Dyestatcal California Boys Coach of the Week 9/9-9/13/02
Walt Lange (Jesuit HS, Sacramento)

The name “Jesuit” mentioned in the same sentence as running brings to mind a level of excellence equalled by few schools in California history. The architect of that success over the past three decades has been Walt Lange, with his squads always ready to run come championship time, and with waves of runners every year or two of top statewide or national class level. For those who have followed running in the area for a while, individuals (and families) such as Pedro Reyes, Mark and Eric Mastalir, and Mike Stember, have led teams with very high quality efforts in Cross-Country and Track and Field. It is fitting that when asked to tell us about some of his top athletes, Coach Lange has to divide them up “by decade,” as he has done below.
Each season carries its challenges, with 2002 having its own for the Jesuit team and others. An impressive sweep of the Boys’ team titles at last weekend’s Rocklin Invite shows that this will be another Marauder team to be reckoned with in the Section and State. With an energy level and dedication to our sport and young people, it is an honor to indicate this week’s Dyestatcal Prep Coach of the Week as Walt Lange of Jesuit HS in Sacramento:

Coaching career began at St. Bernard’’s of Playa Del Rey from spring of 1964
to 1968. Influenced by a very brief period of running with the LATC and
Mihaly Igloi, Arthur Lydiard’’s training ideas, Dick Scully of South Torrance
High School, and Bill Leeds of Crespi Carmelite H.S. Highlights at St.
Bernard’’s: 9:15 2 miler Carl Mehrbach and a cross country team that won the
sophomore division at Mt. SAC.

Highlights of involvement at Jesuit - it seems unfair to pick some some
athletes and teams and leave out others. But here goes:

1970s, Rod Read, 9:07 as a junior. Rod was as tough as they come. Tom
O’’Neil 9:05 and 2:24 marathon. Tom just missed the national h.s. marathon
record.

1980s: Pedro Reyes, our first state meet track medalist with a 4:06 mile
best. Patrick McCrystle, 800 medalist with 1:50.70. Mark and Eric Mastalir,
amazing running 1984-86. Eric 14:01 for 5k, two days after 14:03. Paul
Thomas’’s 1987 state meet double (1st and 2nd), David Welsh 8:58 for gold
medal, 1989.

1990s: numerous high quality cross country teams, plus individuals like Matt
Farley, Michael Stember, and Mike Altieri.

Thomas, Altieri, and Stember were double medalists at the state track meet.
This is not easy, particulary with Stember who did it his junior year,
running the 3200 after his 4:04.00. Stember making the Olympic team in 2000
was a memorable day.

Brief suggestions to new coaches out there:

Patience! Allow at least two years for a program to develop.

Try to make track or cross country practice the highlight of your athletes’’
days--have them head for home with a positive feeling about that day’’s workout.

Unrelenting recruiting/selling of your sport. You are competing not just
against other schools, but against an entrenched club system and culture.
Assume there are state champions on your campus; all you have to do is win
them over. Most of our athletes come to Jesuit with no idea of being
distance runners. Identify the talent on campus and then keep after them,
this month, next month, next year, the year after that.

Don’’t be reluctant to approach successful coaches for ideas.

Despite the challenges, working with young people-no matter their athletic
abilities-rewards the coach as much as the athlete. With luck I'll be
coaching the grandchildren of many of my runners. We have the best jobs on
earth.

--Walt

Dyestat Cal News

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