Evening Cross Country 'Under the Lights' in Reno
Spots still open in HS Section

  
photos by Joe Hartman
Chris Romo - Cameron Mitchell - Garrett Seawell
Dynamite Woodcreek crew up front headlines Boys' contest

By Doug Speck
Editor DyeStatCal.com

Friday evening, August 31st, 2007 at Reno's Rancho San Rafael Park a combined College/High School meet will feature "under the lights" action in the mid-evening to kick off the 2007 Fall season.

When asked his reasons for starting the season with such an affair, Nevada (Reno) Coach Kirk Elias responded, "I wanted to create a meet that would be fun for the athletes, allowed them to run in cooler conditions, and that was spectator friendly. I also wanted to provide high school athletes with a bit more exposure to the collegiate scene. With a bit of luck, it can develop into an "event" that kicks off the cross country season."

With the Preps and the Collegiate stars on the course in an intertwined schedule it should be a fun evening with one of the few chances prep athletes have to see those Golden State stars who have moved on to the College ranks, with a good turn-out of Western US Collegiate teams racing. UCLA, UC Davis, Sacramento State, UC Riverside, Humboldt State, the host Nevada squad, Boise State, and Shasta CC are entered as of this time. 

Meet Schedule
7:00pm College/Open Men, TBD (6000/6400/4mile)
7:45pm High school Boys, 4000 meters
8:30pm College/Open Women, 4000 meters
9:15pm High School Girls, 4000 meters

The High School portion of the meet will be a cooker, with some very fine California and Nevada squads in attendance. 

Girls - South Lake Tahoe, one of the West's top programs in recent years, lost on the sixth runner rule in a super 4A team battle with Marie Lawrence's Reno group last Fall in their state title run, with the SLT group returning four from that team, led by Kelsey Smith, individual CC runner-up as a frosh, and 11:03 for 3200m in the State track meet for second again behind Lawrence.  Kate Lambdin and Kylie Noll return from the top fifteen of that State Championship run for South Lake Tahoe.  Demery Kirsch (Reno) was ninth for her team in the State 4A CC race last year and was third in the State Track Meet at 11:05 for 3200m.  Woodcreek returns all its girls from a Sac Joaquin Section sixth place Division II squad in Cross Country.  Kelly McEreney and Katie Holst lead a highly thought of Christian Brothers (Sacramento) squad.  Sara Howard is a California State Division II runner-up for Colfax. 

Boys - Woodcreek (Rosevell) brings a super Boys' squad also, with six of the top seven back from the eleventh place Statewide Division II squad in 2006.  Woodcreek has Chris Romo, who was twelfth in State D2 last year in CC, with a 9:54 3200 from track, with Cameron Mitchell shining in the spring at 1:56.95 (800)-4:19.21 (1600) as did Garrett Seawell (4:29.05-9:35.35) and Taja Handa (4:28.54).  Galena (Nv) and its entry brings some dynamite to the top end, with Bryan Tibaduiza from the running family a 4:28-9:33 double in last year's State Track Meet over 1600 and 3200 meters, and Joe Abbott one of the nation's top 800m runners at 1:53.83.  Patrick Henry (San Diego) is a fine California squad, with Adam Rafiee (4:23.23c 1600).  Christian Brothers (Sacramento) brings in the Sac Joaquin's top Division IV squad, led by Jason Howard and Eric Little, top fifteen finishers in the Section meet last Fall.  The race up front should fly!  Brandon Ried (Reno) was 10th in State 4A last fall in Cross-Country in helping lead his team to a sweep of the Boys and Girls titles in Nevada, with George Cook-Cantu (Christian Brothers, Sacramento) Sac Joaquin Division IV runner-up last Fall, and Eric Gutierrez (Stagg, Stockton) 4:29 (1600) and 9:44 (3200) in the spring track season.  Manny Rin and Adrian Gallo are fine individuals from Deer Valley (Antioch) in California's NCS Section. Nathan Chellman (Sage Ridge, Nv) is an interesting watch, as the State 1A-2A CC Champ was also the State 1A 800 (1:59)-1600 (4:24)-3200 (9:57) champ at that level (and oh yeah he was fourth in the 400!).    

Coach Kirk Elias from Nevada has indicated that there are still spots open in the high school portion of the meet, with interested coaches needing to contact him if they are interested. 

Meet Information Link

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