DyeStatCal Boys
Coach of the Week
Jesuit HS
Walt Lange

Week of 10/09-13, 2006
California


Walt Lange of Jesuit HS

One of the top distance programs in the nation for a number of decades has been that of Jesuit HS in Carmichael, a Boys school near Sacramento under Coach Walt Lange and staff.  Some of the team state meet statistics on cross-country since the state championships were started in 1987 below tell the story, with the success of the program going on far before that title series happened, with Pedro Reyes, the Mastalirs, and a number of others very, very successful in the years previous.  Jesuit has another top group in 2006, with a #17 National Ranking currently and a hoped for return as a club group after the season to the Nike Team Nationals, where they were seventh in the entire nation last December.  Something very special about the folks who put on the Jesuit Red and Yellow, with Coach Lange certainly one to be listened to when he speaks (or writes)!!  His School's top twenty in track from 1600m (takes 4:20.0 or better to make that list) and 3200m (try 9:19.2 there) are at the bottom of his interview. 

Congrats - good luck
Doug Speck
DyeStatCal.com

1) Briefly describe how the season has gone for your team?

We've run well but haven't hit on all cylinders yet. The team time at
the Clovis Invite could probably come down another 40 seconds with
everyone fit and healthy.

2) Describe briefly the situation of Jesuit HS, where it is and where
most students come who attend there.

The school was built in Carmichael in 1963. It actually straddles the
border between Carmichael and Sacramento and is a 600 yard jog to the
American River Parkway, a wonderful running resource, 30+ miles long
with lots of dirt trails.

Enrollment is about 1100 boys. Over the years the school has drawn
students from farther and farther away. Many commute for an hour,
one-way. That's reflective of the changing demographics of the area.
The local public school district is suffering from declining
enrollments and is making plans to close schools, but the suburbs
(way-out there suburbs) have exploded and many new schools have
opened.

3) Jesuit has a pretty darn good overall sports program, where do all
the runners come from?

A good number of our runners come to Jesuit expecting to play soccer,
a fall sport in our Section. I think 5 of our top 9 tried out for
soccer as freshmen. We identify those who have running ability and
encourage them to think "outside the lines". On cut day we are right
there to inform them of their good fortune. Stember played soccer two
years and Austin Ramos was a soccer wannabe. Phil McKennan was a
soccer cut. Our top sophomore, Emilio Garcia, played freshman soccer
and ran in cross country meets.

We do have three runners who did club track or cross country prior to
coming to Jesuit. Another few competed for their grade school teams
and just continued here at Jesuit. Evan Watchempino is an outstanding
golfer but decided to focus on running instead of golf after trying
cross country as a freshman. He had run around 5:02 for the mile in
grade school.

Identifying talent in our student body and recruiting it is an ongoing
effort. We are assisted by many coaches and teachers who are aware of
the distance program. I suspect the running tradition/reputation
Jesuit has developed helps as well. One of our better athletes
decided to come out after checking out the team web page--he was going
to be a soccer player.

I've been retired from the classroom for six years. I have two very
capable assistants in Dave Zielke and Tom Witzgall, both classroom
teachers. Dave has been with me for about 14 years. Nate DeFelice,
Scott Abbott, Chris Smart, and Felix Just have assisted in the past
and brought exceptional talents to the program. They have all helped
to get guys to try the sport.

4) What is your personal athletic background?

I competed for Pius X High School in Downey in cross country and track
back in the previous century. I managed 1:58 for the 880 and made it
to CIF semis. I attended Loyola University which didn't have a
running program at that time. I did run a 4:17 mile and road raced
until I hit 40. I was a distance runner trapped in a stocky body.

5) Who influenced you most on the way that you coach?

I've taken a little something from a great number of coaches and
teachers. Cerutty, Lydiard, Igloi, Bowerman at the start. I got
ideas from high school coaches such as Bill Leeds at Crespi, Dick
Scully at South Torrance, and Jack Hedges at Westminster. Joe Newton
and Pat Tyson have been influential. I borrowed stuff from Vin
Lananna when we had athletes running at Stanford. I see a number of
local coaches who may not be noted for winning, but do an outstanding
job making the running experience a positive one. I go to two or three
clinics a year and always hear interesting things, and usually have
what we've been doing re-enforced. It's an ongoing process.

I've accumulated a library of material as well. I recommend
Escalante: The Best Teacher in America by Jay Matthews, Beyond Winning
by Gary M. Walton, Running with the Buffaloes, and Sub 4:00. I'm
presently reading Kenny Moore's book on Bill Bowerman.

6) How organized is your summer running program for your athletes?

We go for six weeks at 6:30 a.m. This coincides with Jesuit's summer
school session. The workouts are pretty informal, with the only thing
agreed upon being which direction we will run that day. There is no
requirement to attend. I say in our brochure that in order to keep
the numbers down, there will be no charge. It seems to work! We have
maybe 20 runners tops at any one workout. A few of our top guys can't
make it due to work obligations, family vacations, etc. I'm told that
if I start charging for the summer program, attendance will soar.

7) Do you have any benchmark workouts that you try to build on during
the fall cross-country season?

Repeat 800s is a favorite. We do it about every two weeks. 6x800 on
5 minutes, or we parlauf, the A group runs 800s and the B group runs a
shorter loop that we call 600. In that case, the guys running the
800s get about 1:40 of rest. This is all on a big grass loop a mile
and a half from school. Stember did 2:02 on it a couple of times, but
anything under 2:20 is pretty good.

What we have always called "steady runs" are also important. In
Daniels' book these are "tempo" runs. Some pretty demanding 7-8 mile
runs take place with much of the pace below 6 minutes down to 5:15.
Not a whole lot of conversation going on during these runs.

8) What advice would you have to a first year high school cross-country coach?

Be patient. Assume a 2-3 year period before you'll see results. Sell
the sport 24/7. You are one of the few coaches on campus who have to
recruit. Be prepared to be frustrated. Appreciate the people you work
with: athletes, parents, coaches.

School All-Time lists 1600 & 3200 Track

 

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