X-COUNTRY AWARDS

Last Thursday was the Downey Cross-Country Award Ceremony in the Downey Cafeteria. All of the members of the team were recognized for their improvements and achievements.

 

Earning "Academic All-MMC" status were Kenji, Seiji, Andrew O, Nick, Pierson, and Bryce for the boys. On the girls team Mai, Karena, Araceli, Rory, Abby, Sierra, Natalie, and Ana were recognized.

Six Downey runners were "All-MMC" and earned the first ever awarded light blue D's for this honor. 1st team all-league runners were Sierra and Andrew O. Represented on the second team were Natalie and Pierson. Honorable Mention were Guadalupe and Rocio.

Plaques were awarded to the four boys and four girls who the team and the coaches believed deserved the greatest recognition for their improvements, efforts, and achievements this season.

MOST IMPROVED F/S BOY: ALFONSO URBANO  

COACHES AWARD: KENJI SOARES
BLUE KNIGHT AWARD: ERNESTO LIMON

MOST VALUABLE RUNNER: ANDREW OSGOOD

 

MOST IMPROVED VARSITY GIRL: ABBY HOMAN
COACHES AWARD: ROCIO RAMIREZ-CASTRO
MOST INSPIRATIONAL: NATALIE FRANCO
MOST VALUABLE RUNNER: SIERRA DURHAM



The evening was a nice culmination to a tough but successful season.


LINK TO PICTS OF THE NIGHT'S FESTIVITIES:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=44138&id=1807850130&l=7f9c7ec4d1

 

SJS SECTION RESULTS

Sierra ran in her first SJS championship today and experienced some awesome competition. The plan was for her to get out stronger and faster than she did in last week's sub-section meet and then hang on. She did get out faster, but everyone else must have had the same plan, because she was in about 50th after 800 meters. She moved up a few spots and then seemed to settle in. She would eventually move up to about 40th but was passed by several runners in the final stretch. She finished a tough 43rd place. Her time of 21:02 (5K) cut 24 seconds off of her Bronco time from 3 weeks ago over the same course. To give you a better idea of the level of this year's competition level--her time would have placed her 22nd in last year's SJS meet.

Much thanks to Coach Garrett, Rocio and Katie for making the trip to Folsom to cheer her on.  

Here is a link to the full results:
http://home.surewest.net/zenrider/Web/SJS_Section_XC_2010.htm
Here is a link to some pictures of the D1 races:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43742&id=1807850130&l=5ce6aaa892

 

SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION MEET

And then there was one. Sierra is the last Downey Knight still competing. Her 30th place finish at last Saturday's Sub-section meet qualified her for this week's section championships at Willow Hills in Folsom. She has been steadily improving all season but will need to put aside her fears and really go for it in order to earn a medal in the section meet. GOOD LUCK NUGGET!

CROSS-COUNTRY AWARDS

The awards ceromony for the 2010 Downey Cross-country team will be Thursday, November 18th at 6 pm in the Downey cafeteria. Pizza will be provided. Boys are to bring drinks and girls are to bring desserts. Please contact Mr. Ippolito for more information.

If you have not done so already, please turn in your uniform to Mr. Ippolito or Mr. Garrett ASAP.

WEEK 10--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

This week the varsity runners competed at the sub-sections at Frogtown. The competition was at the highest level we have seen all season, and there were some Knights who rose to the occasion.

DAVID O'BRYAN--moved up to the varsity team for the Sub-Section meet. He took the opportunity very seriously and finished as Downey #3 runner on the day. He had a huge PR and really set the foundation to come back next year as one of the team's leaders.

KATIE SCHEDER--has been nursing a serious injury and has not been able to race for about two months. She knew that we needed her for the sub-section meet, and boy did she deliver. She hung tough the whole race and finished as Downey's #4 runner.

SAC-JOAQUIN SUB-SECTION MEET@FROGTOWN

We took 5 girls and 9 boys to the sub-section meet at Frogtown today. Although the chance of earning a team qualification into the section championships may have been slim, the theme of the day was "building for the future," since every runner we brought should return next year.

The girls were the first up today. And well, they began their race about 20 min early ...they ran the first 800m in the race before theirs--really. Fortunately we saw them and made them stop. They were able to regroup, catch their breath, and run decent races. Sierra would lead the way, placing 30th and earning a spot in next week's section championship. Natalie and Rocio would see-saw back and forth through the entire race and finish within seconds of each other near the middle of the pack. Katie, who hasn't raced in months, would tough out a very solid race. Abby completed the scoring with another great race. As a team they finished 13th out of the 20 full teams. Their combine time of 1:55:55 soundly beat last year's team's time of 2:05:00 by about 9 minutes. GREAT JOB LADIES!
30-Durham 20:24
98-Franco 23:17
100-Ramirez-Castro  23:27 (improved her time on this course by 1:57)
109-Scheder 24:00
127-Homan 24:50

The boys hit the course next. Andrew ran near the back of the lead pack in about 20-30th for the first two miles, and then he seemed to run out of gas. He would still be Downey's first finisher and improve his time on this course by a lot. Pierson ran a strong race, finishing in the middle of the pack. David had a huge effort edging out Guadalupe and Kenji. The rest of the boys all had solid races to build on for next season. As a team they improved 5:16 over their combined time on the same course earlier in the year, and they beat the time of last year's team by 9:20!
60?-Osgood 17:43 (1:11 improvement)
109-Devers 19:24 (0:59 improvement)
134-O'Bryan 20:11 (4:27 improvement)
136-Torres 20:14 (0:02 improvement)
137-K. Soares 20:14 (1:01 improvement)
157-Limon 20:48 (0:26 improvement)
158-Holloway 20:49 (3:48 improvement)
169-Urbano 21:11
172-Bingham 21:16

LINK TO PHOTOS:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43205&id=1807850130&l=d578ff22e9
LINK TO FULL RESULTS:
http://home.surewest.net/zenrider/Web/SJS_Sub-Section_XC_2010.htm

STANISLAUS COUNTY RANKINGS

The new county rankings are out. Sierra moved up slightly on the strength of her strong showing at the MMC championship meet. She hits the list at #5 (up from #7).

On the boys' side Andrew O. is back on the list after sliding off for a couple of weeks. His very solid 17:03 time landed him in the 9th spot in the rankings.

The Downey Boys dropped from the top 5 team list (since they lost to Beyer). Guadalupe will be back on Saturday and the "running knights" will have the opportunity to earn their spot back while going head to head against the rest of the county.

WEEK 9--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

Week nine was the MMC League Championships. The runners leading the way on both the boys' and girls' sides have led the way all year. They both had exceptional races and are the first repeat Runners of the Week this year.

ANDREW OSGOOD--has been Downey's lead runner all year. In the MMC championships his emotions and his fitness finally came together producing his best individual race of the year. He placed 5th, earning 1st team all-MMC status. His time also moved him to the top of the all-time Downey/MMC list.

SIERRA DURHAM--has been the top girl and the leader of the team all year. She is one of only two team members to run in every race this year. In the MMC championships she placed 4th and was with the leaders with only 800m left. She earned 1st team all-MMC recognition. Her time paces her 17th for MMC girls all-time on this course.

We look forward to what these fine young runners are able to do in next week's sub-section meet.

MMC HONORS (updated)

Last year Downey walked away from the MMC championship with only one individual earning any type of league honors. This year was destined to be different.

MMC Varsity Girls 1st team

On the girls' side Sierra's 4th place finish scored her first team all-MMC status. Natalie's 15th place grabbed her the last spot on the MMC second team. I also believe that she was the second freshman to cross the line. Although in the past place 16-22 would be considered as honorable mention, the MMC is no longer doing it in this manner (sorry Karina, Rory and Kenji). Now each team names one individual to the honorable mention list. The Downey coaches chose Rocio for this honor. Prior to being injured she was consistently our #2 runner and surely would have made the 1st or 2nd all-league teams.

 Additionally Sierra's time moved her into 17th place on the all-time MMC girls list for the Legion Park course. Natalie's time moved her into 4th place on the all-time MMC/Legion Park Downey list.



MMC Varsity Boys 1st team

 For the boys' Andrew's 5th place puts him on the MMC first team. His time also moved him to the top of the Downey all-time MMC/Legion Park list. Pierson's 15th place sneaks him in as the last person on the MMC second team. The coaches' selection for honorable mention recognition was Guadalupe. He was consistently our #2 runner and would have likely place on the second all-league team.

Great job to all to TDHS Knights!

MMC FINALS

Yesterday the seven MMC schools met for the last time in the 2010 season to compete for the league championship. With so many injuries from the long, tough season, in many ways we were literally limping into the finish line.

The F/S boys were first up on the course. Because of Guadalupe's injury it was necessary to move Alfonso up to varsity, so the F/S boys were a bit short handed. David led that way with his strongest showing since the early season Sierra Invitational. The entire group of seven F/S boys achieved a PR for their fast efforts.

7. O'Bryan 12:12 (:24 PR)
19. Bingham 12:52 (:35 PR)
25. Garibay 12:59 (:04 PR)
37. Solorzano 13:43 (:09 PR)
39. Freitas 13:46 (:37 PR)
40. Heltne 13:47 (:30 PR)
50. Foreman 14:20 (:30 PR)

Although I don't currently have the scores, I believe that the F/S boys finished 4th out of 7 teams this season in the MMC.

The varsity girls had the next race. With Rocio and Katie both unable to run, and Rory running injured, we weren't fielding our most complete and capable team. None the less, those that toed the line were indeed ready to race. Sierra again led the charge. She was with a very tight pack of the five top girls through 2.5 miles before the faster sprinters broke away. She crossed the line in a photo-finish for 4th place with a huge PR time of 19:46. The sub 20 min mark puts her onto a very exclusive list of only 21 other girls who have broken 20 min on this course in MMC history. She is in the 18th spot. She also improved her time as the #2 all-time Downey XC runner. Natalie also had a big PR, and her time of 21:42 puts her as #4 on the Downey all-time list. Ali and Araceli both scored huge PRs for their efforts today.

4. Durham 19:43 (:35 PR, #18 all-time MMC, #2 all-time TDHS, 1st team all-league)
15. Franco 21:42 (:46 PR, #4 all-time TDHS, 2nd team all-league)
21. Redding 23:19 (:03 PR)
22. Jimenez 23:31
24. Homan 23:43 (:24 PR)
30. Ortiz 25:00
38. Reynolds 25:50 (1:24 PR)
39. Reyes 26:08 (1:06 PR)
43. Flores 26:45 (:46 PR)

Although the girls should finish 3rd in the league once the results from the first three cluster meets are factored in, they finished a somewhat disappointing 4th yesterday: MHS 39, EHS 45, BHS 81, TDHS 83, GDHS 108, JHS 146.

The varsity boys' race concluded the day. Andrew O ran his smartest and toughest race of the season and finished in a strong 5th place. His time of 17:03 was a 34 second PR and moved him to the #1 all-time Downey runner on this course. Pierson missed by 10 seconds breaking into the TDHS all-time top ten runners on this course. Ryan ran a strong race and finished with a big PR. Alfonso survived his first venture into the world of varsity 3 milers. He had a very solid effort to build on for next year.

5. Osgood 17:03 (:34 PR, #1 all-time TDHS, 1st team all-league)
15. Devers 18:43 (:01 PR, 2nd team all-league)
21. K. Soares 19:08 (:12 PR)
24. Holloway 19:39 (:45 PR)
28. Limon 20:09
30. Urbano 20:24
36. S. Soares 20:57
42. Garcia 21:42
48. Nakai  22:58
Like the girls, the boys were not fielding their best team of the year and it showed in the results with their first lose to Beyer this season: MHS 24, GDHS 59, BHS 87, TDHS 90, EHS 103, JHS >123. Their overall placing in league with the cluster meet results should still be 3rd.

LINK TO PICT OF THE MEET:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=42768&id=1807850130&l=a6c2e7abc4
LINK TO COMPLETE RESULTS:
http://rise.espn.go.com/track-and-xc/california/2010-xc/Road-To-State/Sac-Joaquin/Leagues/30-MMC.aspx?pursuit=TrackAndXC

DOWNEY MMC PREVIEW

The Running Knights take to the trails tomorrow for the MMC Championships at Legion Park. The F/S boys and girls will begin at 4pm, varsity girls at 4:30pm, and the varsity boys at 5pm. An awards ceremony will immediately follow the conclusion of the varsity boys' race.

The F/S boys are in 4th place and will likely finish in that position. The varsity girls are in a solid 3rd (they finished 4th last year). The varsity boys are in also in third. It apprears, barring a lightning strike, that all three teams will finish the season in their current positions. Keep in mind that the varsity boys last year were winless, so we are movin' on up. Perhaps even more importantly no member of the varsity boys' or girls' team graduates, so the future is indeed very bright for Downey cross-country.

Several Knights are in the running for individual all-league recognition. Sierra was second team all-league last year. This year she is shooting for first team status (places 1-8). She has been 4th or 5th in all three cluster meets this year, so her chances are very good. Also on the girls' side Karina, Rocio, Natalie, and Rory all have a chance at placing in the 16-22 range and being awarded "honorable mention" all league. Andrew O. is the boys' best chance of earning a top honor. His results have been varied, but if he runs a smart race he could place in the top eight, thus landing on the first team. Pierson and Kenji could place between 9th and 15th and be second team all-MMC. For a team that had only one all-league awardee last year, the possiblities this year are bright indeed.

The biggest challenge of the day may be the weather. It is supposed to rain. This could make the course slow and slippery. Sierra is on the brink of breaking the 20min mark on the Legion course. That would put her in the top female 20 marks on this course all-time. Andrew O. would land on the all-time Downey list with a solid effort tomorrow.

SCHOLAR ATHLETES!

Apparently those running Downey Knights have been working hard in the classroom as well as on the roads and trails. The cumulative 1st quarter GPA for the cross-country team was 3.285. Seventeen of the team members had GPAs at or above 3.5! Those 17 "smarties" in alpha order are Tyler, Pierson, Sierra, Natalie, Emanuel, Abby, Nick, Rory, Ernesto, Bryce, David, Andrew O., Rocio, Karina, Ali, Seiji, and Mai. Great job team, and always remember that your good grades will take you farther than you could ever possibly run.

WEEK 8--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

Week 8 was an off week, no races. Many athletes are nursing injuries and we are beginning to gear down as we prepare for the last two meets and enter the championship phase of the season. The coaches look at this week as the perfect opportunity to recognized the season's hard work and efforts of a couple of our runners. These three athletes exemplify what cross-country is all about. There is no glory in our sport; no cameras, no crowds, there is only the self satisfaction that comes with hours of hard work.

TYLER BINGHAM--joined the team late and has been nursing an old football injury all season, however he never complains. He grits his teeth and runs through the pain. He is a solid and positive influence on the entire team. His hard work day in and out serves as a model for everyone else.

JACOB FOREMAN--is deaf, but he doesn't let that hinder him in life or in cross-country. He began the year unable to run a mile without stopping. His hard work, effort, and intense competitive spirit has earned him the respect of the entire team.

ARACELI REYES--what Araceli lacks in natural talent she makes up for in grit and determination. She is never slacking off. Her perseverance is inspirational as she is pushing and working as hard as the front runners.

WEEK 7--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

This week included the MMC Cluster meet #3 and the Bella Vista Bronco Invitational in Folsom. There were some excellant performances and some signs of fatigue from a long hot two months of tough workouts. A couple of runners have risen out of the dust and deserve recognition for their superior efforts.

NATALIE FRANCO--came back to finish the Bella Vista Bronco Inv. as the #2 TDHS runner and the #11 runner for Stanislaus County just two weeks after breaking her nose and cheek bone. She is always smiling which masks what a tough competitor she is.

ANDREW HELTNE--Bubba as he is affectionately known by the team improved his 2 mi time in the most recent MMC Cluster #3 by a whopping 1:38 seconds. Andrew has a great attitude and work ethic.

BELLA VISTA BRONCO INVITATIONAL

A skeleton crew of Downey runners traveled to Folsom today for the Bella Vista Bronco Invitational. This was a HUGE meet that included runners from 47 large schools from Visalia to Reno to Redding and another 48 small schools. We were barely fielding full scoring teams (5 boys and 5 girls). With the difficulty of the course and the competition, it is important to note that attending this high powered meet was a step in planning the competitive future of our very young teams. This is the course that the Sac-Joaquin Section meet is held on. If we are going to have aspirations of qualifying for the section meet next year, we must be familiar and prepared for this course and this environment.

The varsity girls were first up on the 5K double circuit course. There were 205 runners in the field. The entire field had to funnel into a 6 ft wide path a mere 200m into the race. Sierra started a bit too slowly and was struggling to find space to move up for the first mile of the race (a learning experience to be sure). She would ultimately and gradually move forward to finish in the top quarter of the massive field at 43rd place. Sierra's time of 21:26 would have placed her 30th in last year's section championships and was an improvement of 1:27 over her time on the same course 6 weeks ago. Natalie who broke her nose and cheek bone barely two weeks ago had a solid return effort finishing 117th. The trio of Karina, Abby, and Rory all had good efforts on a tough course that they had never run on before. Abby nipped Rory at the line for bragging rights. As a team they were sorely missing Rocio. They still finished 19th out of the 23 scoring schools.

43. Durham 21:26 (improvement of 1:27 on this course)
117. Franco 23:39
142. Redding 24:39
147. Homan 24:56.4
148. Jimenez 24:56.8

The boys took on the dusty, hilly course next. This group was even larger, 252 runners. Andrew went out under control and look good for the first two miles. For runners from our county he was in second and in about 35th to 40th overall. Then he said he just had nothing left in his legs for the final mile. He eventually dropped to 66th. Pierson, Guadalupe and Kenji spent much of the middle part of the race close to each other in about 140th-150th. Just prior to the 2 mi mark Guadalupe turned his ankle. He bravely tried to continue, not wanting to let his team down, but his day was over. He is such a tough competitor that it broke my heart to pull him out of the race. The other four Knights pressed on over the difficult course. Kenji's 20:19 was a 38 second improvement over what he ran on the same course six weeks ago.

66. Osgood 18:29
141. Devers 19:50
160. Soares 20:19 (improvement of 0:38 on this course)
187. Limon 21:12

LINK OF COMPLETE RESULTS:
http://bvtrack.com/2010BVICCresults.htm

LINK FOR PHOTOS OF THE MEET:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41567&id=1807850130&l=4e166374e2

MMC CLUSTER MEET #3

Today was the "rumble by the river" as the seven MMC schools hooked up for the third time this year.

The F/S boys were the first Downey runners to take on the Legion loop course. David led the Downey youngsters for most of the race. On the third loop Alfonso and Tyler had closed the gap with David. Down the stretch, Alfonso pulled away from David to be Downey's top finisher. Andrew H. had a huge improvement from two weeks ago as did Jacob. There were 61 runners.

18. Urbano 13:15
19. O'Bryan 13:19
25. Bingham 13:21
33. Solorzano 13:52
38. Heltne 14:17 (1:38 improvement)
40. Freitas 14:23
47. Foreman 14:50 (1:04 improvement)

The short-handed varsity girls (missing Katie and Natalie) were first up on the full three loop, 3.03 mi course. Sierra went out strong. Roccio was in good position. Karina and Rory were next in the pack of girls. As the race progressed the gap between Sierra and Roccio grew as did the gap between Karina and Rory. Abby would eventually move up on the ailing Rory and nearly catch her at the line. Most of the girls would improve their times from 2 weeks ago, with Yaneli, Araceli, Aly, Sierra, and Abby all jumping more than 30 seconds. Sierra's time moved her to #2 on the all-time Downey list and Roccio moved into #7 on the same list. There were 46 total runners.

4. Durham 20:18 (:33 improvement)
13. Ramirez-Castro 22:10
20. Redding 23:11 (:11 improvement)
22. Jimenez 24:07
23. Homan 24:07 (:30 improvement)
26. Ortiz 24:24 (:48 improvement)
32. Urbano 26:38
33. Reynolds 26:39 (:41 improvement)
34. Williams 27:14 (:06 improvement)
35. Reyes 27:14 (:44 improvement)

The varsity boys were the final group up on the course. They learned only minutes before the meet that Andrew O. was ill and wouldn't race today. This was a real blow to their hopes of picking off Grace Davis and finishing second in the team standings. Pierson led the charge on the first loop. He went out WAY WAY too fast and would be swallowed up by a mass of cruising MoHi runners. Guadalupe and Kenji would catch Pierson after two loops, and the three of them would run much of the final circuit together.  Ernesto seemed to be making a move up on the second loop, however by the end of the third cycle he faded badly and Ryan passed him and pulled away over the final 800 meters. Kenji and Ryan were the only two boys who improved their times from Cluster #2.

12. G. Torres 19:13
13. Devers 19:15
15. K. Soares 19:20 (:07 improvement)
25. Holloway 20:18 (:06 improvement)
28. Limon 20:41
36. Ippolito 22:38
48. Nakai 27:17

LINK TO PICTURES:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41403&id=1807850130&l=1961931a78

 

WEEK 6--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

Honestly, this is my favorite post each week. It is our opportunity, as coaches, to honor and recognizes those athletes that are working hard every day and seeing those positive results in their races.

KENJI SOARES--This is long over due recognition. Kenji was there for those hot summer workouts. Kenji was there...well heck, he is always there. He works hard every day in every workout. He runs with both heart and passion. He leads by example. Kenji does whatever he is asked, he is a coaches dream. At this weeks Castro Valley Invitational, Kenji was Downey's second fastest varsity runner.

KARINA REDDING--Karina has been the number 3 or 4 girl on the varsity team all season. After a mid-season bit of self-doubt, she is finding her confidence again. She ran with real heart this week in the hills at Castro Valley. She placed 28th overall out of 128. She was the 3rd Downey finisher. She improved her time from the same meet last year by 40 seconds.

CASTRO VALLEY TROJAN INVITATIONAL

A good portion of the team travelled to Castro Valley yesterday for the Trojan Invitational. The course was in excellant shape and the weather was sunning and warm (but not hot).

The first race of the day belonged to the coaches. Our very own Coach Soares tried his hand (er legs) at the rugged hills of the Canyon Middle School course. Although he was obviously suffering from a couple weeks of limited workouts, he ran respectably in the middle of the pack. He complete the 2.1 miles in 16:11 and finished 19th out of 31.

Our next group up on the course was the F/S girls. The four girls began somewhat conservatively and attacked the course as other girls were walking from going out too fast. Sierra finished a very strong 6th place (52 sec faster than she ran on this course last year). Roccio crossed the line in 19th, giving Downey two medal winners. Karina also also had a big improvement from last year (40 sec), and Abby looked very strong crossing the line in 41st place out of the 128 finishers.
6-Durham 14:56.2 (last year 15:48)
19-Ramirez-Castro 15:55.1
28-Redding 16:38.3 (last year 17:18)
41-Homan 17:13.8

The F/S boys ran next. Pierson had an opportunity to run in his true age division, and he took full advantage of it by finishing 25th out of 177 in a very strong field. Emanuel was Downey second finisher, and he had a huge (1:47) improvement over last year's time here.
25-Devers 13:18
84-Garibay 14:46 (16:33 last year)
93-Bingham 15:02
113-A. Urbano 15:35
137-Solorzano 16:25
142-Heltne 16:38
154-Foreman 17:17

In the Varsity Boys' race we had 4 runners. Andrew O., who probably has gone out too fast in his last couple of races, began a bit more under control. Much like the F/S girls, he was able to pass many runners in the tougher, later stages of the race. He finished a very strong and respectable 20th place. Ernesto caught Kenji on the last major hill, but Kenji would show his determination as he battled back over the final 1/2 mile to beat Ernesto. There were 118 runners.
20-Osgood 18:12
90-K. Soares 21:07.7
92-Limon 21:12.9
95-Holloway 21:48.7

The JV girls was the final race of the day that Downey participated in. Reyna led the group from Downey acroos the line. Aly improved her time from last year by 1:12. There were 52 runners
33-R Urbano 19:19.7
38-Reynolds 19:53.8 (21:06 last year)
52-Mora 22:57.9

HERE IS THE LINK TO PICTURES OF THE RACE:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41136&id=1807850130&l=b3266e37d5
LINK TO FULL RESULTS:
http://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Results/Meet.aspx?Meet=32185#922

NEW COUNTY RANKINGS

The DOWNEY VARSITY BOYS broke into the Stanislaus County rankings today at #5 this week. Last Saturday they beat both Pitman and Turlock at Frogtown. They finished third at each of the last two cluster meets. They are a young team and the best is still in front of them. This ranking is a HUGE step for a team that didn't beat a single MMC school last year. Go Big Blue!

In the Stanislaus County individual Varsity Girls rankings, SIERRA DURHAM came in at #7. She had a tough week.  She started by falling during the Frogtown race. Then she finished 4th at the MMC cluster meet in a gutsy race that had her out racing Modesto's Lizzy Lehn (who she had never beaten before). Three days later, at the Pacific Tiger Invitational she lost to her own team mate, ROCIO RAMIREZ-CASTRO, who nipped her at the line.

ROCIO RAMIREZ-CASTRO is unranked but also mentioned in the rankings as someone to watch. She had a mixed week. At Wednesday's Cluster Meet #2 she had a slightly off day, finishing 9th. She came back Saturday with a very strong performance at the Pacific Tiger Invitational, placing 10th and beating her teammate, Sierra, at the line.

For the link to the complete rankings: http://runninruben.blogspot.com/

WEEK 5--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

This week has been a busy one. We ended last week with the draining all-day venture to Frogtown. At mid-week we suffered through a very hot day and the MMC cluster meet #2. Then some of the team traveled to Stockton for the Pacific Tiger Invitational to close out the week. Given all of this there were some superior performances and perhaps the most difficult decesion yet for the Runners of the Week.

RORY JIMENEZ--had a great week. She placed 19th overall at Wednesday's MMC cluster meet. She was Downey's 5th finisher. She is currently the third frosh girl in the league. She PRed by 0:21. She also placed 28th at the Pacific Tiger Invitational. She was the 4th frosh finisher in the varsity race. Rory is juggling both band and cross-country. She has a strong work ethic.

PIERSON DEVERS--also had a huge week. He placed 12th (second for TDHS) in the varsity division at the MMC cluster meet. He PRed in that meet by 1:03. He also placed 27th in the varsity race at the Pacific Tiger Invitational in Stockton. Pierson has brought both humor and strength to the varsity boys team.

PACIFIC TIGER INVITATIONAL

While most of the team took the weekend off after a hot and exhausting week of workouts and racing, six Downey Knights were up for more and ventured to UOP/Stockton for the Pacific Tiger Invitational. Sierra, Rocio, Rory, Aly, Pierson, and Kenji made the trip. The girls (all running varsity) were first up on the surprisingly hilly and difficult 5K course. Rocio got out well from the start in about 15th. Sierra was dealing with some hamstring tightness and was struggling in about 22nd. Rory was in about the middle of the pack when they all rounded the stadium in for the first set of hills. They then left the stadium hills and moved down onto the levee behind the school. Rocio and Sierra began to gradually move up on some of the other runners. Aly was toward the back of the pack but was beginning to pass several runners who had apparently gone out too fast. Sierra would finally catch Rocio on the final hill with about 400m left. The two of them would battle to the very finish. Rocio finished a strong 10th and Sierra placed 11th (both with the same time). Aly took a wrong turn along the course (at about 2.5 mi). She eventually knew that she was off the course, but she was unsure where it happened. She decided to just stop and call it a day. Rory finished strong and was the 4th frosh to cross the line.

10-Ramirez-Castro 21:58
11-Durham 21:58 (Sierra's first loss to another TDHS girl in almost a year...way to go ROCIO!)
28-Jimenez 24:00
DNF-Reynolds

The duo of Downey boys were next up on the course. The field include two very tough, highly rated teams (Chico and Franklin of Elk Grove). Both boys struggle for most of the race in the middle of the pack. Pierson ran in 25th to 35th most of the race. Kenji was about six places back of that. Upon entering the stadium the second time, the runners were susposed to loop the stands and then cross over the slower runners entering the stadium as the faster runners exited the stadium. It was a bit confusing, especially in the last 1/2 mile of a 5K race. While Pierson was on the stadium loop, Kenji entered the stadium. He got caught in the flow of the faster runners who were leaving the stadium. He left the stadium without looping it. He jumped from about 30th to 7th in the blink of the eye. I immediately stopped him and sent him back to go around the stadium (aly you're not the only one who got confused). However by this point, he had lost several places and all of his momentum. He would still push, and all things considered, run a fairly solid 5k time.

21-Devers 19:20
46-Soares 20:42

LINK TO TOTAL RESULTS:
http://home.surewest.net/zenrider/Web/Index.html
LINK TO PICT OF THE MEET:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40664&id=1807850130&l=82fc049a4a

We were back at the school by 11:30AM and another good Downey performance was in the books. Next Saturday is Castro Valley (10/9). We will leave school @ 7am.

MMC CLUSTER MEET #2

The seven MMC schools hooked up again for Cluster Meet #2 yesterday in a very warm East La Loma Park and the Downey Knights represented!

The F/S were the first TDHS runners to try the course. This was a slightly parred down group as many of the top sophs had been moved up to varsity. Alfonso led the way with a very strong 12:52 time over the fast 2 mile course.
11-Urbano 12:52 (1:15 improvement)
15-Garibay 13:03 (:23 improvement)
31-O'Bryan 13:44
41-Freitas 14:04 (:18 improvement)
42-Solorzano 14:07
60-Foreman 15:54 (2:03 improvement)
61-Heltne 15:55

The varsity girls were first up on the full 3 mile double figure 8 circuit. They were once again led by Sierra and Rocio who both placed in the top ten. Karina had a strong race placing 16th. Natalie and Rory cracked the top 20 allowing the team to maintain the third spot in league.
4-Durham 20:51 (:19 improvement)
9-Ramirez-Castro 22:10
16-Redding 23:22 (:40 improvement)
18-Franco 23:28 (:05 improvement)
19-Jimenez 23:30 (:21 improvement)
23-Homan 23:28 (:56 improvement)
27-Ortiz 24:59 (1:21 improvement)
29-Urbano 26:10 (3:32 improvement)
32-Reynolds 27:20 (1:16 improvement)
33-Flores 27:31 (2:13 improvement)
34-Williams 27:49 (big improvement)
36-Reyes 27:58 (:20 improvement)
45-Mora 32:50 (1:02 improvement)

The varsity boys closed out the day. Andrew went out way too fast but was still able to hang on for 7th place overall. Pierson, Guadalupe, and Kenji all placed in the top twenty. The boys also placed third, being nosed out for second by a scant two points to Grace Davis.
7-Osgood 17:50
12-Devers 18:44 (1:03 improvement)
14-Torres 19:00 (:44 improvement)
18-K Soares 19:27 (:32 improvement)
25-Limon 20:22
26-Holloway 20:24 (1:39 improvement)
30-S Soares 20:49 (:34 improvement)
33-Ippolito 21:25 (:38 improvement)
37-Bingham 21:42
39-Garcia 22:53
41-Nakai 23:38 (1:25 improvement)
50-Orozco 27:14 (:43 improvement)

LINK TO PICTS OF THE MEET:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40512&id=1807850130&l=593536fa20

WEEK 4--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

The only meet we had this week was Frogtown. So of the runners this week were lucky to just survive the course, but a few cashed in with superior performances.

ABBY HOMAN--was Downey's only runner in the Frosh race. She placed 19th. She was one of only two Downey runners to win a medal. Abby's slight frame belies her strength and toughness.

ALFONSO URBANO--was the first Downey finisher in the Frosh boy's race. His time would have beaten most of the Downey Soph boys. Alfonso's real value to the team lies in his infectious positive attitude.

FROGTOWN

Most of the Downey runners "survived" the Frogtown course and the very hot conditions--but there were some casualties. We left on the bus at 8:15, got up to the Calaveras County Fairgrounds, and set up our "camp." Then we walked over the course. It was already very hot.

The Frosh boys were the first large school's race. They seemed to have some trouble just finding their way to the starting line on time. Ultimately Alfonso ran a very strong race, finishing 56th with and time of 15:03 over the very hilly 2 mi. course. There were 128 runners.
56-Alfonso 15:03
82-Indika 16:44
91-Andrew H. 17:10

Next up were the Frosh girls. Abby was the only Downey runner in this division. She ran a very strong race. She place 19th, ran 17:58, and earned herself a medal. There were 69 runners.
19-Abby 17:58

The Soph boys took the course next. They ended up finishing in a close pack. There were 185 runners.
98-Nick 14:59
99-Tyler 15:02
101-Seiji 15:03 (ran 16:40 last year on the same course)
118-Francisco 15:31

The JV girls tackled the 2mi course next. Yanelli had a very solid showing covering the 2 mi distance in 18:28 and coming in 14th. There were 71 runners.
14-Yaneli 18:28
40-Mai 20:19
43-Ana 20:53
69-Cynthia 24:50

The varsity girls was the first race in which Downey had a potential scoring team participating. Sierra, Karina, Rocio, Rory, and Reyna would take on the full 5K distance. Sierra was in 22nd at the one mile, entering the major hill section. Coming over the top of the last major hill (at 1.5 miles) she had moved up to 7th. A coach from another team was on the course. As she descended the steepest hill, she had to negotiate around this coach. She lost her footing and in the blink of an eye, her race was over. Rocio, Karina, and Rory were still in solid position. In the later stages of the race Rocio faded, perhaps due to some heat exhaustion) and Karina nearly caught her. There were 158 finishers.
62-Rocio 25:24
67-Karina 25:33
78-Rory 26:19
129-Reyna 30:42
DNF-Sierra

The varsity boys closed out the long day. At race time it was 98F at the starting line and 104F in the hills. Ten Downey boys toed the line in the very large field of 224. After 300m of racing the first 15 runners took a wrong turn (Andrew included). They had to stop, double-back, and attempt to regain their positions. This coupled with the heat and lack of quality distance base miles; made for a very difficult race for Andrew. He would still be the top Downey finisher (38th, 18:54) and 4th for Stanislaus County. Guadalupe and Pierson would run much of the race together as would Kenji and Ernesto. Some of our boys were laughing and yucking it up during the race. I would certainly question their attitude, commitment, and level of seriousness.
38-Andrew 18:54
83-Guadalupe 20:16
89-Pierson 20:23
112-Ernesto 21:44
114-Kenji 21:15
180-Emanuel 24:30
181-Ryan 24:37
182-David 24:38
210-Gabe 26:54
212-Bryce 27:11

The VB comprised Downey's only scoring team of the day. They scored 393 points and placed 13th out of the 31 large schools. The best news of the day was that we beat both Turlock (ranked #4 in the county) and Pitman (ranked #5 in the county). This should enable the boys to crack the top 5 rankings when they come out next. Go Big Blue!

We stopped for pizza on the way home. Everybody knows that teenagers like to eat (and this was no exception). These are the moments that teams are built on.

BELOW IS THE LINK TO THE COMPLETE LARGE SCHOOL RESULTS:
http://www.3forata.com/uploads/LSBHResults.pdf

BELOW IS THE LINK TO PHOTO OF THE DAY:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40261&id=1807850130&l=18bc6a2217

VIDEO OF PIERSON AND SIERRA PRIOR TO THE MEET. (Does Sierra have ESP)
http://www.facebook.com/n/?video%2Fvideo.php&v=1394395620225&mid=30a07efG6bc19a92Gd5258dG1d&n_m=downeyxcandtrack%40yahoo.com

PASTA PARTY INFO

PICTURES AND PASTA

A couple of reminders:
1. Wednesday (9/22) is picture day. Bring your order form and your uniform.
2. Friday (9/24) is the pasta party at Karina's house.
3. Saturday (9/25) is Frogtown. Hills, hils, hills, and we leave EARLY!

Congratulations to Ernesto and Sierra for being named as the team captains by the coaches.

DOWNEY MENTIONED IN WEEKLY RANKINGS!

Two Downey runners made the Top 10 for the county in the "Stanislaus County Cross Country" blog. Sierra Durham comes in this week ranked as #8 in the county. Her strong performance in the MMC Cluster Meet solidified her position. Andrew Osgood (far from in top form) cracked the list at #9 due to his solid effort in the Cluster Meet. The real surprise is that Rocio Ramirez-Castro is mentioned as a "new name on the scene." Her 7th place in the Cluster Meet put the entire county of notice that she is a running force.

Barely missing the team rankings were both the boys' and girls' teams. The boys fresh off of their third place finish in the Cluster Meet, just missed popping into the top five. The girls are mentioned as "the team to watch." They are described as, "A group of young runners that are improving and gaining ground on the top teams in the county." WOOT! WOOT! "Are there any ducks in the house?"

WEEK 3--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

The two runners being recognized for their outstanding achievements during week 3 each had great races during Cluster Meet #1.

ROCIO RAMIREZ-CASTRO--ran a great race at the Cluster Meet. She placed 7th overall (2nd for Downey). She ran 21:50 (a 1:18 improvement from the Sierra Inv) becoming only the third Downey girls' runner to break 22 min for three miles in the past 5 years. Her surprise placing propelled the girls to an upset victory over Grace Davis, and to 3rd place overall in the team standings.

ERNESTO LIMON--placed 15th overall (3rd for Downey) in the most recent Cluster Meet. Ernesto was one of the few boys to improve on his time from the Sierra Inv. He ran 19:45 (for a 28 sec improvement). The coaches feel that Ernesto real strength lies in his positive attitude and team leadership skills.

Great job Rocio and Ernesto. We look forward to seeing your continued growth and success over the rest of the season.

MMC CLUSTER MEET #1

The seven MMC schools met yesterday in the league's first ever cluster meet at Gregori HS. All three Downey teams performed well (we have no F/S girls).

The F/S girls led off the day. Downey's only participant in the race was Jasmine. She covered the 2 mi course in 21:34 and place 46th.

The F/S boys took the field next. They were surprisingly led by Emanuel, who stopped the clock in 13:26 and placed 18th. In the final head to head results they would beat Grace Davis, Enochs, and Johansen.

18. Garibay 13:26
29. O'Bryan 13:56
33. Bingham 14:03
34. Urbano 14:07
38. Freitas 14:22
40. Solorzano 14:25
62. Heltne 16:37

The varsity girlshad the third race of the day. Since there was no JV division 17 Downey girls toed the line. Sierra led the way again with a strong 5th place finish. Rocio was the surprise of the day, improving on her time in the Sierra Inv by over a minute and placing 7th. Many of the girls had PRs and 5 of them placed in the top twenty. In a huge upset they placed 3rd overall (knocking off #5 ranked Grace Davis along with Beyer and JoHo).

5. Durham 21:10 (0:10 improvement)
7. Ramirez-Castro 21:50 (1:18 improvement)
17. Franco 23:32 (0:47 improvement)
19. Scheder 23:42 (0:55 improvement)
20. Jimenez 23:51 (0:50 improvement)
22. Redding 24:02 (0:11 improvement)
29. Homan 25:43 (0:23 improvement)
33. Ortiz 26:33
38. Reyes 28:18
39. Sanchez 28:24
40. Reynolds 28:36
44. Urbano 29:42
45. Flores 29:44
56. Mendoza 32:25
61. Mora 33:52
66. Williams 39:10
67. Ochoa 39:18

67 total runners

The final race of the day was the varsity boys. Andrew led the way finishing 4th eventhough he had been unable to workout for over a week. Guadalupe made the most of his varsity debut by coming in 14th overall (2nd for Downey). Overall the boys placed third beating Beyer, Enochs, and Johansen.

4. Osgood 17:37
14. Torres 19:44
15. Limon 19:45 (0:28 improvement)
16. Devers 19:47 (0:06 improvement)
27. Soares,K 21:05
30. Soares,S 21:23 (0:41 improvement)
38. Ippolito 22:31
39. Holloway 22:31
44. Nakai 25:03
51. Orozco 27:57

54 total runners

LINK TO PHOTOS OF THE MEET:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39578&id=1807850130&l=1242c3c849

Our next meet is Saturady September 25th at Frogtown

WEEK 2--RUNNERS OF THE WEEK

The runners of the week, for week 2, Sierra Invitational, are Guadalupe Torres and Yaneli Ortiz.

YANELI ORTIZ: ran 15:30 for 2 miles and placed 70th in the coed JV race at the Sierra Invitational. She was the first Downey runner to cross the line and receive our only award of the day as one of the top female in the entire JV race.

GUADALUPE TORRES: placed 24th overall in the F/S division at the Sierra Inv. He was Downey's first finisher in that race. His time of 11:42 was a 2:36 improvement over his Intrasquad 2mi time.

Great job to both of you. The coaches look forward to watching your continued progress as a runner.

PRE-RACE PASTA PARTY

Pre-race pasta party at Seiji's and Kenji's house at 6:00 PM on Tuesday 9/14.


Boys bring drinks or desserts.
Girls bring salads or fruits.

Address 2704 Raintree Pl. Modesto (near Scenic and Sonoma)
 
email downeyxcandtrack@yahoo.com for directions
or call Coach Durham @ 537-9317

SIERRA INVITATIONAL--LEGION PARK

The bulk of the Downey runners PRed today. There were over 1200 runners representing 37 schools. The course was fast and the weather was perfect.

The F/S boys started off the day. Guadalupe led the way, finishing 24th and scoring the biggest PR of the day (2:36) over his intrasquad time a few weeks ago. Andrew Heltne also scored a huge PR (2:23). As a team they placed 16th out of 20 teams. There were 233 runners.

We had no girls competing in the F/S race. They all either ran VG or JV.

The VB were up next. The newby Pierson (19:53, 83rd) beat the veterens Kenji (19:59, 88th) and Ernesto (20:13, 96th). As a team they were 20th overall and 8th for the large schools. If Osgood had been able to run they likely would have place 13th overall (and second among Stanislaus County schools). There were 208 runners.

The VG had a strong showing especially considering the team is comprised of 3 sophs and 5 frosh only one of whom has any experience at the 5k distance. Sierra led the way (12th, 21:20) finishing (3rd for the county) just out of the awards. Rocio also had a solid placing (44th, 23:08). The next four girls (Karina, Natalie, Katie, and Rory) were tightly packed for much of the race and finished with in ten palces (77th-87th) and 28 seconds (24:13-24:41) of each other. It was fun to watch them sprint at the end of the race for the team bragging rights. As a team they finished 10th overall with 255 pts and 6th for the large schools. They were the 4th team for Stanislaus County. there were 179 runners.

The coed JV race completed the day. We had no boys in this race. Yaneli led the group finishing 70th overall (15:30). She place for the girls and would be the only Downey award winner of the day. She will runner the varsity 3mi on Wednesday and looks like a real contender to break into our block of young female talent. Araceli, Aly, and Jacqueline all had huge PRs over their intrasquad times. There were 135 runners

Great job knights. Our next race is the MMC Cluster Meet #1 at Gregori this Wednesday.

LINK TO PICTS OF THE MEET:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39308&id=1807850130&l=30910fc4fe

LINK TO INDIVIDUAL RESULTS OF THE MEET:
http://www.3forata.com/uploads/Sierra10Individual.doc

LINK TO TEAM RESULTS OF THE MEET:
http://www.3forata.com/uploads/Sierra10TEAM.doc




Last Name First Name Gr M/F 9/11 Sierra 2mi/5K

Torres Guadalupe 10 M 2mi-11:42 24th F/S boys  (improvment of 2:36 over intrasquad)
O'Bryan David 10 M 2mi-12:36 68th F/S boys  (improvment of 1:57 over intrasquad)
Bingham Tyler 10 M 2mi-13:36137th F/S boys  (improvment of 1:38 over intrasquad)
Solorzeno Francisco 10 M 2mi-13:46 142 F/S boys (improvment of 0:46 over intrasquad)
Ortiz Yaneli 11 F 2mi-15:30 70th JV boys/girls
Heltne Andrew 9 M 2mi-15:32 211th F/S boys  (improvment of 2:23 over intrasquad)
Reyes Araceli 12 F 2mi-16:31 89th JV boys/girls (improvment of 1:24 over intrasquad)
Reynolds Alison 11 F 2mi-16:53 96th JV boys/girls (improvment of 1:51 over intrasquad)
Williams Mai 12 F 2mi-17:18 103rd JV boys/girls  (improvment of 1:24 over intrasquad)
Flores Anairam 11 F 2mi-17:37 107th JV boys/girls
Foreman Jacob 9 M 2mi-17:57 225th F/S boys
Mendoza Mariana 12 F 2mi-18:33 120th JV boys/girls
Mora Cynthia 11 F 2mi-20:06 130th JV boys/girls (improvment of 0:29 over intrasquad)
Martinez Jasmine 9 F 2mi-21:17 132nd JV boys/girls
Ochoa Jacqueline 11 F 2mi-21:50 133rd JV boys/girls (improvment of 2:02 over intrasquad)
Devers Pierson 10 M 5k-19:53 83rd VB
Soares Kenji 11 M 5k-19:59 88th VB
Limon Ernesto 11 M 5k-20:13 96 VB
Durham Sierra 10 F 5k-21:20 12th VG
Ippolito Nick 10 M 5k-22:03 155th VB
Holloway Ryan 11 M 5k-22:03 156th VB
Soares Seiji 10 M 5k-22:04 157th VB
Ramirez-Castro Rocio 10 F 5k-23:08 44th VG
Ayers Chris 11 M 5k-23:54 186th VB
Redding Karina 10 F 5k-24:13 76th VG
Franco Natalie 9 F 5k-24:19 77th VG
Scheder Katherine 9 F 5k-24:37 83rd VG
Jimenez Aurora 9 F 5k-24:41 87 VG
Homan Abby 9 F 5k-26:06 120th VG
Sanchez Jimena 9 F 5k-26:57 129th VG

COUNTY PRESEASON TOP 10 LIST

Sierra Durham came in at #7 on the girls' county preseason XC rankings. I know that Sierra worked very hard in the off season putting in the miles that she would need to reach her goal this year. To read the complete article and rankings:

http://runninruben.blogspot.com/2010/09/girls-county-2010-pre-season-individual.html

Andrew Osgood seems to finally be healthy (knock on wood), and the rest of the county is beginning to take notice. Andrew made the honorable mention section of the boys' county preseason XC rankings. This past Saturday's time would have put him ahead of several of the runners who made the list in last year's section championship meet. Look for him to move up the list as the season progresses. For the full article and rankings:

http://runninruben.blogspot.com/2010/09/boys-county-2010-pre-season-individual.html

ss

LABOR DAY PRACTICE

For those of you who can make it, we will be holding practice on Monday (9/6) at 11 AM. We will meet in the Downey parking lot--SEE YOU THERE! Tuesday is a minimum day at school (for Back to School Night). We WILL have practice after school lets out at about 12:55--meet in the stadium.

Willow Hills Relays--Folsom

Sierra, Andrew and Kenji all performed well at today's Willow Hills Relays. They each ran in the varsity/individual race and not the relay. Andrew looked strong from the start. He was in second place just before the mile. The course makes a sharp "U-turn" and he lost his footing. He went down and rolled. At least one runner was forced to hurdle him. He was uninjured but lost a lot of his momentum. He eventually finished a very respectable 7th place (out of 53) and ran 18:04.61 for 5K on a tough, hilly course. Kenji hung in the middle of the pack, placing 24th and crossing the line in 20:57.8. Sierra finished 4th (and medaled) against the 35 varsity girls (most were in the relay portion). She was able to complete the course in 22:52.59.

It is EARLY in the season BUT, Andrew's time would have placed him 35th in last year's D1 section championship (and what if he hadn't fallen?). Sierra would have placed 51st with her time. No doubt, there is much work still to be done, but today's results are encouraging. GREAT JOB, ALL THREE OF YOU YOU REPRESENTED DOWNEY WELL!

LINK TO PHOTOS OF THE THREESOME IN THE RACE:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35155&id=1807850130&l=5e524c0b85

HERE IS THE LINK TO THE COMPLETE RESULTS:
http://rise.espn.go.com/track-and-xc/california/2010-xc/Results/September/04-Willow-Hills-Relays.aspx

ss

Intra-Squad Results

Below are the results from Friday's Intra-Squad meet. We scored the top 10 runners from each team. The meet was won by the WHITE team with a score of 147 points. The SILVER team finished second with 155 points. The BLUE team compiled 166 points.

LINK to picts of the race and Dry Creek hill workout:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=31113&id=1807850130&l=482ea31532
Plc, Fst Nm, Gr, M/F, Team
1. Andrew O. 10 M 10:48 B
2. Kenji 11 M 12:18 W
3. Ernesto 11 M 12:30 S
4. Pierson 10 M 13:10 S
5. Sierra 10 F 13:17 S
6. Ryan 11 M 13:26 B
7. Nick 10 M 13:30 W
8. Seiji 10 M 13:46 B
9. Rocio 10 F 13:55 W
10. Guadalupe 10 M 14:18 B
11. Gabriel 11 M 14:28 W
12. Francisco 10 M 14:32 S
13. David 10 M 14:33 S
14. Emanuel 10 M 14:37 B
15. Karina 10 F 15:01 W
16. Natalie 9 F 15:07 W
17. Tyler 10 M 15:14 W
18. Katherine 9 F 15:21 S
19. Alfonso 9 M 15:55 W
20. Aurora 9 F 16:04 B
21. Jimena 9 F 16:04 B
22. Bryce 11 M 16:17 S
23. Abby 9 F 16:24 S
24. Jacob 9 M 17:47 W
25. Andrew H. 9 m 17:55 B
26. Araceli 12 F 17:55 S
27. Mason 12 M 18:39 W
28. Mai 12 F 18:42 B
29. Alison 11 F 18:44 W
30. Jocelyn 9 F 19:37 S
31. Cynthia 11 F 20:35 S
32. Jacqueline 11 F 23:52 B
33. Reyna 11 F 24:38 W
34. Mariana 12 F DNF
Chris 11 M DNR
Anairam 11 F DNR
Indika 9 M DNR
Jasmine 9 F DNR
Jorge 11 M DNR
Yaneli 11 F DNR

Intra Squad Teams

The teams for Friday's Intrasquad Meet are as follows:

BLUE:
Andrew O., Ryan, Seiji, Emanuel, Guadalupe, Jimena, Rory, Andrew H, Yanellie, Mai, Ana, Jacqueline, Jasmine

WHITE
Kenji, Nick, Rocio, Gabe, Karina, Natalie, Indika, Alfonso, Reyna, Jacob, Mason, Alii, Mariana, Tyler

SILVER
Ernesto, Sierra, Chris, Francisco, Katie, Bryce, David, Abby, Arecely, George, Cynthia, Jocelyn, Pierson


We will score at least 10 runners from each team. The winning team will receive a cold gatorade and a ride back to school. The loser run back to school.

Friday's Timed Mile Results

Friday's timed mile allowed the coaches to assess the fitness level of everyone on the team. It will also allow the accurate grouping of athletes with similar abilities. There were some encouraging results for the future of the team, especially with the girls where the top eight finishers were all either frosh or sophs. The boy's team also consists of all (but one) non-senior.

BOYS                                 GIRLS
Andrew--5:09                     Sierra--6:10
Kenji--5:49                         Rocio--6:36
Ernesto--6:04                     Karina--7:07
Nick--6:22                         Katie--7:14
Ryan--6:22                         Natalie--7:17
Seiji--6:28                          Jimena--7:47
Chris--6:40                        Rorie--8:10
Francisco--6:44                 Abby--8:21
Gabe--6:49                        Mai--8:44
Emanuel--6:50                    Ana--8:51
Guadalupe--6:51                Cynthia--9:26
Bryce--7:15                        Jocelyn--9:39
Indika--8:11                       Jacqueline--10:37
Mason--9:00                      Jasmine--11:54

The next race is the intrasquad meet on Friday (8/27)--2 miles!
                   

Saturday Practice

Remember we will meet at 7pm Saturday (8/21) at the picnic area in Dry Creek. If you are unable to come, please make sure that you run at least for 45 min either Saturday or Sunday.

FIRST WEEK OF PRACTICE

After losing every member of the 2009 boy's varsity team, all but two members of the girl's varsity team and both coaches...The 2010 Downey XC team is rising from the ashes.

Tony Ippolito has taken on the head coaching assignment with the support of Steve Garrett and the volunteer parent assistants, Dave Soares and Scott Durham.

There are about 30 runners at practice. The practices have been long, hot, dirty, and sweaty. Amazingly, at the end of the day I still see smiles. It is that special satisfaction that comes from accomplishing something that a week ago you might have thought was impossible. I am especially encouraged by the strong freshman girls turn out. There are some talented and tough young ladies out, and I predict by the end of the season they will be rockin' the league. Hopefully they will stay together for all four years and form the nucleus that helps to rebuild the boy's team too.