Oak Ridge HS
SJS- Team of the Week!

By Joe Hartman, DyeStatCal
        One of the schools in the state that will be bringing 14 runners to the state meet Saturday is Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills. The Trojans pulled the trick for the second time in three years as the boys took second at the SJS finals and the girls took third, only four points away from St Francis for second.

        El Dorado Hills is the next town east of Folsom along Highway 50 and is exactly where the Sierra foothills start in that part of the valley. Anyone who’s ever tried to bike up Serrano Boulevard knows that there are plenty of hills to keep your legs burning in this quiet town.

        As long as Rob Fairley and John Mansoor are heading up the Oak Ridge distance program, get used to seeing several maize and blue runners up near the front of the pack. The last three years, the Trojans have two second place team finishes and a fourth at the section meet. The girls have a second place and two thirds.

        Recently, Division 2 has been the strongest XC division in the SJS. While the Oak Ridge Boys must share the division with the mean lean Marauder running machine (aka The Carmichael Running Club, aka Jesuit High School), the girls have the misfortune/opportunity of having the 2-time section champion Ponderosa Bruins in not just their section but also their league. But that hasn’t stopped the Trojan ladies from winning the Sierra Valley Conference league finals and/or the team standings two of the last three years. The boys are currently ranked #2 in the state in D2; the girls are currently ranked tenth.

       We had a chance to speak with Coach Rob Fairley, seven of the varsity boys including section runner-up Ryan Cosens, and a special graduating class of four varsity girls, which includes three-time section champion Alex Kosinski.

DyeStatCal - Rob what is your running background and where does a lot of your coaching philosophy come from?

Coach Fairley - I ran cross country and track for four years at La Sierra H.S. in Carmichael. I had a very good high school coach (Bob Jamieson) who ran with us and put a lot of time into his coaching. I ran 4 years of cross country and one year of track at U.C. Davis. I had an excellent cross country coach (John Pappa) at U.C. Davis. My coaching philosophy comes from a lot of what I experienced as an athlete in high school and college. My coaching philosophy is also influenced from the great coaches Arthur Lydiard and Jack Daniels.

DyeStatCal - How long have you been coaching xc/track at Oak Ridge and you are at the beginning, middle, or end of what you want to do there?

Coach Fairley - I have coached track for 12 years at Oak Ridge H.S. and 4 years of cross country full time. I would say I am in about the middle of what I would like to do at Oak Ridge. I love to coach high school athletes. I love to see them get excited about running X-C and track.

DyeStatCal - Danielle Domenichelli, Scott Crawford, Jeff Campbell, Ryan Cosens, Alex Kosinski... are you lucky or good!? Tell us a bit about some of your recent stars.

Coach Fairley - I have been very fortunate to coach some very good athletes in the 18 total years of high school coaching. Being able to coach distance runners in X-C and track over a 4 year period can be a lot of fun especially when the athletes really start committing themselves to the sport. Once the athletes become year round runners, they can really start improving significantly from season to season. Fortunately, I have had some athletes (Alex K, Danielle D, Scott C, Jeff C, Ryan C) recently, which have reached some fairly high levels. Having star athletes on the team helps motivate the younger runners because many of them start working harder themselves to become the stars in the future.

DyeStatCal - What does it mean to have someone like John Mansoor be part of the Oak Ridge running family and coaching staff?

Coach Fairley - John Mansoor has been absolutely invaluable to the running program at Oak Ridge. He is very dedicated with his work with the young athletes at Oak Ridge and also promotes distance running with his work with USA T&F. John is the director of the CIM (California International Marathon) and Four Bridges Half Marathon. John also worked at the Olympic Trials held at Sac State and the NCAA T& F Championships. John is also actively setting up new running courses to promote racing in the area. John has a lot of experience in running. He ran for Bob King at Mira Loma H.S. back in the 70's and competed in X-C and track at Ohio State. After college, John became a very accomplished marathoner. (Note: John is also the executive director of the Pacific Association in USA Track and Field working alongside his wife Heike to keep running going strong in NorCal.)

DyeStatCal - The girls were amazing just to qualify for state. Can they be Top 10?

Coach Fairley - I believe the girls' team can obtain a top 10 finish at the state meet. They will have to come out and race their "A" game just like they did at sections in order to obtain their goal.

DyeStatCal - How about some of the keys to possibly upsetting Jesuit on Saturday.

Coach Fairley - One of the keys of possibly upsetting Jesuit is to have each of our runners take care of their "assignments". We have fairly strong Number 1 and 2 runners, which need to take care of their "assignments" up front, and then we have a strong pack of runners, which need to run well together throughout the race. Our runners will be focusing on the familiar and our "pack" of runners will need to position themselves well in order to be highly effective.

       Here’s the varsity boys Top 7 that will be racing at the state meet and how many years they’ve been involved with running so far at Oak Ridge.

Ryan Cosens 12 4 xc 3 track

Amjed Aboukhadije 9 1 xc

Josh Arrieta 12 3 xc 3 track

Max Fernandez 11 3 xc 2 track

Alex Mansoor 12 4 xc 3 track

Josh Ruff 12 4 xc 3 track

Also interviewed Feross Aboukhadije

DyeStatCal - Since the start of this decade, Oak Ridge has always been around the top of Division 2. Give us some of the key reason.

Alex - Coaching. We’ve got good coaches here.

DyeStatCal: Are you related to any?

Alex - Yeah, my dad! They all have a lot of experience and they know what to do.

Josh R. - I’d have to say coaching also. The coaches progress you each year from freshman year. And they work on you each year.

Amjed - I probably agree with Alex and Josh. The coaches motivate us really well so it helps us a lot.

Josh A. - I would have to say besides our coaching its just our surroundings and having to run a lot in the hills and stuff it probably plays a lot in our running (ability).

Ryan - I’d have to say our coaches and one thing they do really well with our team is keep on building and getting more and more kids and also like I know other schools I see kids whose names are near the top and you don’t hear from them again. They do a good job keeping us coming back season after season.

Feross - Besides the coaches I’d have to also say the other people on the team also help motivate you a lot. Like when you first join the team and you’re maybe on the edge of being on varsity or not, you have other people to look up to. It kind of makes you set your standards higher. And then once those people graduate then you’re at the top and you have to help other people reach your level so it keeps going year after year.

Max - Coaching is the main thing because they yearly motivate us but having seniors on the team when you’re a freshman it motivates you because you want to run as fast as them and you just look up to them.

DyeStatCal - Oak Ridge has turned out some very good runners that have gone to the next level. Can you guys bring us up to speed on some of them?

Ryan - There's Jeff Campbell who did a 1:54 for us two years ago. Last year he was 1:52 at Santa Barbara despite being sick most of the season He’s come back and is actually doing pretty well in cross country even though he’s more of a half miler there now.

Alex - Scott Crawford. He’s redshirting his freshman year in cross county and he’s going to do track (at UCLA). He went to a running camp with his college team and ended up getting lost and had to hitchhike his way back to camp where his guys were so he ended up running about 20 miles that day.

Josh R. - I’ve got something about Danny Diamond. We were running two years ago at (sub-sections) and Ryan Cosens passed out at the finish line… and Danny caught him. It was in the chute. He’s at Cal Poly doing triathlons now. He’s actually gotten pretty good.

Ryan - And Danielle Domenichelli - she’s done really well for Santa Barbara in cross country. She’s one of their top runners as a sophomore and they’re ranked like 7th in the nation. She was finished 2nd on their team at their west regionals (28th overall).

DyeStatCal - You guys have the misfortune – or blessing – of being in the same division as Jesuit - Division 2 Sac Joaquin Section. Maybe in a way you haven’t gotten the attention you would have gotten by being in this division in this section. What’s it like for four years in a row for some of you to have all the red and yellow running alongside you?

Alex – I think it motivates us because we know who we want to beat. And we see them a lot. We stay motivated.

Josh R. – It helps us be motivated … but it’s also demoralizing because we always lose.

Other 6 varsity boys - Strike that comment!

Feross - I agree with what Alex said because there’s no other way to become the best besides being pushed by the best – it’s 100% motivation to me.

Max – Yeah, I agree with Feross, too. If we were in a division that didn’t have any teams better than us, I don’t think we’d be as good as we are today. When we were training in the summer a lot of us had the motivation … ‘We’re gonna beat Jesuit this year.’

Ryan – It’s kind of annoying at times because any other section we could probably win D2. But it’s nice that we can measure improvement against them – although they’ve improved a lot over the last two years. But as long as we shoot for them, we figure we can beat all the other D2 teams in the state.

DyeStatCal - Two Saturday’s from now in Fresno. What’s the most you’re capable of? Give us your “best case” scenario?

Josh R. - We can definitely win. It’s what we’re capable of.

Josh A. – I have a feeling that back at Clovis we weren’t quite ready we were still experimenting with our Top 7 and everyone was moving around . We still had – the coaches call it the ‘on’ switch – we still had the on switch on pretty high. We were pretty much getting ready at that point. We’re a lot stronger than we were back then. We’re right there.

Ryan – This last week (sections) really didn’t show how good our team is. We didn’t have our best day so I think we’re going to rebound really well for state. I think we definitely have the potential to beat them there because we have a really solid five. All it takes is few people stepping up and we could be number one.

Feross - I agree with what Ryan said. If everybody’s on and everybody runs the race they’re capable of running then we definitely have a good shot at beating Jesuit.

        We interviewed the varsity girls (the “A-team” because of all the Alex’s and Ashleys) before the section finals and they were quite confident about qualifying for the state meet for the third year in a row. They delivered on their promise with seniors Ashley Silva and Alex Dromensk running solid races and freshmen Jessica Domenichelli and Geneve Dromensk assuming the all-important 4/5 roles. (And D2: Be forewarned. More young talent is on the way in 2007 courtesy of Jackie Mansoor and other eighth grade products of the El Dorado County middle school cross country league.)

 

DyeStatCal – Tell us how long you’ve been running at Oak Ridge and since you’re all seniors, what your college plans are.

Ashley Silva - I’ve been on track and cross country all four years and I’m either going to UNR or UNLV.

Lauren Looper – This is actually my first year doing cross country and I did track in the spring and before that I just played soccer and stuff. I’m having lots of fun. I think next year my goal would be to go the Naval Academy but I don’t know how that’s going to work out so I’m looking other schools also.

Alex Dromensk – I’ve been running cross country for four and track so far for two and this spring is still kind of undecided. I want to go the University of Washington in Seattle.

Alex Kosinski – This is my fourth year in cross country and track and I’m going to the University of Oregon.

DyeStatCal - Most of you have been on the team for several seasons: What’s the one single moment that you’ll remember years from now?

Alex D. – I’ll pull out the ‘Alex’ story… Sections my sophomore year when we won by one point - and I was able to outkick those three girls – and then when we went to states that was a lot of fun just as a social thing as well. (Oak Ridge edged Woodcreek 93-94 in 2004 to take the final state berth.)

Lauren – I had a lot of fun when we went to the Clovis Invitational and I thought I had a pretty good race there, just going out to dinner, and attacking people with silly string.

DyeStatCal - How has the coaching staff here helped you develop in terms of running and in terms of life here at Oak Ridge?

Ashley – I’d like to say that Coach Mansoor really helps me a lot. He’s pretty hardcore and he’s always given me speeches and trying to inspire me. So he’s a pretty good guy.

Lauren – I’d like to mention Mr. Fairley, that he’s so positive and he has so much energy all the time. He’s pretty amazing. It’s like when we get out there to race, he’s like, “OK you guys, lets’ go!” and I think that energy really carries.

Alex D. – Mr. Fairley really drove me to quitting soccer and just sticking with running. So that’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years. So that was really cool where he kept on pushing and pushing until finally I broke and said, ‘OK, I’m a runner’. And then I know Mr. Mansoor, as well as Ashley, we just sit there and get our speeches – throughout our entire runs sometimes – and he’s really inspirational.

Alex K. – I think it’s a really good balance to have Mr. Fairley and Mr. Mansoor because Mr. Fairley’s always really positive and supportive. He always thinks you can do it even if there are people a minute ahead he always thinks you can beat them.

DyeStatCal - I missed that race. When was someone a minute ahead of you?

Alex K. – Well, my freshman year, when people were really far ahead. And Mr. Mansoor he’s really good at speeches. You can always ask him for advice because he knows the answers to everything.

DyeStatCal - Who would you pay to watch run?

Alex K. – Suzy Favor-Hamilton. Because she’s fast…and I read her book.

Ashley – Can they be dead? I’d like to see Prefontaine run.

DyeStatCal - Two years from now in college, in class one day your thoughts turn to high school. What will be the thing that you immediately will connect with Oak Ridge?

Alex D. – Running. Especially since I don’t think I’ll run in college. This is like my running years. My senior year…when I tried to do everything. (Alex D. does speech and debate, is a camp counselor in Santa Cruz, chamber choir, a cappella choir, she plays piano and is starting to teach piano. “That’s about it”, she says.)

DyeStatCal - What are some of the traits of each other you admire the most about?

Alex K. – Alex D. is really good at managing her time because she has a lot going on and always gets her runs in. Lauren has been really determined. It’s her first year in cross country but she’s been having a good year and coming on strong. And Ashley has a really good stride and runs with good form.

Alex D. – I admire Ashley’s determination because even if she has a bad race she always comes back. And comes back ten times harder. Lauren’s been really determined and she’s always out there and she keeps at it no matter where she comes in the race. And Alex is simply amazing. You’re in awe when you watch Alex run – her stride, her motivation, her determination. When you’re injured and then you have to bike and swim for four hours a day, that’s pretty amazing.

Lauren – I have to say when we’re racing toward the end, I really admire how Alex D. stays focused and that last 400 meters or so she just picks it up and she’s gone. So I really admire how she finishes. I really admire Ashley, how much training she did over the summer. She really stepped it up – and her determination… I wish I was tall like her! And Alex - fast all the time. She always looks good when she’s running. I look at pictures when she’s running and she’s smiling.

Ashley – Alex (K.), I think it’s funny that you mentioned my form – because I would love to have your form. The way you run is just amazing. It’s awesome to watch you run. It’s just really cool. And Alex D. - I think it’s amazing how she balances everything with running and playing piano and academics, it’s just awesome. Even though you didn’t train as much as you wished, you’re still out here. It’s just really cool. And Lauren, I think you are amazing too. You are always out here even with you’re academics because you’re a really smart person and you’re always out here putting the work in.

DyeStatCal – Give us a funny moment from the past few years.

Alex K.- Do you remember after one race when you asked me if I had a second, and I said, “No, I got first!”. (Girls explode into laughter.) It was on the projector at the slide show… “The funniest things people said” and they put that for me.

Alex D. – It would have to be the slide shows at the end of the season. They’re hilarious.

Alex K. – They always make me cry.

Alex D. – Yeah, but they always have some really funny moments where everyone got a laugh – those were really fun.

Ashley – The varsity girls hid behind the van when we were in Clovis and when the varsity boys came out from the restaurant we attacked them with silly string. It was pretty funny. We were laughing so much.

Alex D. – There’s so many funny things with the boys. One time Jeff Campbell, and Danny Diamond, and Aaron McCormick, they went berry-picking on a run. Mr. Fairley caught them and we never stopped hearing about it. And Mr. Fairley, when he’s behind a microphone…he’s gone. We can’t make him stop.

DyeStatCal – Just get out the books and a Snickers bar because you’re going to be there a while?

Alex D. – We did study once at one of the banquets… biology.