The Magic of Reno HS - one of the nation's finest programs - what's behind the action on the course? - David Astles (Reno HS parent)

The Magic at Reno High School -

The Lawrence sisters from Reno HS -

This past weekend at the Stanford Invitational one school that really stood out was Reno HS from Nevada, with the school no stranger to recent distance running successes in years past, but the two individual wins at Stanford (and 1-2 sweep by the Lawrence sisters on the Girls' side) kind of made one especially interested in what was behind this fine program.

David Astles, whose daughter is on the team, was good enough to put together the following piece, which typically shows the blend of coaching, training and areas to run, strong leadership within the team, and strong tradition that results in success at the top end of any quality event!! David relates below:

"One of the schools that stood out at the Stanford Invitational September 27, was Reno High. This Division II school had individual winners in both the boys’ (Jonathan Cardenas, 15:44) and girls’ (Collier Lawrence, 17:34) races as well as a team win for the boys. While the girls’ team came in second on points after College Park, they edged out fourth-ranked Sultana. The Reno girls did, however, have the fastest team time of the meet by over a minute. And they did it with three freshman runners, including the second place finisher and another in the top twenty.

So what is Reno’s formula for success? Having a good gene pool at the school is a start. Boys’ winner Jonathan Cardenas is a nephew of four-time Olympic runner Domingo Tibaduiza. Second place finisher Marie Lawrence is the sister of girls’ winner Collier Lawrence. Clearly, though, raw talent is not enough. In Reno High School’s case, mileage, experience, and determination have turned gifted kids into winning athletes.

Starting in late June, prospective Reno High cross country runners begin training five to six times a week. By the time school starts, most are running a minimum of 40-50 miles a week. The team also takes advantage of the school’s location and does much of its running in the hills surrounding Reno. Speed work is a part of the mix, but there is a strong emphasis on distance to develop the stamina of the naturally talented runners.

Experience in running against large competitive fields is also important. Many of the Reno varsity runners have gained that experience through age-group running from before high school. Jonathan Cardenas and both Lawrence sisters are past national age-group champions and both the boys’ and girls’ teams have other all-American members. Almost all of the varsity runners supplement their high school experience by competing in the Junior Olympic cross country championships with the Silver State Striders following the high school season.

While many high school athletes have ability and experience, the thing that may distinguish the Reno runners is their determination. Team leaders Cardenas and Lawrence, in particular, have a phenomenal will to win and push themselves even harder than would any coach. The other team members are then driven to improve their own performances and that of the team. One need only look at the three freshman girls making the varsity team or the improvements made by some of the returning boy runners to see the difference determination makes."

thank you David!! - Doug Speck - DyeStatCal.com

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