DyeStatCal Girls
Coach of the Week
Brent Thorne
(Torrey Pines HS)


Week of 9/11-16, 2006
California

 

DyeStatCal Girls
Coach of the Week
Brent Thorne
(Torrey Pines HS)

Week of 9/11-16, 2006
California

Coach Thorne and Assistant "Biff the Shark"
and the CIF SD Section Champ Div I Girls squad

Brent Throne coaches the boys and girls at Torrey Pines in the San Diego section, with his girls squads of late especially strong, with the 2006 version starting out the year as #19 in the entire nation!!  2006 Meet action started last week at West Hills HS in the Wolfpack Invitational, where team leader Erin Gillingham led the squad with her grade division win at 8:54 on a short course, with four others on the team within 33 seconds of Erin. 

The start of school is quite crazy, and we thank Brent for taking the time to answer the questions below.

1) What is your own athletic background and how did you evolve into a distance/cross country coach?

BT - Began running in the mid 70's running boom. Never ran in HS or college. Always worked with kids in Rec programs and taught tennis at a local club as a summer job. With teaching just fell into the posistion at TP. 19th year now.

2) How long have you been in your current coaching position?

BT - 19 years and counting - 3 or 4 more

3) How much involvement did you have with your team this past summer timewise?

BT - summer: we have a group run 3 times a week with a Saturday run and breakfast at a runners house. The runners are expected to run on their own other days. Returners are expected to do 5 days a week. We are fortunate to be close to the beach where most of the summer runs begin. We really have no problems. We are very lucky.

4) What have been the big influences on your and your philosophy of training?

BT - Early on: Bowerman. Dennis McClanahan, Manny Batista provided clinics. Still talk with Manny. Lance Harter was very helpful. Tim O'Rourke has been influenceal beyond the AAF clinics. Daniels and Vighal (sp). Also Joe Kelley and I spent many hours talking running.

7) Would you share your general Monday workout for the coming week with us (does not have to be in super detail, just some general description would be super)?

BT - Monday Monday; this Monday will be a long run since we have a Saturday meet. Next couple weeks Monday will be long run day: Var boys 10-12 miles, Var girls 8-9 miles, JV/Fr less @ 6m

7) Where do cross-country and track and field rate among the sports on your campus?

BT - Rank, sorry to say football, G vollyball, and field hockey get more pub at TP and the local paper. This after numerous CIF titles - oh well

8) What do you think have been the biggest forces in improving the sport of cross-country over the last two decades (advent of state meet, etc.)?

BT - Many factors here: Dystat - yes, it brings the state together, "big meets Stanford and Sac and of course gaving a state meet. The extras:   Footlocker and NTN.   I think the AAF clinics have helped and a running camp like Runners Workshop where many runners from different schools gather.

Torrey Pines HS Cross Country Web Site