Earlybird Invitational
Saturday, September
9, 2006
At Toro Park
2006 Earlybird Invitational Preview
by Coach Gustavo Ibarra
Anticipation is running high as the 2006 cross country season kicks
off with the 12th Annual Earlybird Invitational hosted by North Monterey
County High School! Although the meet has moved to Toro Park (Site of
the 2006 CCS Championships) in Salinas during construction at NMC, it
still promises to be as great as ever with more than 50 teams and almost
2,000 athletes expected to participate this Saturday, Sept. 9th. This
just may be the most competitive early-season meet in the state of California
with many state and section ranked teams and individuals! As a side
note, the course at NMC and the Toro Park course have historically produced
similar times. As cross country is a true team sport, we’ll start
by highlighting the top teams followed by the top individuals.
Let’s get started with the GIRLS. Monta Vista returns as the defending
Earlybird Champions and are favored here! Last year they ran the 5th
fastest time ever at Earlybird and the 4th fastest time ever at Toro
Park! They feature the best 1-3 punch in CCS and come in ranked 1st
in CCS and 14th in State DI! Carmel will make their debut at Earlybird
and should do it in fine style with up to seven girls under 20:00! They
feature a great senior leader and are ranked 1st in CCS DIV! Mitty comes
in ranked 4th in the very deep CCS DII. They placed 3rd last year and
they also feature a great senior leader and a good supporting cast.
Carlmont comes in ranked 2nd in CCS DI and placed 13th in State last
year. They feature the best individual threat of the top teams and another
couple of aces. Last year they ran the 4th fastest team time at Earlybird!
St. Ignatius comes in ranked 2nd in CCS in DIII and also has an ace
up their sleeve. Aptos is the defending state champs in DII! They graduated
some great seniors but we feel that they’re under-ranked at 7th
in CCS DII. They are the 2nd fastest team ever at Earlybird and last
year set the Toro Park team record! Harbor was 2nd last year and has
a great trio up-front. They’re ranked 3rd in CCS DIII. Presentation
comes in ranked 4th in CCS DIII with 6 girls under 20:50. Salinas knows
Toro well and comes in ranked 3rd in CCS DI. Willow Glen comes in ranked
7th in CCS DIII. North Monterey County has what may be their best team
in years and should be excited to challenge as hosts with 5 girls around
20:00. They’re ranked 9th in CCS DIII. Madera always has a good
showing and has a nice group back. Los Altos has a nice pack ranked
8th in CCS DII. Las Lomas is currently ranked 6th in NCS DIII.
The race for top individual girl honors could be fierce as we have on
hand what may be the best sophomore class in the state! Ladies and gentlemen,
we have THREE CCS Cross Country Champs plus the CCS 3200 Champ on hand
to do battle here. If that’s not enough, one is the Earlybird
meet record holder! Katy Daly (10-St. Ignatius) shocked everyone last
year running in the frosh/soph race and blazing an 18:03!! Her time
tied her with Ciari Viehweg, also from St. Ignatius, for the meet record!
She won CCS DIII and also ran a fine 5:02 1600 in track. And, guess
what? She’s not our pre-meet favorite! That designation goes to
Hayley Pascale (10-Carlmont). Last year she was 2nd to Katy running
18:51, good for 9th fastest ever at Earlybird. After winning CCS DI
last year, she fell off the radar opting not to run track in the spring
but will storm back this fall. She blazed a 10:42 2 mile at an all comers
meet and is ranked 13th in state DI. Jennifer Bergmann (10-Valley Christian)
had the fastest time of all divisions in winning CCS DIV last year with
an incredible 17:53 and added a fantastic 10:58 3200 this spring. She
had the highest placing at state last year with a fine 4th place. She
could win the whole thing! Christina Barrientos (11-Harbor) continues
to carry on the family name and should not be counted out! She’s
the defending CCS 3200 Champ with a fantastic 10:58! Poppy Lawman (10-Valley
Christian) blazed a 2:12 800 and a 5:03 1600 and will try to work with
Jen here. The veteran Renisha Robinson (12-Mitty) returns with experience
on her side to upset the young crew! Last year she was 3rd at 18:55
and her exploits on the track are well known including her recent 7th
place in state! How’s a 2:11 800 and a 5:01 1600 sound? The young
group better keep the pace honest! Stephanie Barnett (10-Leland) ran
a fine 18:52 at state last year and is ranked 9th in state in DII! Justine
Fedronic (10-Carlmont) impressed with a 2:10 800 and a 5th place at
the State Meet! The trio of Jean Feng (10-Monta Vista), with a fantastic
11:06 3200, Lisa Worsham (12-Monta Vista), & Angela Hsu (12-Monta
Vista) will work together and try to lead their team to victory! Tandems
to keep an eye on will be teammates Katie Jacobsen (10-Aptos) &
Amy Schnittger (11-Aptos), Kristen Anderson (11-Harbor) & Hannah
Feldman (11-Harbor), and sisters Thea Lee (12-Carmel) & Annasophie
Lee (10-Carmel). Arely Marquez (12-Yerba Buena), Katie Wallace (12-Presentation),
Caitlin Russell (12-Los Altos), Kelsey Johnson (10-Santa Cruz), Shannon
McVannel (Salinas), Alex Bell (Salinas), Samantha Smiley (11-Notre Dame-Belmont),
Tandisha Nious-Flor (12-Madera), Priya Pappu (10-The King’s Academy),
Mary Rhoades (11-Carlmont), and Katie Nast (10-Saratoga) will also shoot
for top medals! And, watch for the unknown freshman girls making their
debuts!!
The BOYS will put on a show with the highest quality field ever assembled
at Earlybird! Many state and section ranked teams & individuals
highlight the meet. If that’s not enough, how about a CCS preview?
8 out of the top 10 ranked CCS teams are here! For the boys, races will
be run in grade levels but the top five times will be combined to score
the meet.
2002 Champs? Madera. 2003 Champs? Madera. 2004 Champs? Madera. 2005
Champs? Madera. 2006 Champs? Well, you get the point! Last year, in
a “re-building” year, Madera blazed an 81:11 to set the
Earlybird team record! Now, with their veteran squad, they’ll
set their sights on the Toro Park course record of 81:10 set by North
Monterey County in 2003. We think it’s in serious jeopardy! They
feature an amazing pack of 4-5 aces that have the ability to flirt with
the elite 16:00 barrier at Toro. They’re ranked 9th overall in
all of California! Los Gatos comes in as the top CCS representative
with their overall #1 ranking and could be the squad that also poses
a great challenge to the Toro record and to the Madera crew! They’re
ranked 3rd in State DII and feature the best front-runner in the field.
They also placed 3rd in state and ran the 5th fastest time ever at Earlybird
last year. Carlmont comes in as the top DI CCS representative and could
challenge Madera & Los Gatos if their team depth has improved. They
feature great front-running and are ranked 7th in State DI. Aptos features
what may be the best young class in the state and should fare very well
with experience gained last year and their track development. They’re
currently ranked 10th in State and 3rd in CCS DII. Willow Glen comes
in ranked 1st in CCS & 4th in State DIII! They feature what may
be the best 1-2 punch in the state! They blazed an 82:27 last year for
2nd All-Time! If their team depth has improved, they could shock everyone!
St. Ignatius comes in after a fine 5th place in state in 2005 and is
ranked 7th in state and 2nd in CCS DIII and should challenge for a top
5 placing here. Host North Monterey County returns the bulk of their
2005 squad and the experience should serve them well here. They’re
ranked 4th in CCS DIII. They hold the Toro Park course record (81:10)
and are the 2nd fastest team ever at Earlybird! San Benito returns their
great leaders and is ranked 2nd in CCS DI. Bellarmine is building back
their great tradition and is ranked 3rd in CCS DI. Other squads to keep
an eye on include Carmel ranked 2nd in CCS DIV, Serra ranked 4th in
CCS DII, Las Lomas ranked 6th in NCS DIII, Los Altos ranked 6th in CCS
DII, Monta Vista ranked 5th in CCS DI, Gilroy ranked 8th in CCS DI,
& Palma ranked 3rd in CCS DIV.
In the senior boys’ race, all eyes will be on Matthew Petrillo
(Los Gatos), the defending CCS DII Champ! He has made Earlybird his
playground the last couple of years with some of the most impressive
wins in meet history. As a sophomore he ran a great 16:02 for the class
win. Last year he raced a 15:32 good for a new class record and 3rd
fastest all time! 2006 should provide much excitement as he takes a
shot at bettering his own Toro course record of 15:21 that he set in
2005 and shares with Jeremy Mineau (Menlo Atherton). We know he’s
fit with a fine 15:16 open 5k on the track recently and a 4:22 1600
in track! If Petrillo slips, there are 4-5 guys that could win the whole
thing! Leading the challenge will be Marcos Corona (Willow Glen). He
was only 3 seconds back of Petrillo last year and had a fantastic fall
season. Unfortunately, he was stepped on and injured in a race at Stanford
during track. He’ll return with a vengeance and comes in ranked
3rd in State DIII! Matt Snyder (St. Ignatius) comes in ranked 5th in
State DIII and ran a fine 15:59 last year at Woodward. Team running
will be on display with the fine trio of Rocky Richardson (Madera),
Vicente Velarde (Madera), and Eder Marcial (Madera). Rocky comes in
ranked 13th in State DI and blazed a 1:52 800 in the spring so the leaders
better keep the pace honest! Rigo Vasquez (San Benito) placed 3rd last
year and knows Toro Park very well, keep an eye on him! Greg Surh (Carlmont)
is one half of a brother combo that should impress today. Other contenders
are Alec Nickolls (Los Altos) with a 4:24 1600, Nick Palladino (Carlmont)
the top ranked half-miler in CCS at 1:54, Eric Baum (Bellarmine) with
a 4:26 1600, Samson Galato (Willow Glen), Brad Jacobs (Saratoga) &
Humberto Pineda (Gilroy). Also watch for pack running with teammates
Jimmy Jatho (Los Gatos), Andy Burich (Los Gatos) & Jon Berthet (Los
Gatos). In the senior team battle, look for a match-up that could go
down as the best team race in Earlybird history! Last year Los Gatos
edged Madera 54-55 and 3rd was left in the dust with 207 pts.! Look
for these two teams to have a classic team cross country battle as Los
Gatos has a great veteran crew complimenting their ace and Madera features
not only one, but several aces! Bellarmine, Serra, and Los Altos look
to be fighting for a distant 3rd.
The junior boys’ race will feature the #1 ranked harrier and the
top returnee in State DIII! Mohammed Abdalla (Willow Glen) blazed a
15:40 last year at Earlybird and with some help could challenge the
Toro Park course record of 15:21! He ran a fine 4:20 1600 and a 9:22
3200 in the spring so he’ll be read to go! Brad Surh (Carlmont),
the other half of the brother combination, has emerged as a top runner
and is ranked 15th in State DI! He ran a great 16:02 last year at Earlybird
and may help lead a group in the 16:00 range here. If there are a couple
of sleepers it could be teammates Isai Orea (Madera) and Javier Sanchez
(Madera). They’ve worked hard over the summer and should be in
the mix! Greg Droskey (Las Lomas) ran a 9:32 3200, Michael Landry (Santa
Cruz) ran a 9:35, and Walter Mayeda (Aptos) went 9:39, they could challenge.
Dane Sawyer (Los Gatos) could also be a nice surprise. Teammates Antonio
Dorado (North Monterey County), Michael Machado (North Monterey County),
and Manuel Esparza (North Monterey County) should represent the host
school well. Cole Jones (Serra), Michael Johnson (Los Gatos), Kindu
Ejigu (Santa Clara), and Austin Logie (Carlmont) have improved tremendously
and will be seeking medals here. The junior team race could be the closest
of the day. Last year 11 points separated Los Gatos, Serra, and North
Monterey County. All three squads are back shooting for the 1st place
plaque!
In the sophomore boys’ race we could see a new cross country star
in the making! Rylan Hunt (Aptos) sent shockwaves through the running
community with his fabulous freshman track times. He blazed a 1:55 800,
4:18 1600, and a 9:28 3200! He had a somewhat low key freshman cross
country campaign so he could make Earlybird his coming out party. Jesse
Arellano (Madera) would like nothing else than to spoil the party. He
had a fantastic freshman fall season and destroyed the Earlybird freshman
record by 21 seconds with a fantastic 16:21! Too bad there is no water
or bikes at Earlybird for nationally ranked tri-athlete Lance Wolfsmith
(Sobrato)! He also ran a fine 9:41 3200 and is ranked 12th in state
DIII! Dane Gradone (Aptos) will benefit from having Rylan along and
could challenge here. Michael Jamieson (Las Lomas) returns after a nice
4:35 mile last year. The tandem of Jake Arveson (Monterey) & James
Caress (Monterey) could work together for a medal. Also keep an eye
on Jose Flores (Pajaro Valley), Greg Innes (St. Ignatius), Adrian Rodriguez
(San Benito), Hank Morrison (Carmel), Alexis Romero (North Monterey
County), & Chris Pedro (Carlmont). The sophomore team battle will
be fierce with Madera, St. Ignatius, San Benito, Las Lomas & Monterey
in the mix!
The freshmen boys are always the great mystery. Please don’t go
the wrong way!
Since the meet has moved to Toro, all race winners will have brand new
meet records, plus, we’ll keep an eye on the clock and see the
Toro Park record books take some major hits! Jeremy Mineau (Menlo Atherton-2002)
and Matthew Petrillo (Los Gatos-2005) share the boys’ record at
15:21. We think there are 2-3 guys in the field that could challenge
that today, including Petrillo himself! The boys will have to dip under
15:55 to make the all-time top 25 list. We’re looking at 8-10
guys that could do that this weekend! Tori Tyler (Gunn-2004) blazed
a 17:16 and threw down a mark that will be hard to challenge this year.
#2 on the all-time Toro list is 17:53! To make the top 25, the girls
will have to run 18:50. We’re looking at 10-12 girls that could
do that here!
As far as team time records are concerned, North Monterey County’s
boys ran a course record 81:10 for their scoring 5 back in 2003. We
think that Madera, Los Gatos, & Carlmont could take that record
down with some great efforts! Aptos & Willow Glen could also challenge
if their team depth has improved. The girls’ team time record
of 96:57 set by Aptos last year on their way to a state title seems
within reach of the Monta Vista crew if they come ready to run! Watch
the clock! Good luck to all and we hope you enjoy the meet!
2006 EARLYBIRD WILL BE THE BEST EVER, GUARANTEED!
Visit our meet website for complete coverage! http://nmcxc.tripod.com/
Schools Entered
Alisal
Aptos
Bellarmine
Carlmont
Carmel
Escalon
Everett Alvarez
Evergreen Valley
Gilroy
Harbor
Hillsdale
James Lick
King City
Las Lomas
Leland
Los Altos
Los Gatos
Madera
Menlo Atherton
Mitty
Monta Vista
Monte Vista Christian
Monterey
North Monterey County
Notre Dame-Belmont
Notre Dame-Salinas
Notre Dame-San Jose
Pacific Collegiate
Pajaro Valley
Palma
Piedmont Hills
Pioneer
Presentation
Sacred Heart Prep
Saint Francis CC
Salinas
San Benito
San Jose Academy
San Mateo
Santa Clara
Santa Cruz
Santa Teresa
Saratoga
Seaside
Serra
Silver Creek
Sobrato
St. Ignatius
The King's Academy
Valley Christian-SJ
WC Overfelt
Wilcox
Willow Glen
Yerba Buena
York
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