all classes)

2. Graduating senior from a Southern Region high school who has run cross country in Nevada for at least two years, but more likely three or four years.

3. To be recognized as a Legend implies that the athlete stood out from his or peers as an outstanding runner, within the time frame of his or her high school years. Some Legends have been outstanding from the beginning: as freshmen all the way through their senior years (Abby Miller comes to mind). Others have shown steady progress and don’t excel right away. This is more often the case with boys. However, almost all Legends will have excelled among their peers in Nevada for at least two years. The exception would include a runner who is a state champion regardless of longevity.

a. Primary selection is based on how well an athlete has achieved at the Nevada State Meet and secondarily how well the athlete has performed in other championship meets: frosh-soph, league, region.

b. In considering runners who ran for 1A/2A/3A schools, their achievements will be in direct comparison, using 3 mile/5K times, with the top-class (4A at the present time) runners.

Selection Process

1. State Champions are added to the list in the year in which they win a Nevada state championship.

2. Following the completion of the cross country season each year, two ballots (boys and girls) of graduating seniors who have had "noteworthy high school careers" will be prepared by the Legends Selection Committee. This committee is made up of current and retired southern Nevada cross country coaches and former Legends, once they have graduated from high school, and is subject to change from year to year.

3. There is no limit on the list of nominees (or inductees) from year to year; however, the selection committee may only vote for up to three boys and up to three girls for selection in a given year. In order to be selected, a nominee must be named on at least 75% of the ballots. Any runner who is named on at least 50% of the ballots will be automatically carried over to the next year. (There will be one carry-over candidate from 2003 voting, Preston Mathews of Centennial.)

Veterans Committee Selection

Once every four years, beginning in 2005, a select subcommittee will consider any candidate from any year for special selection. A special ballot will be prepared by this Veterans Committee. Members of this committee may vote for any three athletes for inclusion as Legends. Nominees must be named on at least 60% of the ballots to be selected.

Legends Run

The Legends of Cross Country are honored at an annual 5K run to be held in the summer. The Legends Run for 2004 will be held August 7th, at Lorenzi Park, the site of the last four Legends Run events.

Legends Class of 2003

Amanda Gramly (Clark)
Meghan Mathews (Centennial)

There are no automatic selections this year. Brian Nestor of Faith Lutheran, the winner of the 2A boys race at state, was the only southern Nevada winner at state and Brian is already a Legend as a result of his win at state in 2002. Two other seniors--three if you count Nikki Peterson who has since moved out of state--Patrick Swick and Christa Avena are already Legends since they were state champions from previous years.

(Phil Lawton, Legends Committee Chair)

Legends of Cross Country
(1972-2003)

(Girls)

Angela Albert*—Meadows
Erin Aten—Bonanza
Christa Avena*—Bishop Gorman
Katie Bailey—Cheyenne
Pam Banta—Western
Katie Barto—Green Valley
Jamie Bisplinghoff*—Clark
Amy Blackwell—Basic
Heather Buchta—Clark
Carolyn Canella—Clark
Allison Carney—Centennial
Marci Cox—Cheyenne
Cindy Craig*—Basic
Kristina Dermody—Bishop Gorman
Sharlene Downing*—Cheyenne
Sharunn Downing—Cheyenne
Heather Eck—Clark
Emily Eskin—Green Valley
Erika Hanson—Green Valley
Natalie Hicken—Basic
Jackie Gengler—Eldorado
Amanda Gramly—Clark
Jennifer Johnson—Las Vegas
Connie Johonnot—Bonanza
Madeline Jones—Bonanza
Rhonda Kilfoyle—Clark
Julie Kyriacou—LasVegas /Green Valley
Chaz LaHodny—Clark/Faith Lutheran
Jackie Love—Eldorado
Debra Master—Cimarron-Memorial
Meghan Mathews—Centennial
Bonnie McKiernon—Las Vegas
Amy Merten—Eldorado
Marty Mildren*—Indian Springs
Abby Miller****—Green Valley
Kathy Nelson—Bishop Gorman
Teresa Palmer—Boulder City
Kelly Pardee—Durango
Angela Peterson*—Meadows
Nikki Peterson**—Faith Lutheran
Tammy Powell—Valley
Alexis Recine*—Meadows
Julie Robles*—Boulder City/Basic
Diane Saletta—Clark
Madalyn Schmutz*—Boulder City
Phoenix Shields—Chaparral
Vivian Spencer—Indian Springs
Diane Stark—Bishop Gorman
Stephanie Stark—Bishop Gorman
Erin Sully—Cimarron-Memorial
Nikki Toms—Valley
Julie Whitehead—Basic
Natasha Wicks—Cimarron-Memorial
Connie Willard—Moapa Valley
Jennifer Wintermute—Clark
Shannon Wolff—Meadows
Carolyn Woodbury*—Las Vegas
Carrie Wright—Bonanza
Jessica Zarndt—Cheyenne

(Boys)

Jamalo Adem—Clark
Mike Barkhuff—Boulder City/Durango
Chris Belt—Indian Springs
Dustin Belt—Indian Springs
Brent Bowers*—Rancho
Kolby Campbell—Basic
Art Castle*—Western
Adam Chan—Eldorado
Mike Ceparano—Silverado
Ian Cherry—Eldorado
Jay Dettre*—Valley
Scott DeVoge—Basic
James Eubank**—Clark
Justin Findlay—Valley
Brandon Grady*—Cheyenne
Jack Hardy—Boulder City
Kenny Harmon—Basic
Chuck Hertig—Clark
Ryan Horn—Silverado
Pat Hubbard**—Basic
Dustin Hudspeth—Silverado
Jimmy Ikner—Indian Springs
Cory Jeffers**—Bonanza
Billy Jefferies—Basic
Kole Krahenbuhl—Basic
Chris Laman—Cheyenne
Brett Larsen—Bonanza
John Lemming—Clark
Tony Macey*—Valley
Aaron Magunson—Boulder City
Jamie McGeahy—Basic
Jake McLemore—Indian Springs
Tony Mosley—Rancho
Kelly Murie—Durango
Brian Nestor**—Faith Lutheran
Richie Newton—Basic
Rex Noble—Durango
Rob Oslund—Basic
Billy Pappas*—Valley
Sam Pearson—Eldorado
Manuel Perales—Las Vegas
Frank Pierce*—Eldorado
Frank Plasso Jr.—Bishop Gorman
Oliver Redig—Basic
Brandon Rock—Eldorado
Carlos Rojas*—Meadows
Mark Sinderson—Bishop Gorman
Greg Sullivan—Beatty
Patrick Swick*—Chaparral
Melvin Thompson—Eldorado
Jim Thorne—Green Valley
Chris Tuma—Basic
Chris Wahl—Eldorado
Tim Watkins—Basic
Norm Watson—Eldorado
Brad Weekes—Bonanza
Kurt Williams—Rancho
Andre Woods**—Eldorado
Tom Wysocki—Western
Terry Ybarra**—Valley
Mike Yeoman—Basic

* Individual State Champion

Attention Legends All:

This year's race is our 8th annual event. It honors 120 Legends of Cross Country here in southern Nevada. It honors you! This year we specifically recognize the two newest members of our fraternity: Meghan Mathews and Amanda Gramly, who graduated from Centennial and Clark, respectively, in June of this year. Four other graduating seniors were added as Legends the year(s) that they won the State Meet: Christa Avena (2001), Nikki Peterson (2000 & 2001), Brian Nestor (2002 & 2003), Patrick Swick (2002).

I want to invite each of you, and any others among you whom I have neglected because I don't have their current e-mail addresses, to come to Lorenzi Park on August 7th and be recognized as a Legend. I am also asking you addressed above who are not Legends yourselves to pass this mailing on to any Legends you might be in contact with.

Whether you choose to enter the race or not, please come and be recognized. If you choose to run, naturally, your entry fee is waived. Just mark LEGEND on the entry form when you send it in and/or pick up your race packet at the Village Runner on Friday, August 7th. If you can't make the event--I know many of you no longer live in southern Nevada--let us hear from you anyway so we can keep track of your whereabouts, accomplishments, etc., and keep you on the mailing list for purposes of voting for future Legends. One of these years--the 10th anniversary sounds about right--I plan to organize a proper reunion of Legends with a dinner/banquet/cocktail hour/brunch/weekend or whatever the night before/after the actual race. Also, in 2006, I plan to hold a special election of overlooked Legends from the past by putting together a Veterans Committee. If you would be interested in serving on such a committee, let me know. Further, if you are unable to make the race this year but you would like a shirt from this year's race (hopefully your name will be spelled correctly on the back of the shirt) let me know and I will be happy to send you one. If you would like more details about this year's race, I invite you to log onto the NTS web site and find the link to the Legends Run (www.nvtrackstats.com).

This year I am using the race as a fund raiser for the Bishop Gorman cross country team, where I am presently coaching, and the Las Vegas Track Club's Scholarship Fund. The LVTC helps me put on the event, and when I retire from coaching I plan to turn the race over to them. But for now, any donations will be graciously accepted by sending a check directly to Bishop Gorman High School at the address shown on the entry form.

All the best,

Phil Lawton

2004 Legends Run

Age Group Results

August 07, 2004

Junior 3K

Overall Female Winners

Female 9-10

Female 11 to 12

Female 13-14

Overall Male Winners

Male 8 and under

Male 9-10

Male 13-14

Open 5K

Overall Female Winners

Female 11 to 14

Female 15 to 19

Female 20 to 24

Female 25 to 29

Female 35 to 39

Female 45 to 49

Female 75 and over

Unknown Age Grouping

Overall Male Winners

Men 10 and under

Male 11-14

Men 15 to 19

Men 25 to 29

Male 30-34

Male 30-39

Male 40-44

Male 45-49

Male 50-54

Male 55-59

Male 60-64

Male 65-69

Male 70-74