Message Board

Coaches Assn

Phil and Penny

Athlete Profile

Archives

Track

Honor Roll

Elite List

Meet Schedule

Cross Country

Yellow Jersey

Map to Meets

XC Top 10 Poll

Photos

 

Phil and Penny's Archived Articles

Archived Articles

XC 2001

Pre-Season XC Preview - August 1, 2001

Pre-Season XC Forecast - Revisited August 25, 2001

Newbies and Retreads - September 3, 2001

Parents Can be Great...But

Northern Nevada Preview..Penny Sparks, Sept. 10, 2001

Soccer: Friend or Foe?

Mid Season Report Cards, October 1, 2001

Nervous Time - October 2, 2001

Southern Regionals-Northern Regionals

State Championship - North and South Articles

Penny's State Article

Phil's Interview with Larry Burgess

Penny's Interview with Jonathan Cardenas

Phil's Interview with Christa Avena

Penny's Interview with Kelsey Engstrom

Phil's Interview With Nikki Peterson

Phil's Interview with John Dixon

Penny's Interview with Bruce Susong

Phils - Winners and Losers

XC 2002

State Cross Country Stories Fall 2002

Interview with Centennial's Bill Miller Fall 2002

NIAA Budget Cuts Fall 2002

Reflections From The Sideline Fall 2002

Newbies and Retreads

The Fifth Man

Southern Nevada Regionals - Winners and Losers

Penny's View of State XC

Penny's Interview with Coach Phil

Phil's Interview With Penny Sparks

Great Southwest 2003

 

Cross Country 2003

Handicapping the Southern Teams

Unsung Heros

Phil's Nevada Good

Collier and Mel Lawrence Interview

 

Allison Carney Interview

Penny Sparks Interview: Geoff Casazza, Chris Cocha, and Karen DeMartini

 

Nevada: Cross Country Preseason Forecast

From Phil Lawton

(August 1,2001)

There are few certainties in sports and even fewer when it comes to predicting who will do well next year in high school cross country in Nevada, one of the fastest growing areas of the country and a state with one of the most transient populations. It's especially dangerous to predict with the girls. Nearly half of the "impact runners" on girls cc teams in Nevada--and probably most states--are freshmen. For example, of the top 30 finishers at the girls 4A Nevada State Meet last fall 13 were 9th graders (as opposed to only 4 seniors). And looking into a crystal ball it's too murky to tell who those incoming 9th graders are and where they will be running this fall. Last fall, for example, it was pretty well a given that Patrick Swick of Chaparral would be an impact runner; his record as a youth runner, running for the Las Vegas Lizards, was well established. But who knew about Christa Avena? Christa just showed up at Gorman and went from a "nobody" to arguably the number two distance runner in the state (third place in 4A cross country and runner-up in both track distance events, the 1600/3200). And, no, I haven't forgotten about Faith Lutheran's Nikki Peterson. Nikki's high school running accomplishments are even more impressive than Christa's, but 2A is not 4A. (Actually, the two girls have comparable PR's in track and cross country.) But Nikki Peterson was hardly an unknown. Anyone who had followed her as a Red Rock Racer in LVTC races and USA T&F youth championships knew she was "for real".

Last year's big winners in 4A were Reno High (boys) and Centennial H.S. (girls). Reno lost of four of their top seven to graduation, but then most boys teams have more seniors than do the girls teams. It appears that Reno was hit no harder by graduation than its closest rivals in 2000, South Tahoe and Galena.  On the distaff side, Centennial, South Tahoe, and Green Valley finished within eight points of each other (in that order) and all three teams remain pretty much intact. The boys team most likely to contend for the 4A state championship, aside from Reno, South Tahoe, and Galena, is Chaparral, led by the aforementioned Patrick Swick. Patrick finished 6th last fall in cross country and was runner-up at state in both the 1600 and 3200 on the track this spring. Chaparral graduated no seniors from their top five of a year ago and picked up an off-season transfer from Texas, Joe Burrola (9:58/3200 and 4:30/1600 on the track at state). Swick and Burrola (now a senior) give Chaparral a great 1-2 and make the Cowboys the preseason team-to-beat in Sunrise. After Chaparral, the "usual suspects" from Sunrise are Green Valley, Silverado, Basic, and Foothill--what I call the "Henderson Division". 

On the other side of the valley in Sunset, Centennial looks like a clear favorite with Cimarron-Memorial, Durango, and possibly Palo Verde--like Foothill, a program on the rise--fighting for the other two spots. (Nine 4A teams go to State; three from the north and three each from Sunrise and Sunset.) Across the state, here are the other returning individuals in boys 4A who finished in the top-15 last fall: Jamalo Adem of Clark (5th), Swick, Kole Krahenbuhl of Basic (10th), Matt Dodd of Reno (11th), Mike Ceparano of Silverado (13th), and Chris Cosmi of South Tahoe (14th). Reno's Chris Concha (24th), who placed third at state in both the 1600 and the 3200, should also be given a top billing among "runners to beat" this fall.

Some of the other boys from Sunset who can be expected to lead their respective teams are David Correl and Matthew Yadegar (Cimarron-Memorial), Jordan Stephens and Jorge Martinez (Centennial), Allen Larsen (Bonanza), Marcus Whitehead and Emmanuel Garcia (Durango), Kevin Sully (Palo Verde), Devon and Stephon Davis (Cheyenne), Kumiye Hussein (Clark) and Ray Rodriguez (Vo Tech). From Sunrise also watch for Agustin Luna and Anthony Petrillo (Chaparral), Alex Wilcox and Ron Stoker (Foothill), David Winkler and Korre Heggem (Green Valley), Paul Hafen and Tyler Sorenson (Basic), and Corey Thompson and Brad Royal (Silverado).

In girls 4A the competition should be very tight. Centennial, which returns its top seven from a year ago, is led by sophomore Meghan Mathews (runner-up at state) and senior Allison Carney (7th at state). Centennial also has three other returning runners who placed in the top 30 at state last fall. South Tahoe returns four of their top seven, including sophomore Amber Ramos (4th at state) who ran a 11:57/3200 at state this spring. Green Valley, likewise with no graduating seniors, will be led by junior Emily Eskin (6th at state). Other teams that will likely be leaders in the battle for a trip to State are Foothill, Basic, and Silverado from Sunrise; Palo Verde, Bonanza, and Durango from Sunset; and Carson, Reno, and McQueen from the North.

The outstanding female runner in 4A is clearly junior Shanna Sparks, the defending state champ. Sparks was 2nd team All Western Region at Footlocker in 2000 and ran 11:19 in winning the 3200 on the track at state this spring. Shanna is a legitimate "national contender". The following girls were All-State (top 15) last year and are returning this fall: Sparks, Matthews, Avena, Eskin, Carney, Karen DeMartini of Reno (8th), Tanya Joyce-Mendive of Douglas (10th), Michelle Glenn of Reno (11th), Lindsay Harris of Green Valley (12th), Karen Brigman of McQueen (13th), Kali Baker of Centennial (14th), and Erica Zampardo of South Tahoe (15th). To that list add the following girls from Sunset who are expected to be among the front runners this fall: Natasha Wicks and Shoshanna Yadegar (Cimarron-Memorial); Natilie Fehrensen and Melissa Voss (Palo Verde); Tamara Dudas, Minette Porterfield, and Jen Fajardo (Bonanza); Patty Boghos and Shana Wilshire (Durango); and Laura and Melissa O'Connor, Kelli Brown, and Megan Romeo (Centennial).

And from Sunrise : Deann Bradshaw, Jenni Wardlaw, Beth Stoner, and Megan Karl (Foothill); Jackie Favreau, Katie Hughes, and Stacie DeGagne (Green Valley); Samantha Serrano, Ashley Perkins, and Brianna Krahenbuhl (Basic); Yolanda Chee (Eldorado); Michelle Chee (Rancho); Abbey Mathis and Chaz and Karen LaHodny (Silverado).

As an aside, Chaz LaHodny, who placed third at state as a freshman running for Clark and who last year ran for Faith Lutheran, has transferred and is expected to be eligible to run for Silverado in this, her senior year. That will certainly give the Skyhawks a LaHodny flavor since Debbie LaHodny, an\entering freshman, will join her two sisters on the Silverado team. 

Among the lower divisions (2A/3A), the one team that truly stands out state-wide is the girls team from Lowry. The Buckaroos from Winnemucca won the 3A title in 2000 with 17 points and graduated nary a senior. Lowry is led by sophomore twins Kelsey and Katie Engstrom. Kelsey was the 3A state champ in cross country, as well as both the 1600 and the 3200 this spring. Katie, 7th in cc in '00, was 4th at state in the 1600 and 3rd in the 3200. Heather Thompson, also from Lowry, was runner-up in cc last fall and was the 800 meter state champ in 3A track. Boulder City, North Tahoe, and Spring Creek will fight for the scraps in girls 3A. Boulder City's Kristie McRae (9th at state) is the south's top returning runner.

Boys 3A should be more "up for grabs" this fall. Boulder City, the defending champs, was hit hard by graduation and only returns two runners who finished among the top 10 last fall--Justin Barrow (6th) and Aaron Ross (8th). The team most likely to challenge for team honors is North Tahoe, which will be led by Jose Ramirez--runner-up in cc in '00 and both the 1600 and the 3200 in state track this spring--and Tommy Mills (9th in '00 cc). 2A boys is dominated by three outstanding young men: Drew Casselberry of Incline, Greg Sullivan of Beatty, and Chris Clauson of Independence. Seniors Casselberry and Sullivan finished 1-2 last fall while Clauson, who placed 6th in cc last fall, ran a 9:48 3200 as a freshman in winning the 2A 3200 at state.

Girls 2A features one of the better teams in the state, at any level, Faith Lutheran. The Crusaders out of Las Vegas are led by Nikki Peterson. The defending 2A cc champ, Peterson was a quad winner in 2A track this spring (400/800/1600/3200). Faith Lutheran has strong returning runners behind Peterson (despite the transfer of LaHodny), and pick up incoming freshman Delayna Jensen, who comes in with outstanding credentials as a runner for the Red Rock Racers. Three returning runners who finished in the top five in 2A last fall are Christine Barrett (2nd) and Sarah Day (3rd), also of Faith Lutheran, and Lindsey Zeller (5th) of Indian Springs. Diana Sitar of the Meadows, who ran sub 6 and sub 13 for the 1600 and 3200 on the track this spring, could be an impact runner in 2A this fall as well.

I'm sorry this first column for nevadatrackstats.com is so "long winded" but I did want to mention as many deserving runners as possible. It will be fun to revisit my prognostications come November and see how they show up on the results page.

I'll be doing one more forecast, or rather an amended forecast, in mid August before the season starts but once I've had a chance to speak to more coaches. I will then try to highlight the outstanding runners and teams throughout the state, on a bi-weekly basis as the cc season progresses.

Through this column I also hope to focus on issues and events that effect us all as coaches, fans, parents, and athletes involved with cross country and track in the state of Nevada--items that likely won't make the local papers but that are important or worth commenting on as I see them. The ideas and opinions expressed will be strictly my own, but readers are welcome to comment, criticize, and offer any suggestions or ideas for future subjects by contacting me through the web site or by e-mail direct.

coachphil@aol.com

 

Nevada: Cross Country Preseason Forecast Revisited (August 25th)

 

Last year's big winners in 4A were Reno High (boys) and Centennial H.S.

(girls). Reno lost of four of their top seven to graduation, but then most

boys teams have more seniors than do the girls teams. It appears that Reno

was hit no harder by graduation than its closest rivals in 2000, South Tahoe

and Galena. On the distaff side, Centennial, South Tahoe, and Green Valley

finished within eight points of each other (in that order) and all three

teams remain pretty much intact.

 

The boys team most likely to contend for the 4A state championship, aside

from Reno, South Tahoe, and Galena, is Chaparral, led by the Patrick Swick.

Patrick finished 6th last fall in cross country and was runner-up at state in

both the 1600 and 3200 on the track this spring. Chaparral graduated no

seniors from their top five of a year ago and picked up an off-season

transfer from Texas, Joe Burrola (9:58/3200 and 4:30/1600 on the track at

state). Swick and Burrola (now a senior) give Chaparral a great 1-2 and make

the Cowboys the preseason team-to-beat in Sunrise. After Chaparral, the

"usual suspects" from Sunrise are Green Valley, Silverado, Basic, and

Foothill--what I call the "Henderson Division".  On the other side of the

valley in Sunset, Centennial looks like a clear favorite with

Cimarron-Memorial, Durango, and possibly Palo Verde--like Foothill, a

program on the rise--fighting for the other two spots.

Across the state, here are the other returning individuals in boys 4A who

finished in the top-15 last fall: Jamalo Adem of Clark (5th), Swick, Kole

Krahenbuhl of Basic (10th), Matt Dodd of Reno (11th), Mike Ceparano of

Silverado (13th), and Chris Cosmi of South Tahoe (14th).

Reno's Chris Concha (24th), who placed third at state in both the 1600 and

the 3200, should also be given a top billing among "runners to beat" this

fall.

 

Some of the other boys from Sunset who can be expected to lead their

respective teams are Matthew Yadegar (Cimarron-Memorial), Jordan Stephens,

Jorge Martinez, and Preston Mathews (Centennial), Allen Larsen (Bonanza),

Marcus Whitehead and Emmanuel Garcia (Durango), Kevin Sully (Palo Verde),

Devon and Stephon Davis (Cheyenne), and Kumiye Hussein (Clark)

From Sunrise also watch for Agustin Luna and Anthony Petrillo (Chaparral),

Ron Stoker (Foothill), Alex Wilcox (Coronado), David Winkler and Korre Heggem

(Green Valley), Paul Hafen and Tyler Sorenson (Basic), Corey Thompson and

Brad Royal (Silverado), and Ray Rodriguez (Vo Tech).

In girls 4A the competition should be very tight. Centennial, which returns

its top seven from a year ago, is led by sophomore Meghan Mathews (runner-up

at state) and senior Allison Carney (7th at state). Centennial also has three

other returning runners who placed in the top 30 at state last fall. South

Tahoe returns four of their top seven, including sophomore Amber Ramos (4th

at state) who ran a 11:57/3200 at state this spring. Green Valley, likewise

with no graduating seniors, will be led by junior Emily Eskin (6th at state).

Other teams that will likely be leaders in the battle for a trip to State

are--starting at the top--Foothill, Basic, and Silverado from Sunrise; Palo

Verde, Cimarron-Memorial, and Bonanza from Sunset; and Carson, Reno, and

McQueen from the North. Carson, especially, is a team from the north to

watch. The Lady Senators have four incoming freshman who are all expected to

have an impact.

 

The outstanding female runner in 4A is Carson's Shanna Sparks, the defending

state champ. Sparks was 2nd team All Western Region at Footlocker in 2000 and

ran 11:19 in winning the 3200 on the track at state this spring as a

sophomore. Shanna is a legitimate "national contender".Close behind her is

Christa Avena from Gorman who was third last year in 4A cross country and

runner-up in the 1600 and the 3200 on the track.

The following girls were All-State (top 15) last year and are returning this

fall: Sparks, Mathews, Avena, Eskin, Carney, Karen DeMartini of Reno (8th),

Taryn Joyce-Mendive of Douglas (10th), Michelle Glenn of Reno (11th), Lindsay

Harris of Green Valley (12th), Karen Brigman of McQueen (13th), Kali Baker of

Centennial (14th), and Erica Zampardo of South Tahoe (15th).

To that list add the following girls from Sunset who are expected to be

among the front runners this fall: Natasha Wicks and Shoshanna Yadegar

(Cimarron-Memorial); Natilie Fehrensen and Melissa Voss (Palo Verde); Tamara

Dudas, Minette Porterfield, and Jen Fajardo (Bonanza); Patty Boghos and Shana

Wiltshire (Durango); and Laura and Melissa O'Connor, Kelli Brown, and Megan

Romeo (Centennial).

 

And from Sunrise : Deann Bradshaw, Colleen O' Brien, Megan Karl, and Beth Stoner, (Foothill);

Jackie Favreau, Katie Hughes, and Stacie DeGagne (Green Valley); Samantha

Serrano, Ashley Perkins, and Brianna Krahenbuhl (Basic); Yolanda Chee

(Eldorado); Michelle Chee (Rancho); and Karen and Debbie LaHodny (Silverado).

There are four "new" 4A schools that are opening this fall: North Valleys

and Spanish Springs in the Northern Region and Coronado and Sierra Vista in

Sunrise and Sunset. None of these schools will have seniors and all are

expected to feel the "first-year pains" of competition against established

programs. The bigger impact that they may make this fall is in the athletes

they will "take away" from their surrounding schools: Sparks and Hug in the

north and Foothill, Silverado, and Durango in the south. A number of athletes

who ran as freshmen and sophomores at Durango and Foothill, for instance,

will now be changing their colors to run for Coronado and Sierra Vista.

Among the lower divisions (2A/3A), the one team that truly stands out

state-wide is the girls team from Lowry. The Buckaroos from Winnemucca won

the 3A title in 2000 with 17 points and graduated nary a senior. Lowry is led

by sophomore twins Kelsey and Katie Engstrom. Kelsey was the 3A state champ

in cross country, as well as both the 1600 and the 3200 this spring. Katie,

7th in cc in '00, was 4th at state in the 1600 and 3rd in the 3200. Heather

Thompson, also from Lowry, was runner-up in cc last fall and was the 800

meter state champ in 3A track. Boulder City, North Tahoe, and Spring Creek

will fight for the scraps in girls 3A. Boulder City's Kristie McRae (9th at

state) is the south's top returning runner.

 

Boys 3A should be more "up for grabs" this fall. Boulder City, the defending

champs, was hit hard by graduation and only returns two runners who finished

among the top 10 last fall--Justin Barrow (6th) and Aaron Ross (8th). The

team most likely to challenge for team honors is North Tahoe, which will be

led by Jose Ramirez--runner-up in cc in '00 and both the 1600 and the 3200 in

state track this spring--and Tommy Mills (9th in '00 cc).

 

2A boys is dominated by three outstanding young men: Drew Casselberry of

Incline, Greg Sullivan of Beatty, and Chris Clauson of Independence. Seniors

Casselberry and Sullivan finished 1-2 last fall while Clauson, who placed 6th

in cc last fall, ran a 9:48 3200 as a freshman in winning the 2A 3200 at

state.

 

Girls 2A features one of the better teams in the state, at any level, Faith

Lutheran. The Crusaders from Las Vegas are led by sophomore Nikki Peterson

and senior Chaz LaHodny. The defending 2A cc champ, Peterson was a quad

winner in 2A track this spring (400/800/1600/3200). LaHodny, who has not run

cross country since her freshman year at Clark (when she was third in the

State Meet), had an outstanding season on the track this past spring. Faith

Lutheran also has an outstanding incoming freshman, Delayna Jensen. Three

returning runners who finished in the top five in 2A last fall are Christine

Barrett (2nd) and Sarah Day (3rd), both from Faith Lutheran, and Lindsey

Zeller (5th) of Indian Springs.

 

Finally, there is the "coach factor". It's no coincidence that the most

successful programs in the state are headed by experienced coaches who coach

their distance runners year round. This is not a knock on multi-sport

coaches. There have been--and are--excellent coaches in this state who coach

cross country and then turn their attention to other sports at the end of the

fall season: basketball, wrestling, baseball or softball.... But these

coaches are at a distinct disadvantage when they compete against coaches who,

in addition to cross country, work with their runners over the winter months

and then coach them on the track in the spring.

I will confine my examples to southern Nevada, since that is where I've

resided and coached for the past 20-plus years, but I suspect the assertion

holds true up north as well. (Warren Mills at North Tahoe, Dave Nolte and

Lynn Mentzer at Reed, Lee Hurren at Galena, and Roland Martin at Reno come to

mind.) First, the success of the Basic program is due to the dedication and

expertise of Larry Burgess, the dean of cross country coaches in southern

Nevada. (In addition to five team state championships, I don't believe Coach

Burgess has never failed to qualify his boys team for the State Meet.)

Likewise, Cimarron-Memorial has Harold Vaughn to thank for its long-time

success in cross country. Boulder City has been blessed to have Bruce Momsen

as its cross country coach for more years than I can calculate. Mike O'Dea

has been a super-successful cross country coach wherever he's been, first at

Eldorado then Durango and now Palo Verde. John Dixon has been a winner

wherever he's coached as well, first at Cheyenne and now at Foothill. Tim

Daily worked miracles at Indian Springs; it might take him a couple of years,

but I expect he'll do very well at Sierra Vista. Jeff Doyle and Jessica

Scobell, both relative newcomers, have had great success at Green Valley and

Faith Lutheran. And sometimes two coaches are better than one: Sam

Richardson, a veteran coach (Eldorado, Cheyenne, Valley) coaches the boys at

Centennial while another veteran, Bill Miller (who coached under John Dixon

at Cheyenne), coached the girls team at Centennial to a state championship

last fall.

 

I know I've left out other examples of terrific, successful coaches. So be

it. But the coaches I have cited all have one thing in common: they coach

their runners year round. They recruit, they raise funds, and they work with

their athletes one-on-one from August of one year until July of the next. And

come November I suspect these are the coaches who will be traveling to Reno

for the State Meet. I rest my case.

coachphil@aol.com

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Newbies" and "Retreads"

(September 3rd)

Scouting the fresh faces is something that coaches do early in the season.

And here in southern Nevada we’ve now had two opportunities to size up the

talent: the week one “dual’s/tri’s” and the Lake Mead Invitational in

Boulder City. There were a number of runners who stood out among the

newcomers this week. Some are 9th graders; some are runners who may have run

track last spring but who are new to cross country. And there are two

“old-timers” who appear to be making a successful comeback.

 

Among freshmen girls none stands out like Deleyna Jensen of Faith Lutheran.

This young Red Rock Racer can flat out fly! She posted the third fastest time

at the B.C. meet on Saturday (behind Nikki Peterson (FL) and Natasha Wicks

(C-M). She will likely remain in the shadow of her state champion-teammate

Peterson for the next couple of years, but she’s a “good un”. Three other

9th grade girls who have run well early are Katherine Fine of Gorman, Holly

Walker of Green Valley, and Debbie LaHodny of Silverado. Lindsay Pardee

(sister of recently graduated Kelly) of Durango also looked good in her race

at Green Valley on Wednesday: a chip off the proverbial old block. One

newcomer who ran well both on Wednesday and Saturday was sophomore Magali

Hernandez of Mojave. She placed fourth in her race against the girls of

Chaparral and Las Vegas on Wednesday and fifth among sophomore girls on

Saturday.

 

As for old-timers returning, it seems unfair to call Faith Lutheran’s Chaz

LaHodny a retread. She never stopped running. But she has not run high school

cross country since she was freshman at Clark. She sat out two years due to

injuries and transfer restrictions. But that’s now behind her. She may be

only the number three runner on her team, but she won the senior girls race

at Lake Mead on Saturday, posting the fourth fastest time-of-the-day, and

finished third--behind Peterson and Jensen--on Wednesday, running against the

best that Bonanza and Cheyenne had to offer. Chaz is back, like a Phoenix

rising from the ashes!

 

Turning to the boys, there doesn’t appear to be any “Patrick Swicks” out

there, but several freshmen turned in good performances this first week. Josh

Sillitoe of Basic and Alex Hunter of Boulder City went 1-2 in the 9th grade

boys race at the Lake Mead Invitational with respectable times. Hunter also

placed third in his race--behind two teammates--up at Moapa Valley on

Wednesday. Among newcomers who have looked promising are a couple of Bonanza

brothers: sophomore Trevor and junior Tyler Peterson. Trevor ran track last

spring for the Bengals.  Both boys placed in the top five In their race

against Faith and Cheyenne on Wednesday and Trevor was second in the

sophomore boys race at Boulder City on Saturday. Tyler finished seventh in

the junior boys race at Lake Mead. Clark, likewise, has two newbies to watch:

sophomore Daniel Melesse and junior Marinko Dyukic. Melesse, especially,

raised eyebrows at Boulder City when he posted the second fastest

time-of-the-day (behind Bonanza’s Allen Larsen) in winning his 10th-grade

race. He placed second on Wednesday, behind teammate Kumiye Hussein, in his

race against Valley and Coronado, beating Coronado’s state-qualifier Alex

Wilcox among others. Dyukic finished eighth in the race on Wednesday and

fourth in his 11th-grade race on Saturday. Also keep an eye on newcomer Ray

Rodriguez Jr. of Vo Tech. Rodriguez caught some attention big-time when he

beat the best that Silverado, Basic, and Western had to offer on Wednesday

and then placed third among junior boys on Saturday. Finally, another

newcomer to cross country is Basic’s Bryan Stiles, who right now looks like

Coach Burgess’ number three runner (behind Krahenbuhl and Hafen). Stiles

placed fifth among junior boys at the Lake Mead Invitational.

 

As for the old-timers returning as retreads In the boys ranks, the one who

truly stands out is Alec Chapman of The Meadows. Chapman was, arguably, Green

Valley’s best cross country runner as a freshman, but when he transferred he

lost a year of eligibility. Now a junior, Alec made his debut for his new

school by knocking off some the “big dogs” from Palo Verde and

Cimarron-Memorial on Wednesday.  Unfortunately, The Meadows doesn’t have a

full boys team--yet at least--but Alec will likely be a force to be reckoned

with come State, when he’ll go head-to-head with 2A runners such as Drew

Casselberry of Incline and Greg Sullivan of Beatty.

 

For those newbies and retreads that I’ve overlooked, I apologize. I look

forward to discovering you throughout the season. It’s still early, with some

runners out there possibly still waiting to lace up their shoes and set foot

on the course.  Good luck to all of you--veterans as well as newcomers. Is

this a great sport or what?

 

coachphil@aol.com

 

 

Parents can be great but...

 

Most parents that get involved with the program are terrific. I'm reminded of

the Angel Park Invitational that Bonanza H.S. sponsored every year. It became

a real parent effort. Parents issued press releases, helped set up the

course, manned the registration table, acted as course officials, assembled

and worked the finishing chute, did all the timing, posted the results, and

even raffled off donated prizes after the awards had been handed out to help

raise additional money for the cross country program. I was the race

director but the parents did most of the work, and they loved it!

In 1997 I had the parents of one of my boys drive all night from Las Vegas up

to Reno so they could meet us at the airport gate with welcoming signs when

we arrived the next morning for the 1997 State Meet. Great parents.

This reminds me of an anecdote that's worth a chuckle yet makes another

point. In 1991 our girls qualified for the State Meet--also to be held in the

Reno area--and we drove up by bus in those days. We departed at "o-dark-30"

in busses chartered by the Clark Country School District, but one of my

parents wasn't about to get up that early. He slept in. He and his wife left

an hour later but assured us that they would still beat us there! As our bus

was chugging its way north on US 95 just past Hawthorne, still several hours

out of Reno, here comes Carl--honking and waving as he speeds on by. Twenty

minutes later we passed him, pulled over by one of Nevada State Highway's

finest. When we all gathered at Circus Circus in downtown Reno a few hours later,

Carl was there to meet us, but he never mentioned the incident. I kept quiet

as well, in front of the kids. But later he did take a ribbing. His daughter

has long since graduated, but Carl--who got started as a competitive runner

while Carrie ran for Bonanza--has become an outstanding marathon runner in

the interim and is a fixture at Las Vegas Track Club races. I still count him

as a good friend.

 

Can parents be a "pain"? Yes, without a doubt. Many runners--especially

young girls--can be ruined by overeager dads (usually it's dads). There are

numerous examples I could cite but I'll just mention just one. Here in Las

Vegas we had a girl, let's call her Bonnie, some years back that was a

freshman phenom. She entered the 9th grade in 1986 as a regional youth

champion at just about every distance from 400 on up. She was winning local

road races all summer and had a 33 minutes and change 8K to her credit. Dad

shopped her around at several schools (not really--parents don't "school

shop"--but you know what I mean) and finally settled on Las Vegas H.S. She

had a great freshman year and only narrowly missed being the individual state

champion, finishing second, behind a senior--and the defending state

champion--from Carson City. Bonnie"s dad continued to train her--over and

above her regular team workouts--and he got away with it for awhile. But by

spring all those extra interval workouts and long runs on Sunday were

starting to take their toll. She started out like the next Mary Decker,

winning all her races on the track from 400 meters up to the 3200. Not only

was Dad having her put in extra workouts, her high school coaches at

overracing her (we make mistakes too). The result was a series of stress

fractures and other assorted overuse injuries. Bonnie was history; she never

even finished the 1987 track season. She became a one-year wonder and never

ran again, at least in high school. Dad"s dream of a full-ride to a major

college had turned into a nightmare.

 

Is there a lesson there? I hope so. Yes, parents can be great--and usually

are--especially when they come out to the races and cheer on their kids, and

the team. I see parent booster tee shirts at lots of invitationals. That's

terrific! I also applaud those parents that even run with their kids and

encourage them to run in the off season. And, yes, I think parents should be

involved with their child's training. They should know what their kids are

doing for training, and encourage their kids to do those "on-your-own"

workouts. They should be involved with things like proper diet; adequate

rest, and other health issues; the right shoes for training and racing; and

encouragement in maintaining a running log. But please, let us do our job as

coaches. If you have questions, ask them; talk to us. If you have criticisms

regarding the workouts or the races, whatever, share your concerns with us.

We want to win but we also want what's best for your children. We're in this

together.

CoachPhil@aol.com

 

 

After reading several of her pieces submitted to the web site regarding

cross country in northern Nevada, I offered Penny Sparks, mom of Carson's

Shanna Sparks, the opportunity to write a guest column for me this month. Not

only is Penny much more knowledgable of what's going on up north than I am,

but she writes objectively and well as I'm sure you'll find. I hope she will

find the time to write for the site on a regular basis.

As for me, my last column has come back to haunt me. Now I'm a retread too,

having accepted a position as a cross country coach at Bishop Gorman. But

it's great to back coaching again! Nevertheless, I will continue to write my

column and stive to be as objective as I can while at the same time "tell it

like it is."

Coach Phil

--------------------------------

Northern Nevada 4A Early Season Review

September 10, 2001

The Northern Nevada cross country competition looks to be very intense this

season. No boy's varsity team dominates the region at this point. At the

Galena Invitational, Reno varsity boys were the top team. Reno, Galena and

Carson each had three boys finish in the top ten time-wise. However, at the

Reed Invitational the Galena boys bumped the Reno varsity boys from the top.

Carson varsity did not compete at the Reed Invitational. However, they ran

well in San Francisco. It should be very exciting watching the season unfold

with these three tough teams.

 

South Tahoe varsity boys has not shown a lot of team strength at this point,

but that this is probably not a true indication of their potential. They have

historically come on strong late in the season, as demonstrated by the 1999

boys state champion team. Coach Dominque Westlake takes his time getting his

runners into shape, but they are always ready when it counts.

The top boy runner in the north at this time is clearly Jonathan Cardenas, a

sophomore from Reno. He easily won both the Galena and Reed Invitational.

Chris Concha, another Reno High runner, is always tough and definitely one of

the most competitive high school runners in the state. Matt Dodd a senior

from Reno will also be in contention for the top spot. Hudson Wilvers from

South Lake Tahoe is relatively an unknown in the south, but the athletes and

coaches up here know him well. He has had bad luck at the qualifying races,

but is one of the most talented young runners in the state. His teammate

Chris Cosmi will also be one of the top runners if he runs as well as he did

last year.

 

Tim Koepsell and Steven Potly, both from Galena, are running extremely well

at this time. Galena's new cross country runner, Micah Parker, and freshman

Raul Tibaduiza are making a strong statement in their first high school cross

country season. The Galena boy's team looks very strong. They could end up

being the top team in the north at Regionals. Josh Corder from Carson is

still an unknown in Nevada having just moved from Idaho. But judging by his

performances in Idaho he could very easily challenge the top spot before the

season is over. Carson's Andrew Pederson and Jeffrey Martin will also be

among the top runners from the north. All three boys ran really strong in

San Francisco last weekend. Carson may not be able to bump either Galena or

Reno from the top spot this year, but they will still be a team to contend

with.

 

The girl's top teams in the north are clearly Carson and Reno. Both teams are

loaded with talent and toughness. However, the Carson team really proved

their outstanding ability in placing higher overall then Centennial, the

defending state champions this last weekend in San Francisco at the Great

Race of the Great Bay.

 

The top varsity runner is, to no one's surprise, Shanna Sparks. She has

proven her talent since she won her first state championship as a freshman.

But more importantly she has proven her mental toughness and determination by

winning the 3200-meter state championship in spite of being out for most the

season due to injuries. Joining her this year is Cassia Roth, who not only

was a state qualifier in the 3200 and 4 x 800, but has also improved

immensely. Cassia's fourth place overall time at Galena attests to her

ability. Joining Shanna and Cassia at the top of the Carson girls team are

Ali Marson, Sheena Bonaldi and Emily Johnson, all freshman. On the Reno

team, Collier Lawrence, 4th at state in the 3200 is looking extremely strong.

She ran second overall at the Galena Invitational, and won the Reed

Invitational this past Friday. She soundly dominated the front-runner

position for her team. Katie McGrath also ran very strong, finishing third

overall at Galena and second a Reed. Karen DeMartini, although finishing

third among the Reno runners at the Galena Invitational, cannot be counted

out. Karen always rallys when it counts the most. Michelle Glenn is racing

out of shape at this time, but as the season progresses, so will Michelle.

As good as the Carson team looks, the Reno team will be right in there

pushing Carson all the way. The two teams should really make things exciting

in the north.

 

Of course we can't forget about South Lake Tahoe. Amber Ramos, 4th at state

last year, may have more competition up top to deal with then she did last

year, but that won't keep her from going to state. She is one of the

toughest competitors in the state. The South Lake Tahoe girls team may not

be the power they were last year at this time, but they too cannot be counted

out of being one of the top three teams qualifying for state. Other teams

worth mentioning are Galena and McQueen, each having some very reputable

runners on their team. And McQueen's team scored higher than South Tahoe at

the Reed Invitational this past weekend.

(Penny Sparks)

 

Go directly to Part II

Soccer: Friend or Foe? (Part 1)

(September 23, 2001)

 

    This is a complicated question as it relates to high school cross country

and track, but especially cross country, since cross country and soccer are

both fall sports. Most kids are forced to choose one or the other. I had to

make that choice myself back in the 1986 when CCSD moved boys soccer (this

was before girls soccer was an NIAA sport) from the winter to the fall where

It has remained to this day. (From 1982 to 1985 I coached both soccer and

cross country at Bonanza.) The boys that chose soccer didn't run cross

country; it was as simple as that. As cross country coaches sometimes we get

a few castoffs; boys that got cut from soccer then come out for cross

country. I used to actively recruit after “cut day” with the blessing of the

soccer coach. Not exactly an ideal way to recruit potential runners, but

sometimes you do what you have to do.

 

    And this is where soccer is a friend. Soccer is great conditioner. The

kids run a lot and build tremendous endurance. It has been estimated that the

average soccer midfielder covers in excess of five miles of running during a

match. Many of our best cross country runners are soccer players.  All three

of the girls I coached at Bonanza who made All-State--Connie Johonnot, Erin

Aten, and Carrie Wright--came to me as soccer players. Look at some of the 4A

runners here in southern Nevada who went to State last year: Emily Eskin of

Green Valley, Meghan Mathews and the O'Connor twins of Centennial, Christa

Avena of Gorman, Tamara Dudas of Bonanza, and Abbey Mathis of Silverado. They

all played high school and club soccer last year.

 

    Here's where it gets complicated.  Again, some background. Enter girls

soccer as a high school sport in Nevada; it happened in the late 80's, first

as a club sport and then officially as an NIAA sport. But in southern Nevada

it was a winter sport, while girls soccer in the north was played in the

fall. This meant that girls down here could run cross country in the fall,

play soccer in the winter, and run track in the spring. And it worked,

sorta--more on that later. But then a couple of years ago, after relentless

pressure from the north that both ends of the state get “on the same page”

in order that Nevada have a state championship in girls soccer, the  NIAA

moved girls soccer to the fall--except for 4A in Clark County. The southern

4A soccer coaches, many of whom coach both boys and girls, wanted it left as

it was--for a variety of good reasons--and they prevailed. For now, at least,

girls soccer is still a winter sport in Clark County, and girls who go to the

4A schools can still run cross country in the fall and play soccer in the

winter. Sorry, you coaches at Boulder City, Moapa Valley, The Meadows, etc.,

your girls now have to choose one sport of the other. And guess what? Except

for Boulder City and Faith Lutheran, no ”small school” in southern Nevada

has been able to find even five girls to run cross country this year. (That

ought to be a clue right there that something is amiss.)

 

    OK, let's get back to the 4A schools, where there is no conflict between

girls soccer and cross country. Or is there? Enter club soccer. Club soccer

is played year round--except during the high school season. Most of these

club soccer coaches don't work for the school district. Most of them are

dedicated to their sport and they want their kids to practice and play soccer

year round. They have matches and take their teams to out-of-state

tournaments all year round, including in the fall--during cross country

season. They entice their girls with the promise of college soccer

scholarships and the opportunity for Olympic glory and the chance to be the

next Mia Hamm or Tiffeny Milbrett. "These club coaches are obsessive and

possessive," according to one high school cross country coach whom I choose

not to identify.

 

    And here’s where soccer is not a friend. Abbey Mathis--I mentioned her

earlier--is now a senior at Silverado and she still plays club soccer, but

she is not running cross country this fall. Why? Because her club coach made

her choose between club soccer and cross country! She chose soccer and

Silverado lost their #1 returning runner. That should not have happened. Abby

made her choice and I respect her for it. But it’s my contention that she

shouldn’t have been forced to make that choice. All of the other girls cited

above are all still running cross country, and in trying to do both cross

country and club soccer they are forced to find the time and energy for both.

It's a trade off and there has to be a price to pay, but at least they

weren't forced to choose one sport over the other. 

 

    Most coaches feel as I do that doing both--club soccer and cross

country--at the same time is too demanding. Jessica Scobell, coach at Faith

Lutheran, says that “involvement in two sports at the same time causes a lack

of focus”.  John Dixon, head coach at Foothill, is more direct: “Club soccer

and XC does not mix well. The kids get tired...they are always going to club

matches on weekends”. Bill Miller at Centennial claims that last year he made

a deal with Meghan Mathews and the O’Connor twins that they do only cross

country--no club soccer--from October 1st until after the state meet. But

when I talked to Meghan last Thursday and asked her about soccer this year

she admitted that her club soccer coach still puts a lot of pressure on her

to attend practices and matches, even though she is not going playing in any

more out-of-town tournaments until the end of the cross country season.

 

    We do have a problem? Soccer is a sport with a lot of appeal. It's fun!

You can have instant success. You can score a goal on your first day of

practice. Kicking a soccer ball is a great way to release pent-up energy. And

time and tradition is on the side of soccer as well. Some of our kids have

been playing it since they were toddlers. There are leagues for kids as young

as five years old. The WUSA gets exposure on TV and in the press. Every high

school girl in this country who plays soccer has heard of Brandi Chastain,

but how many of our girls who run cross country have heard of Lynn Jennings

or Deena Drossin? High school cross country--at least in Las Vegas--falls

somewhere between girls golf and bowling when it comes to coverage in the

local papers and esteem in schools.  Most of our kids have never run

competitively before they come to high school. There are a few youth running

clubs in town, but compare their number to the number of soccer clubs and

teams in existence. We're a day late and a dollar short!

 

(In part two of this editorial I will discuss some possible solutions to the

problem and offer suggestions for coaches, parents, and athletes.)

 

coachphil@aol.com

 

Soccer: Friend or Foe? (Part 2)

January 2006
 


[This article was originally written back in 2001.  Part 1 was published on NTS. You can find it in the archives on Phil's & Penny's Page. For some reason Part 2 never got published. I found that out a few years back when I got an e-mail from a parent back east somewhere, asking where Part 2 was? At the time I didn't know! The written piece was on an old computer I had given away and I couldn't locate a copy. I only recently found a copy that had been buried among my writings, so I decided to finish what I started. I have updated it a bit, but it is essentially the same piece I wrote in 2001 when I was still an active coach.] 

     Is there an answer to the popularity of soccer and its potential for turning kids away from cross country? Yes! The answer lies in making our sport more attractive to the athletes. We already have several things going for us. First, everyone gets to compete: no one rides the bench. There is always a race for every athlete: varsity, frosh-soph, or JV. Second, cross country is a coed sport. And high school boys and girls do like each other and like to be around each other, as we already know! The successful high school programs take advantage of that fact. They train the kids together, and they go to meets and take trips together as a total team. Boys cheer on the girls and vice versa. [It is especially applicable if you have a "stud" girl who can train with the boys. To quote Jordan Hasay, the 2005 Footlocker girls champion: I train with the boys a lot. They're cool with that's Jordan ran 5K at Footlocker Championships in 17:05, not a bad time for most guys!]

     To fellow coaches: we need to make our sport "more fun", as the kids say. Instead of by-the-numbers interval workouts and long runs around the campus or the neighborhood, be creative. Try using game-day activities like scavenger hunts, Capture the Flag, and heaven forbid soccer games. The old game of Hare and Hounds is an excellent endurance workout in disguise. [When I was coaching, Friday was usually game day. Relay races are interval workouts in the purest sense if they are conducted right. Yes, it takes planning and, no, it's not as easy as just sending the kids out-and-back or having them run 10 X 400 on the track. But it keeps the kids coming back for more, year after year. It also saves their legs by confining them to the track or grassy fields instead of pounding the pavement.

     Find neat places to run. Take your kids to Red Rock or Mt. Charleston to get out of the heat and away from the pollution of the valley floor. I know several coaches who take their runners up to Lee Canyon early in the season before school starts or on a Saturday or Sunday to run the Bristlecone Pine Trail or to Mack's Canyon to run that dirt road leading to the campground (six miles round trip). Yes, it can be a logistics nightmare; yes, it takes extra effort. But it works. If your school is close enough to a decent-size park, have them run to and from the park for their warm-up and cool down and do the rest of the workout in the park. But, again, put variety into the workouts. Consider cross-training workouts as well. On hot days in early season an aerobics workout at a local pool or fitness center is terrific. [When I was coaching, at various times, I used the outdoor pool at Garside, the indoor Municipal Pool on Bonanza and LV Blvd., and backyard pools at my kids' homes.] Bike and run workouts are also fun and challenging for a Saturday morning practice. 

     Another thing, make your schedule of meets as attractive as possible, with as much variety as possible there as well. And take your kids out of town! And I don't mean just Mesquite, Boulder City or Laughlin (no offense Bruce or Lori). Take them to Huntington Beach or Dana Point and let them run in the Central Park Invitational or the Dana Hill Invitational and to the beach afterwards and/or Mt. SAC to run in the largest cross country high school invitational in the US If your team is good enough to get invited, go to the Great Bay Area Race in San Francisco as Centennial's girls did in 2001 or the Great American Cross Country Festival in North Carolina like Green Valley did in 2000 when Abby Miller was nationally ranked. [Just this past fall, 2005, Coach Momsen and Coach Welch took their Boulder City kids to the Iolani Invitational in Oahu, Hawaii, no entry fee for that one.] But too expensive?  Get the school to pay for it. (I'm kidding!) Yes, you've got to raise money, get parent support (financial as well as moral), and sell the kids on what you're doing. One huge carrot, of course, is a trip to State. Every odd year it is in the Reno area, and the school does pay for that. If your team or even part of it, individual runners, earns a trip to State, that's something you can sell to next year's team. [I have a hunch that recruiting at Boulder City will be a tad easier in 2006 if there is even a chance of another trip to the Hawaii.]

     Sell pride to your team. Make them feel that they are special. Buy team shirts and new uniforms every year. Buy quality sweats, not every year too expensive. But when you do buy them, buy sweats the kids will be proud to wear, not multipurpose sweats that have Track & Field splashed on the front. Buy a pair of new racing flats for every kid that earns a trip to State. (Find a parent or sponsor that will donate the money.) Give out a certificate or, even better, a tee shirt to your Cross Country Runner of the Week. Some schools already do that for Athlete of the Week in one, some, or all sports. If so, make sure your athletes share in the wealth.

Communicate!  Put out a weekly online newsletter for your team, which includes a schedule of workouts and meets for the upcoming week as well as results from the past week. Assuming your school has an athletics web site, your job gets easier. But make sure the info on that web site is up to date. (You can bet your bottom dollar that that web site has up-to-date stats on the football team!) If you don't want to do it yourself, find an athlete on your team who is in a computer class or journalism class and have him or her be your cross country reporter. But your weekly schedule of workouts is something that you should publish yourself online on the weekend and then pass out to your team on Monday so they know what you have planned for them for the upcoming week, as well have as a recap of results from the previous week. (The results in the RJ are spotty a