DyeStatCal Cross-Country State Athletes of the Week

September 5-9, 2005

Doug Speck

Girls Athlete of the Week

Joe Hartman photo

Alex Kosinski (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills - Sac Joaquin Section)

The junior from Oak Ridge in the Sac Joaquin Section appears to have followed up a huge move from last year’s cross-country campaign to the spring track season where she was as improved as any athlete of her gender in the middle distances in the entire nation to a fine start to her 2005 Fall CC season! Fifth in the State meet Division II last Fall in Cross-Country, Alex was the Sac Joaquin Section champ at her level, with performances certainly of a regionally elite level. Preparation became quite serious between the fall and spring last year, with the exchange of action on the soccer field for some serious training that included interval training at an earlier date than in the previous year. An early season 4:53 had Alex with the #3 prep mark in the entire nation, and she ended the year as among the top twenty four lappers in the entire country with her 4:49.26 best. She is among the top dozen 1600m/milers in the nation returning for the 2006 spring track season (list below) She is the fastest Golden state four-lap returnee on the watch, and was second in the State 1600 to Anne St. Geme of Corona del Mar.

Cross-Country this fall had an impressive start at the September 3rd Granite Bay Invitational, with a contest against National Individual runner-up last year, Marie Lawrence of Reno, Nevada. Lawrence won the Granite Bay contest at 17:59, with Alex second in a fine 18:25. This was easily the finest individual performance by a Californian the opening weekend of the prep season, and she is awarded our State Athlete of the Week award for this fine effort against one of the very top athletes in the country. With some obvious high goals down the road this Fall and later into the Spring, Kosinski will find some top competition in her division statewide, with super soph Karan Tarver (Serrano, Phelan) the defending State Champ in Division II, with Whitney Blue (Newport Harbor, Newport Beach) second Division II last year. Sac Joaquin divisions for the spot are not yet out this Fall. The 2005 spring track season was paced super for the Sac Joaquin star, with we assume some fine efforts still down the road as we head for the November and December peak to the 2005 harrier campaign.
Spring Interview with Kosinski prior to April 2005 Arcadia Invitational

1,600 METERS (5:00.0) (TOP NATIONAL RETURNEES - THANKS MIKE KENNEDY)
4:41.43+ **Danielle Tauro (Southern Regional, Manahaukin, Pa.) 4:43.07y
4:41.48+ *Elizabeth Yetzer (Lakeville, Mn.) 4:43.12y
4:45.01+ *Jacqueline Areson (Atlantic, Delray Beach, Fl.) 4:46.67y
4:45.68 **Bridget Franek (Crestwood, Mantua, Ohio)
4:46.65+ **Marie Lawrence (Reno, Nv.) 4:48.32y
4:47.2+ *Nicole Blood (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) 4:48.8y
4:48.07 *Jennifer Morgan (Barnesville, Oh.)
4:48.24i+ *Aislinn Ryan (Warwick Valley Central, Warwick, N.Y.) 4:49.92iy
4:48.71i+ ***Caitlin Lane (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) 4:50.39iy
4:49.11 *Renee Tomlin (Ocean City, N.J.)
4:49.20i+ *Kelly Parrish (Vanguard, Ocala, Fl.) 4:50.88iy 4:51.64y (out)
4:49.26 **Alex Kosinski (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills, Ca.)

Boys Athlete of the Week

Joe Hartman photo

Jake Matthews (Folsom) - Sac Joaquin Section

Another athlete who has had a fine career in the fall and spring running activities from the Sac Joaquin Section is our Boys’ honoree this week. Jake Matthews, a senior from Folsom HS is the latest star from his school, with a fine effort in winning the Boys’ contest at the Granite Bay Invitational against a strong field to win this week's honor.

Matthews was third in his Section back as a soph in the Fall 2003 Cross-Country season, and was the Sac Joaquin Division I winner last Fall (2004) on the way to a tenth place in the State Meet Division I. In the 2005 spring Jake was the Sac Joaquin Section 3200m champ and had 4:17.83 and 9:17.43 distance bests. He returns for the 2006 spring track season as the #8 3200m runner back from a talented group statewide, with a listing among the top thirty-five who are back in the entire nation with his 8 lap best for next spring.

Part of a talented California group this Fall in the harrier sport, Jake is one of those athletes teetering on moving from the regional to national level at an impact level, with the efforts of this Golden Stater certainly bearing watching as the Fall moves along. Off a very successful start on the redesigned Willow Hills course close to home this past weekend, we look for him to branch out geographically and in the success department on courses far and wide this coming campaign.

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