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States Hawaii 2003 Cross Country

5th Iolani Invitational
Sep 20, 2003 at Kualoa Ranch, Oahu HI

Varsity Boys 5k


Eisenhower WA stakes claim to higher ranking

story by Rich Gonzalez, photos by John Dye


Eisenhower 3-pack goes 1-2-3.
from right at the mile mark,
jr Robbie Barany, sr Chuy Chavez, and sr Charles Cummings.

Kualoa Ranch, HI -- Memo to Marc Bloom: Time to move Eisenhower High's boys team higher up in those national rankings. In a classic demonstration of exceptional race planning and pristine execution, Eisenhower's boys team withstood early temptation to eventually stick with a strategy that played out to perfection in clearly overpowering a pair of quality teams.

Eisenhower, the Washington powerhouse ranked 24th in Bloom's preseason national rankings in The Harrier, closed brilliantly along the final three kilometers to stuff the finish chute with five of the top seven placers in dominating the boys race at Saturday's fifth edition of the prestigious Iolani Invitational. Junior Robbie Barany was credited with the victory in 16:40, although teammate Charles Cummings was credited with the same time. Chuy Chavez (third in 16:52), Victor Dominguez (sixth in 17:18), and Kevin Blount (seventh in 17:23) rounded out the impressive scoring quintet. Eisenhower's near-perfect score of 19 points far outdistanced runner-up Orange High of California for the second consecutive year. Orange nipped Snohomish High of Washington, 80-81, for the second-place plaque. More telling was Eisenhower's team-time supremacy, clocking nearly five full minutes faster than an Orange team expected to be in around the 82:30 range at Mt. SAC this year.

"The race started at the second mile," quipped Barany, who placed third here a year ago when Ike also won the team title. "(Coach Phil English) wanted us to stay calm in the first mile, work up from there... Our goal was to have 5 in the Top 20, so (5 in the top 7) was unreal."

"We used our downhill training," added Cummings, a senior. "That really helped us move up. Some teams went out fast, but we kept them in sight and then made our move."

1 Mile - 5:13

Orange's Raul Lara has a 30-meter lead on the Eisenhower 3-pack

the Eisenhower trio passed Lara in the second mile

Orange High was not expected to be a team factor, as frontrunner Raul Lara was to be sidelined after suffering from IT band syndrome in recent weeks. But Lara felt an adrenaline rush of sorts on Friday night and begged his coaches into the race, assuring them he was fine. Lara then proved his point in the opening mile, leading a 154-runner parade. The field closed on Lara early into the second mile, with Eisenhower's trio of Barany, Cummings and Chavez then overtaking him. Lara ended up fourth in 17:08.

"He was fresh, but he wasn't sharp -- and we really didn't expect him to be, given his missed time," said Orange assistant coach Dave Burnette. Added Don Burnette, the head coach and the older in the father-son coaching combination: "Raul tried hard and did well, but I was especially pleased with our four-pack (scorers 2 through 5, which crossed the finish line within a 20-second time gap. "That was very encouraging for us right now."

 

2 miles - 10:34 - Robbie Barany and Charles Cummings (left) have gapped Chavez, and Chavez in 3rd has gapped the rest of the field (below)

Eisenhower, Orange and Snohimish were the only squads among the 21 scoring teams that had a team time under 90 minutes, giving strong indication as to the course's difficulty. "This was the hardest course I've ever run," snapped Arcadia High senior Lino Almeida, who was fresh off a pair of recent Southern California race victories on more accomodating courses.

Although contested in the mid-morning, the effects of the tropical humidity and the rising temperatures made many quick starters suffer during the race's latter stages.

"I wanted to go (witu the leaders), but I knew it wasn't smart here," added Barany, echoing his coach's comments the day before. "We had the right plan and it really paid off."

By day's end, one inquisitive mind asked English how he felt this team truly sized up nationally. English, a Lou Holtz-type coach that usually loves to downplay his team, admitted he felt it was an under-ranked squad and one far superior to his powerhouse 1987 team that captured the Washington state title.

On this day, no one was about to disagree.

Eisenhower victorious


Coach Phil English drenched each runner's head with water at the starting line.

Teams chose their own starting lanes, and for the second straight year Eisenhower chose to start all by themselves at the extreme left. Coach English explained that you want to be on the outside of the first turn so you don't get boxed in, and this course's first turn is to the right.

 

Iolani Invitational

 


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