King High Cross Country 2012 Yearbook - Volume 14 Written by Coach Peters, Coach Peirce and Coach Clendenen Compiled by Coach Peters. ~~ 82 athletes at season’s end Coaches: Brad Peters, Leisha Clendenen, Martin Stevens, Dan Peirce and Jim Griesinger
PURSUING EXCELLENCE: BODY MIND SPIRIT
A Season’s Pursuit of eXCellence: Body, Mind, Spirit
It’s been said that “excellence is only possible in the presence of other people.” If that is true, then there is no better place to pursue it than in the context of a team. Throughout the season of 2012, the team focused on what it would take to achieve excellence in the sport of cross country. During the August, we talked about the importance of being physically fit; the emphasis naturally complemented the training that is done in August. By September, our focus became the mental side of competition. We challenged the athletes to leave their mental “bags” at home, to work on over-anxiety and be mentally tough. By October, all that had been laid in place gave way to the “spirit” of sport ... excellence within the parameters of being good teammates, working for the common good and leading by serving. Did we achieve our goal? Were we “excellent” in “body, mind and spirit?” Perhaps a phone message
we received from a stranger who observed our athletes having lunch after the Clovis Invitational in Fresno gets at an answer. Among other things, he said:
As my girlfriend and I had lunch in Clovis, I wanted to tell you that your cross country team was a fine bunch of individuals, very respectful. I observed their behaviors and manners and absolutely it was a joy to sit amongst them and listen to them talk. They were respectful and not disruptive. These young adults were a very fine bunch of people. While winning league titles or qualifying for CIF is a big measure of sporting excellence, there is really no higher accolade a team can achieve than to be described as our kids were that afternoon. Long after the medals have dulled and the banners have collected dust, what will remain is our character. Did we win with honor and integrity? Did we lose with grace and grit? Did we eat lunch in such a way that it brought others joy? Body, Mind, Spirit. It all comes together and is noticable even when you think no one is wathcing.
VARSITY LETTER EARNERS
Four Year Letter-earners 2009-2012
Brandon Berz, Emma Jaramillo, Raelyn Werley
Third Year Second Year First Year Perry Elerts* Katelyn Fatten Lauren Soholt Lisa Garside *Perry earned a varsity letter his freshman year while running at Calvary Chapel MorenoValley
Joe Casco Nathan Torres Iveth Gutierrez Dalton Seckinger Wes Templeton Aimee Martinez Trevor Berney Robert Sanchez
Alyssa Haring Hannah Johnson Kyle Johnson Rolando Phalen Bayleigh Porter Seth Villanueva Mark Werley Madeline Wrathall
D1 CIF FINALISTS
ACADEMIC ALL-STARS: SCHOLAR ATHLETES 3.5 GPA AND ABOVE
Robert Sanchez is on track to graduate in 2013 as King High’s Valedictorian. Varsity athlete, club leader, scholar ... they guy does it all! Robert Sanchez Perry Elerts Trevor Berney Weston Templeton Brandon Berz Nathan Torres Kyle Johnson Britney Saucedo Brandon Gutzmann Madeline Wrathall Joshua Trupp Iveth Gutierrez Jacob Norys Emily Sanchez Savannah Saucedo
Sabrina Suarez Tyler Woods Krista Zwart Alesha Stagg Declan Arsenault Andrew Boebinger Daniel Gonzalez Jacqueline Gutierrez Parker Gutzmann David Huff Hannah Huscher Bayleigh Porter Eric Soholt Lauren Carr Adriana Osorio
Lindsay Berney Liam Bowers Matt Cleland Amanda Haring Tyler Janes Shelby Mikkelson Joe Quiambao Miranda Salas Blake Simpson Tim Pungaew Lisa Garside Emma Jaramillo Rachel Rosales Lauren Soholt Aimee Martinez
VARSITY BIG 8 ALL LEAGUE RUNNERS
FIRST TEAM Joe Casco, Brandon Berz, Nathan Torres SECOND TEAM Perry Elerts THIRD TEAM Robert Sanchez, Seth Villanueva, Trevor Berney
FIRST TEAM Raelyn Werley, Aimee Martinez, Alyssa Haring SECOND TEAM Hannah Johnson, Katelyn Fatten THIRD TEAM Lisa Garside
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! BOYS VARSITY, GIRLS VARSITY, BOYS JV, GIRLS JV
This was the first time since 2005 that all four teams won the title in the same season. Girls Varsity, Girls and Boys JV all go undefeated.
JV LEAGUE MEDALISTS Rachel Rosales Brianna Jacklin Iveth Gutierrez Lauren Soholt Bayleigh Porter Amanda Haring Emily Sanchez Lauren Carr Ruthie Wiggins
Dalton Seckinger Rolando Phalen Wes Templeton Carlos Ramirez Kyle Johnson Jacob Norys Jacob Enriquez Michael Robinson
THE UNDEFEATEDS
Our Freshmen boys have had a run of late with an amazing season in 2011 and now, an even deeper and more successful campaign in 2012. Never has King had a team make a run of undefeated successes in the invitational portion of the season. Until 2012. Led by some talented guys up front and supported with tremendous depth, the freshman class was one of the most exciting aspects of this season. They capped off their undefeated season in spectacular form, not only winning the Mt.SAC invitational, but setting the course record for team time in the process. No small feat, considering the meet is in its 65th season! Running the Mt.SAC freshman course record is, of course, a big deal. The five boys pictured above all scored in the race. Mark Werley, Tyler Janes, Blake Simpson, Daniel Gonzalez and Michael Robinson did the duties that day and placed their names in a very exclusive group of teams!
COW RUN 1. King 45 2. Loyola 106 3. Redondo Union 119 (22 total teams) MT. CARMEL 1. King 60 2. Dana Hills 79 3. Loyola 97 (20 total teams) CENTRAL PARK 1. King 37 2. Trabuco Hills 102 3. Buena 103 (16 total teams) MT.SAC 1. King 37 2. Great Oak 51 3. Corona 98 (16 total teams)
Where it all started: The Freshman Boys team poses after winning the Great Cow Run
THE DEPTH ... AMAZING!
We’re not kidding when we sing the praises of this year’s 9th grade boys. Their depth is incredible. On the Mt.SAC course, here is the proof that our 9th grade boys are the real deal. Thanks to Coach Peirce for this great research!
FRESHMEN UNDER 18:00 AT MT.SAC
Mt.SAC COURSE RECORD, D1 9TH GRADE BOYS
2012 7 (including 3 of our top 6 all-time frosh); Werley,16:57; Janes, 17:01; Robinson, 17:08; Daniel G. Gonzalez, 17:11, Simpson, 1. 85:58 King 2012 17:41; David Huff, 17:46; and Wyatt Smith ran 17:55! 2. 87:18 Dana Hills 2002 2011 2 freshman under 18:00 (Dalton 17:07 and Seth, 17:58) 3. 87:22 Marina 2002 2010 None (Tim Digeralimo, 18:03) 4. 87:32 Marina 2007 2009 2 (Brandon Berz, 17:32, and Nathan Torres, 17:12, ROY) 2008 1 (Devin Becerra, 16:49; next was 18:11) 5. 87:34 Clovis 2003 2007 2 (Lane Werley, 17:28, ROY, and Balcazar, 17:19 - Werley ran 6. 88:18 Rialto 1997 16:54 at CIF that year) 7. 88:25 Poway 2000 2006 None (Sam Anich 18:41; Matt Wolf, the ROY was 19:03!) 8. 88:29 Tho.Oaks 2001 2005 1 (Charlie Alvarez, 17:51, ROY) 9. 88:29 LB Poly 2002 2004 None (Patrick Gonzalez -18:25, ROY) 10. Clovis 1997 88:39 2003 Race shortened due to fires 2002 None (Matt Sheppard, ROY, 18:19) 2001 None (Kevin Marquardt, ROY, 18:13) 2000 None (Grant Carter, ROY, 18:35) ROY = Rookie of the Year award that year!
FOUR YEAR RUNNERS
Running is a strange thing. It hurts. It’s hard. It takes forever to get good at it. And yet we are drawn to it. It pulls us back for more. It looks at us in the face and says, “Is that all you got?” At the high school level, running is strange. Most kids are afraid of it, and for those who choose to run, they not only endure the tough workouts, but the indedulous questions posed by some slacker in third period who says, “WHY do you run??” There are, of course, the thousands of reasons to quit. Injuries, comfort, a social life ... these and so many hold out tantalizing options. The offers come early and often. So for those hearty souls who say “no” to the temptation to take the easy road, we tip our cap to you. We started 2009 with a larger group of freshmen than the ones pictured on these pages, but nine remained and crossed the finish line of their senior year. Was it easy? Probably not. But was it worth it? We hope so. Thank you guys, for being hard workers, great teammates, competitive runners, and for leaving a positive legacy for others to follow! Your coaches really like you and you will be missed greatly!
REMEMBER 2009?
2012
PURSUING EXCELLENCE THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Our annual week in Mammoth once again proved to be a great time of training and bonding as a team. We focused on “Words to Build Your Season On” and emphasized the concepts of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self control.” Our hope is that some of what was said during those times of team discussion left an imprint, a mental reminder of how to be a better teammate, a better person. The weather was glorious, even a couple of thundershowers dropped the heavens on us, and given how hot the summer was, the sound of falling rain and the cool winds that came with it was a nice gift. Training, as always, was a challenge at 7,800 to 9,000 feet of elevation, but the runners came home stronger and fitter.
m mammoth
NOT ANGRY MARV
ANGRY MARV!
VICTORIES OPEN AND CLOSE THE COW RUN
The hot temperatures, early mornings, long days at school and fatigued legs are all challenges that the King Cross Country runners face at the beginning of each new season. An even greater challenge is to train, train, train without racing for eight long weeks. The Wolves finally toed the line at the Great Cow Run in Cerritos yesterday in what proved to show the challenges faced earlier in this season are paying off for the King runners. As was hopefully expected, the meet opened up with a win for the freshman boys’ team. With a starting line of over 270 boys and a quick start, the boys remained patient and slowly built into the race, creating a pack with four boys in the top ten and a top seven separated by just over one minute. Tyler Janes was the top boy for the Wolves finishing fourth overall, (#3 frosh mark in school history!) with Mark Werley, Daniel Gonzalez, (#4 and 5 All Time Frosh marks!) Blake Simpson, AJ Boebinger, David Huff and Mike Robinson finishing out the top seven. With three boys under 17:00, a team time of 84:58 and sixty points ahead of second place Loyola, the future of this team seems very promising. After a small but mighty freshman girls squad made up of Alyssa Haring, Ruthie Wiggins and Hannah Boutwell finished their first race of the season with personal victories all around, the varsity boys squad ran a strong race led by Perry Elerts who made close to a minute drop from last season’s time and ran King’s #2 senior mark in school history. Other varsity runners making huge improvements included Weston Templeton, Dalton Seckinger (#3 soph time in school history), Jacob Enriquez and Parker Gutzman. The Lady Wolves- running with a healthy squad for the first time in over a year- finished third in their race, closely behind Long Beach Poly and Redondo Union, both 2011 CIF finalist teams. With hot temperatures making their way into the morning hours, the varsity girls ran about 50 seconds faster than last year’s team time. Raelyn Werley finished third overall, followed by Aimee Martinez who made a 90 second improvement from last season’s race. Lisa Garside and Emma Jaramillo finished neck and neck a mere two seconds behind Martinez with Brianna Jacklin and Bayleigh Porter rounding out a strong top seven. Seth Villanueva, Rolando Phalen, and Jacob Norys all had successful efforts in their first race of the season with times that placed them fourth, fifth and sixth respectively from yesterday’s overall team results and a third place finish in the boys sophomore race . Hannah Johnson finished fourth overall in the girls’ sophomore race in 19:34 with rookie Emily Sanchez running a respectable 21:28 in her first competitive endeavor and Krista Zwart running a pleasing four minutes faster than last year at this time. Lauren Soholt walked away as the team’s only race winner, taking it out strong and never letting down in her 19:56 victory. Her efforts led equally strong runs by the girls junior varsity squad who made huge improvements from last season with Rachel Rosales, Lauren Carr, Madeline Wrathall and
Sabrina Suarez finishing strong under the hot skies. The last race of the day matched the first with a King victory.
BRUTAL TEMPS TURN INVITE INTO M(el)T CARMEL
While the first race of the season is always welcome, it’s the possibilities that it brings for the races ahead that makes it most exciting. With the successes and perhaps some of the disappointments from the first race of the season fresh in their minds, new goals for the King High runners must be set and even more From the moment we stepped off the bus at the 32nd annual Mt. Carmel Invitational, it was apparent that this challenges met. Bring it on. year would be different: At 7:30am in the morning the temperature already read 82 degrees. The course, the same course used for the Footlocker XC Nationals, may have been the same, but the weather would convince even a skeptic that global warming has arrived. San Diego, normally a cool respite from the heat of Riverside, actually was hotter than the Inland Empire due to the freakishly hot weather that rarely occurs in this beautiful city by the ocean. By the end of the meet, a local news station reported that the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department had made 13 trips to Balboa Park to rescue athletes that succumbed to the heat. Coach Peirce’s mantra of “hydration!” was the word of the day, and thankfully not a single King athlete needed medical attention. While the temperature was breaking records, this was not a day for most King athletes to compare their times with previous years, and the Sophomore and Freshman races were shortened to reduce the number of heat-related casualties. By 8:30am, the beginning of the Senior Girls race, the temperature read 88 degrees. Led by Raelyn Werley, the seniors proved that all of their hard work this summer is starting to pay off as they tied perennial powerhouse Torrey Pines with 106 points for the top score, and taking 2nd place only due to the 6th runner tiebreaker. Even in the heat, both Emma Jamarillo and Bayleigh Porter improved their times from last year - very impressive considering the heat, and a feat that few others matched. The senior boys and the junior girls were next, and both took 3rd place in their races with standout performances by Joe Casco, Trevor Berney, Aimee Martinez, and Rachel Rosales as all improved their times from last year, despite the heat. In fact, Rachel improved her time by 1:15 from last year. The junior girls also improved from 13th place as sophomores with much of the same competition. By the time the junior boys went off at 9:45am, the temperature
had jumped to 97 degrees, and Mt. Carmel had turned into “Melt” Carmel. Parker Gutzman, who has shown perhaps the most improvement of any athlete compared to last year, improved his time from 19:22 his sophomore year to 17:34 this year, an improvement of almost 2 minutes despite the extreme conditions. By this point, the race officials had seen enough and rightfully reduced the length of the races for the rest of the day. The boys races took out the 2nd hill, and the girls races took out the hills altogether in the hope that this would reduce the number of heat related issues for the athletes. Still, the ambulances and fire trucks continued to come. By the time the freshmen boys ran started their race at 11:30am it was 102 degrees. Often races had to be stopped to allow the constant stream of fire trucks and paramedics across part of the course through to the finish line, yet these freshmen boys proved that the heat could not stop their second dominant victory in a row to begin the season. Led this time by Mark Werley with a strong time of 15:17 over 2.7 miles, the solid freshman five of Werley, Daniel G. Gonzalez, Blake Simpson, Tyler Janes, and fastimproving Michael Robinson dominated the 2nd and 3rd place powerhouse schools of Dana Hills and Loyola. Not to be outdone, the sophomore boys won for the 2nd year in a row at Mt. Carmel with Seth Villanueva leading the way by running an incredible time of 14:41 over 2.7 miles (16:21 if converted to 3 miles, essentially 2 minutes faster than his time last year!), passing four runners in the last half-mile to secure the one-point victory over Loyola. Rounding out the scoring five were Dalton Seckinger, Kyle Johnson, Jacob Norys, and Rolando Phalen. Both the freshman and sophomore boys teams show no signs of slowing down, which foreshadows a bright future ahead. The freshman girls didn’t have a full squad to score with, but Ruthie Wiggins had a fine outing, not too far behind Alyssa Haring. So, despite the heat, it was a good day overall for King. One can’t do much about the weather, and every athlete at the meet had to face the challenge of doing their best in the adverse conditions. Indeed, with our first league meet coming this next Thursday, we face the likely possibility of running in the same high temperatures. We have been tested and have shown that we can meet the challenges that lie ahead.
A CHALLENGING BUT SUCCESSFUL START TO BIG 8 SEASON With the temperatures hovering again near 100 degrees, the Big 8 Season had to find a way to flex and bend beneath the heat. The 2012 season kicked off at Prado Park in Chino and while some wind cooled the mercury a bit, it was still hot enough to combine the JV and Varsity races for both genders. The girls got things rolling and put together a very pleasant outcome. After winning 11 consecutive league titles, that streak came to an end in 2011 as Santiago and Corona put together fine teams and seasons and snapped the streak. The King ladies got back to their winning ways in this year’s kickoff, winning by 24 points over the defending league champs, Santiago. Raelyn Werley led the way in 2nd overall, but Hanna Johnson put down her best race ever in her young career to finish second for the Wolves and 5th overall. The back of Aimee Martinez, Lisa Garside, Emma Jaramillo and Katy Fatten grouped from 8-11 and the win was secured. Bayleigh Porter was the first JV runner across the line with a great race of her own. Brianna Jacklin, Alyssa Haring, Rachel Rosales and Lauren Soholt rounded out the scoring with Emily Sanchez in 7th and ahead of Corona’s 2nd runner. After getting pushed around a bit in league races the last two seasons, the crowd King put in the front of this race was a pleasant departure from the past. Roosevelt’s boys are the defending champs and they ran like they intend to repeat their 2011 exploits here in 2012. Brandon Berz gave chase over the last mile with Joe Casco in tow, but the pack was splintered and not able to counter the four-pack the Mustangs put in the top 8 paces. Though King would have 6 guys in front of Roosevelt’s final scorer (Trevor Berney did the displacing honors with a great race) it wasn’t enogugh to soften the blow and King finished second by 9 points. King’s JV boys simply dominated the race winning by a margin of 17-41 over Corona. They were led
by Dalton Seckinger early on, but Robert Sanchez surged to the win, followed by Seckinger, Rolando Phalen, Kyle Johnson and Jacob Enriquez all scoring in the top 6 places. With Parker Gutzman rolling in the 8th place and Mark Werley in 12th, all seven were across the line before Corona’s 6th. A new course, tough league, and a hot day all tried to derail the intentions of King to pursue excellence. But when the dust had settled they all proved to be in vain and King came away in fine form with much racing left to do.
LANCER CLASSIC GIVES YOUNGER RUNNERS A CHANCE TO SHINE
A busy week for King High Cross Country came to a close yesterday at the Lancer Cross Country Classic. After recovering from last weekend’s challenge in San Diego, the Wolves headed to their first league meet on Thursday only to turn around and race again at Rancho Jurupa Community Park, just a few miles from home. Under slightly cloudy skies in the early morning, the frosh/ soph girls toed the line first with Ruthie Wiggins, Sarah Rink and Emily Sanchez coming in fifth, sixth, and seventh over the looping all-terrain course. The girls challenged the race early and with Jennifer Guitierrez and Krista Zwart rounding out the top five, the King ladies finished behind cross-town rival Poly in the overall standings. The boys freshmen continued their winning ways, leading the frosh/soph race for King, finishing seventh-twelfth with Blake Simpson leading the way. Tyler Janes, Michael Robinson, AJ Boebinger and Daniel G. Gonzalez finished neck and neck with a mere three seconds separating their times. David Huff was the team’s fifth man and once again the boy’s walked away with a race victory, finishing seven points in front of second place Rubidoux who had the top two finishers in the race and a sixth place runner in front of King. The power of the pack once again proves victorious. After a brief lull in the competition to watch the collegiate teams race, including two King alumni (Rebecca Asplund of CBU and Taylar Amiot of Cal State San Bernardino), the girls’ varsity took
to the 5K course and won their second race of the week. Senior Raelyn Werley, finished second overall with Hannah Johnson and Aimee Martinez once again proving they are ready to compete with the best this season, following close behind her. Iveth Guiterrez, Rachel Rosales, Bayleigh Porter and freshman Alyssa Haring completed the top seven for the Wolves. The varsity boys ran without their top seven and nevertheless walked away with a respectable third place finish behind an always successful La Sierra squad and up and coming Riverside Poly. With the experience of more varsity races under his belt, Dalton Seckinger raced to the finish with senior Robert Sanchez, beating him out by just a second. Kyle Johnson gritted it out against a former La Sierra teammate to finish third for King. The Wolves showed their depth and the possibilities of future success with Jacob Enriquez finishing in front of underclassmen Rolando Phalen, Carlos Ramirez, Mark Werley, Jacob Norys and Erick Penaloza. Although the JV races saw smaller fields, they finished in commanding fashion with King athletes winning both races. Brandon Gutzman tasted victory this season with a win in the last race of the day. Lauren Soholt dominated the ladies race from the start, taking her second victory of the season. The Lady Wolves had a perfect sweep, taking the top six positions and a 15 - 49 victory over second place La Sierra. With September drawing to a close and the weather hopefully improving, the King runners will prepare for their next competition, enjoying the rewards of the past week of successful racing and getting back to work to enjoy even more.
FROSH BOYS STAY UNDEFEATED WHILE TEAM GOES SURFS UP IN HB While the varsity teams made the long journey to Fresno for Clovis Invite, 61 athletes crammed onto the sole bus that arrived to pick them up early Saturday morning to head to the Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach. Leaving in darkness from King High, the sun was provided an amazing sunrise of red and orange at it lit the underside of the clouds as we arrived at a very cool morning at Central Park, with the dew so thick on the grass that the short trip across the grass to set up our canopy left shoes damp. King High has a long history at Central Park, with great memories including Jeremy Baugus running 15:37 in 2005, a school record for a 3-mile race held for 3 years. Not unlike Fresno, the Central Park invite attacks some of the best teams in the state, including Saugus, Dana Hills, and Trabuco Hills, to name just a few. The JV boys started the day off with a great effort by Brandon Gutzman, Garrett Koontz, and Tim Pungaew running the still damp course as a threesome that surely would have placed if they had had two more teammates to make the required five-man team. All three finished in the top 25 out of well over 200 runners. The JV girls were next, and sparked by great efforts from the top 5 of Iveth Gutierrez, Lauren Soholt, Savannah Saucedo, Amanda Haring, and Madeline Wrathall who all finished in the top 23 overall, the JV girls took 3rd place behind Dana Hills and Trabuco Hills. The boys freshman team once again dominated their race to go undefeated for the season so far. Tyler Janes, Daniel G. Gonzalez, and Michael Robinson, who had the best race of his season by far, finished 3rd, 4th and 5th to lead the win for the young King harriers. Blake Simpson, who was 2nd for much of the race in a great show of risking it all to push himself to victory, faded at the end but still finished 9th. Andrew Boebinger and David Huff finished side-by-side for the 5th and 6th runners for King. So dominate were the freshman boys in this race that they beat their nearest competitors by 65 points, a virtual landslide in an invitational setting where 15 other teams competed, and even more impressive when you consider that their companion Mark Werley was in Fresno with the varsity team. Also having great races for the freshman boys were Wyatt Smith, Brenton Havsgaard, Vincent Barzurto, EJ Soholt, Joseph Quiambao, Daniel J. Gonzalez, Matthew Martinez, and Ryan Orr, all of whom finished 19:00 or faster, a barrier that two of our current seniors varsity runners never made during their freshman season (check it out in our archives). Joseph Quiambao gave us all a scare at the end of the race as he showed that he gave it all and then some (eat more for breakfast next time!!), but running with complete abandon seems to be the theme this year for all the freshman boys. The girls freshman and sophomores were combined as history used to show that it was harder to get 9th and 10th grade girls to come out for cross country, but with 321 runners in this race alone the girls are coming out in huge numbers to what many consider the hardest sport in high school athletics.
Alyssa Haring finished 9th overall but was the 2nd freshman girl at 19:56, an amazing time for this up and coming freshman on a tough course. Ruthie Wiggins, Sarah Rink, and Emily Sanchez also had stellar races. Although the boys sophomores lost their undefeated status for the season, it was not unexpected with their top three runners in Clovis. They still finished in 5th place finish with Jacob Norys having the best time of the day for all King boys and finishing 7th overall. Carlos Ramirez, Matt Cleland, and Eric Penalosa also had great races and held the banner high for the King sophomores.
SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT WORD IN CLOVIS After weeks of intense heat, a touch of Fall seemed to descend on Fresno’s famed Woodward Park for the 35th running of the Clovis Invitational. With perfect conditions, King’s varsity athletes competed well and came home with some solid marks as well as a better understanding of a few things that still need work in order to achieve the teams’ goals. Dalton Seckinger may have called it a “spectacular” day, as that was his choice to describe how he felt during the varsity race. Leading King’s “second team” through the 5K course, he did indeed look as he described his physicality and it resulted in a 30-second improvement for the sophomore over last year on the course. It was good for 18th all time on the course for King and the second fastest time ever run by a sophomore on any course in King's history. Wes Templeton dropped 1:20 from last year and came in just a bit behind Seckinger. Kyle Johnson had a lifetime PR for the distance in third for King and was followed by Rolando Phalen at 17:00 and Mark Werley, the only 9th grader on the trip, scored for the Wolves with a very fine 17:25 inaugural run on a course he’s observed for about six years as his older siblings traversed its layout. Not a bad way to start out! Jacob Enriquez and
Parker Gutzmann also ran well in the 6-7 spots. The girls varsity toed the line next in the Championship race and accorded themselves well. A fast opening mile and entertaining too many butterflies seemed to rob the group of a spark, but regardless they improved their team time from last year and finished in the middle of the field. Raeyln Werley led the way, and was followed by a terrific pack of Lisa Garside, Aimee Martinez and Katelyn Fatten who all finished within seconds of each other. Hannah Johnson fell back considerably after a too-fast opening mile and rounded out the scoring. Bayleigh Porter and Emma Jaramillo were in 6th and 7th for the Lady Wolves, with Bayleigh running a strong PR for Woodward Park at 20:04. “The best team King has ever had” is a line that’s been used to describe this year’s boys varsity group, and while that may seem to be a defendable assertion on paper and in workouts and is a line the group would like to legitimately claim as their own, they have yet to really "click" as a unit on race day and make it known. “Clicking” may not be the operative word for their race on Saturday,
as there were still a few question marks created by the results, without doubt it was a very good collective race and the best race of the season. They posted the #2 all time team-time on Woodward Park at 81:28 and radically altered the all-time list when the dust had settled. Certainly, they are headed toward laying claim to the title based on the results of the race!
fastest for King on the day. Nathan Torres also PR’d as King’s #3 and Brandon Berz rounded out the scoring in 5th for King. Seth Villanueva and Trevor Berney were 6th and 7th on the day with Seth’s 16:39 another indicator of the solid depth King can have on race day from the 4-6 spots! His mark is also the #3 soph time in school history! Wow!
Joe Casco led the way with only the second ever sub-16:00 time for the Wolves on the course. His clocking of 15:56 is #2 all time and was good for 22nd place. Perry Elerts, who is having such a fantastic season – a spectacular one, even – put down a highlight race for himself and the team. His 16:11 was the third-fastest mark in school history for the course and is the product of a singular focus and a determination that has lasted for months! It’s so nice to see the hard work paying off. His good friend Robert Sanchez has been doing the same and finally found the race he’s been looking for with a superb 16:31, the 9th all time mark and the fourth
So it was a good day of racing. It had moments of "spectacular" with a lot of improvement including too many PR’s to count and a couple of team time results that changed the all-time lists. It had moments of "frustration" as well, as a few walked away shaking their heads wondering what went wrong. But overall, there were far more positives than negatives and if the teams drove home with a clearer view of the little things that need to be fixed in order to really fly by November, all while enjoying the thrills that come with good races, well then .... call it what you want, but make sure it's a good word.
CRAZY (BIG) 8 LEAGUE MEET FINISHES IN A FLASH WITH 3 1/2 KING WINS
What started out as a hectic race day for the second league meet of the year finished that way as well, with the King runners coming away victorious nonetheless, proving that the adverse training conditions of the season have helped create strong runners both physically and mentally. With uncertainty brewing at the start of the ever-looping course over who was to race first, the boys JV squad toed the line somewhat unexpectedly with literally 6 minutes advance notice. Despite their short warmup, the boys remained contained and got out to a fast start on what proved to be a fast course. Trevor Berney took a commanding lead early and encouraged his teammates to stay close behind. Intermixed with several Corona athletes, the King runners stayed evenly matched overtaking the Panthers in the last mile. After two miles, sophomore Rolando Phalen passed Berney pulling sophomore Carlos Ramirez with him. The third and final loop was fast for the King runners with all ten finishing in the top 15 and defeating Corona with a score of 23-37. With the threat of rain the JV girls “A” squad race just as the final boys started off expectedly runners in the top seven. took it out fast with winner, Hallie Hernandez. and senior Lauren Soholt Hernandez for the first two a mile to go and a quick Hernandez finally pulled Rachel Rosales, running race, eventually came into second with a strong in front of Gutierrez. with Haring, Madeline and Amanda Haring seven runners. With a under 20 minutes, the Corona Santiago.
looming in the distance, immediately began their were finishing. The race fast with four of King’s Freshman Alyssa Haring Centennial’s eventual race Junior Iveth Gutierrez challenged the pace and miles. With just less than loop around the park, away from the King pack. steady throughout the from behind and pulled finishing kick just seconds Soholt was third for King Wrathall, Ruthie Wiggins, rounding out King’s top team time average just girls won easily 25-52 over
Energy, excitement and parity seemed to be the theme for the first varsity race of the day. Throw in a terrific downpour of rain, slick sidewalks and an intensity that could be felt like the approaching
lightning in the air, King’s top seven boys came out on top and finally accomplished what they knew was possible, living up to their expectations from the start of the season. The top boys started out fast, crossing the first mile in less than five minutes. With every new loop came a new race and team leader. It was evident from the beginning that every runners’ finish was going to count. Brandon Berz had the race of his season- if not career- and gutted out a huge victory for the Wolves. A first place win doesn’t always equal a first place team and with equally strong showings from Roosevelt, Corona and a few Santiago runners, the entire team brought home the victory. Joe Casco, Nathan Torres, Perry Elerts, Robert Sanchez, Weston Templeton and Dalton Seckinger went head to head with their closest competitors no matter the jersey and came out on top. One must see the overall results to see just how close this race was contested. King earned this victory, with Roosevelt and Corona very close behind. The energy and the rain clouds didn’t wane as the varsity girls began their race and their quest to bring home another league victory. With what appeared to be a very strong run for the King Seven which would have likely finished in victory -- the Lady Wolves had six runners placed between 3rd and 12th by halfway -- the race was called at just under two miles with lightning strikes in the near-distance. All runners and spectators were asked to leave promptly with the girls feeling frustrated that what they thought was a great race was abruptly canceled. A quick team pow wow proved that no matter what, the goal for the season will remain constant: a league title will be theirs. So what started in a crazy way, ended in an even crazier crescendo with thunder and lightening and a “who-would-have-thunk-it” called race. Crazy indeed. The Big 8 way!
YOUNG GUNS STEAL THE SHOW AT MT.SAC INVITATIONAL
In most meets, its the varsity teams that snag the headlines. At the 65th Annual Mt.SAC Invitational, it was the precocious 9th grade boys who stole the show and made history in the process. The 9th graders have won their 9th grade race at every invitational this season - Cow Run, Mt.Carmel and Central Park - and so the only thing standing between them and a run of the table was the hills and competition of the most prestigious meet in the nation. Talk preceded the meet that a victory was the objective. Mission accomplished. And history made! Led by another amazing race by Mark Werley who has been so consistently good this year, the talented bunch took it out well with only a good Great Oak squad giving chase to their title dreams. Daniel G. Gonzalez shadowed Werley through the first half of the course as they ascended Poop Out in tandem and in the top 5 places of the race. Tyler Janes was moving up well however, as he’s been apt to do all year, and by the two mile mark he was within steps of Werley. Mike Robinson, who has had a tremendous frosh campaign was there as King’s #4 while Blake Simpson was battling for the 5th spot along with David Huff. Both of them would finish in the top 25 and defeat the talented Great Oak squad to seal the deal on an undefeated season. What wasn’t discovered until Monday morning however (due to a Mt.SAC computer problem that delayed the posting of official times) was that not only did the boys remain undefeated, they literally crushed the all-time course record team time for freshmen, racing 85:58. The previous team time (aggregate of the first five scorers’ times) course record was held by Dana Hills at 87:18, set in 2002! For a meet that’s 65 years old, this is no small thing!! (Link to Mt.SAC course records) What a great future this group has, as there is even greater depth behind them. Wyatt Smith went under 18:00 for the 2.91 mile course. Brenton Havsgaard and Daniel J. Gonzalez had super races
as did AJ Boebinger - all three guys eclipsed 19:00 and EJ Soholt ran 19:00 flat with Joe Quiambao right behind him at 19:01. Both Werley’s and Janes’ times place them in the top five King freshmen at Mt.SAC all time and Michael Robinson is #6! Wow. The Sophomore boys - who had a similar freshman campaign last year - were on a bit of a vendetta as the Mt.SAC meet was the only thing between them and an undefeated 2011. Like the young(er) guns they call teammates did, consider this mission accomplished as well. W i t h purpose this group raced, paced by Dalton Seckinger over the first half, then by Seth Villanueva over the second half. Seth finished second overall (#3 King Sophomore time in school history), but Rolando Phalen and Seckinger were both in the top ten. Kyle Johnson - what a find this kid has been in his first year in a King uniform! was there in the 4-spot. Carlos Ramirez, another of our talented core who has two years to go still, nailed down the dominating win as the fifth scorer. Their team time of 84:06 is the secondfastest sophomore team-time in the course’s history! Redemption from ‘11? We think so. Jacob
Norys, just a rookie and rising with each race ran the tough course extremely well . The team was not challenged by any other, and won by over 50 points. Further back in the field Matt Cleland had a PR day. Josh Trupp and Jared Valadez also raced well. The girls don’t have the same depth as the boys, but that didn’t stop Alyssa Haring from running exceptionally well in the 9th grade girls race. Her time of 19:39 was the fourth fastest King time of the day and the 4th fastest freshman time in school history. She challenged for the win over the entire course before settling for 2nd. A great debut for sure! Sarah Rink and Ruthie Wiggins, both of whom show great potential with so many graduating seniors ahead of them, also put down solid efforts on their first go of the storied course. In the JV race, Rachel Rosales had a very fine performance, as did Lauren Soholt who ran a lifetime best on the course. Raelyn Werley was the first varsity girl to cross the line in the loaded “Sweepstakes race” (the fastest seeded heat on the day). Aimee Martinez had a tremendous race, racing under 19:10 -- a mere 2 minutes ahead of last year. Hanna Johnson also had a great PR for the course despite some mid-race adversity. The girls notched the 8th fastest team time in school history, but there wasn’t enough firepower among the seven to keep the group from finishing last in the race. For the varsity boys, the race was the oppotunity to prove themselves as they greeted their placement in a “nonsweeps” heat with disppointment. Charging out hard - too hard - King had six runners in the first 20 places by the mile. But the effort to make that happen cost them some life in their legs and the remaining 1.91 miles saw the tight pack fall apart and other teams - Crescenta Valley and El Rancho - to move between them and take the top two spots in the race. Brandon Berz had a very fine effort, dropping nearly 60 seconds on his Mt.SAC course PR. His time of 15:33 is the #2 mark in school history! Joe Casco was second for the Wolves, followed by Perry Elerts and Nathan Torres, both of whom notched modest PR’s for the course. Trevor Berney and Robert Sanchez were tied at 16:24 for the 5th/6th spot.
In the boys’ JV race at the end of the day, Jacob Enriquez, Brandon Gutzmann and Garret Koontz all ran very solid PR’s in a non-scoring race. Enriquez went 17:10! So it was a day to celebrate King’s youth, as the underclassmen truly stole the show. For the 9th grade boys, it was a triumphant act of consistency and talent, making them, perhaps, the best group of freshmen to wear the uniform. Of course, this year’s sophomore class may argue against such a point after their very fine season in 2011. But after both groups walked away from the 65 year-old meet with first-place hardware and having added their names to the history books of Mt.SAC, whose going to quibble? This day belonged to the young guns of King, and points to a very prosperous future.
KING BRINGS THE BROOM AND SWEEPS FINALS!
VARSITY LEAGUE TITLES BOYS 2012 2010 2005 2004 1999
After pursuing the theme of “Excellence: Body, Mind, Spirit” all season, the conclusion of the league championships seemed as appropriate of an ending as any Hollywood script writer could have imagined, with all four teams earning the League title and the final race coming down to a one point thriller! For the ladies, the season was an effort at redemption. The girls of King XC had won 10 league titles in a row going into the 2011 season, where they finished in a disappointing third-place. Coming into 2012, the group purposed themselves to work harder and more focused and ultimately bring the league crown back to Riverside. Yesterday, they did just that, completing an undefeated season and winning with a margin of 20 points over Corona. As they have been all season, the team was led by Raelyn Werley who capped off four years of varsity competition with a 2nd place finish. She was challenged throughout the race by dogged pursuers from three schools and her teammate Aimee Martinez who finished in 4th place. What a season for Aimee. But, right there in the mix of it all was King’s fabulous Freshman, Alyssa Haring who has done nothing but move from obscurity in August to First-Team All League in November, as she finished 7th place overall! Wow. Hannah Johnson was right behind her and was followed by senior Katy Fatten who had a fine day as well in 10th place. Lisa Garside and Emma Jaramillo rounded out the seven league champions. The girls’ win secured the 11th league title in 14 seasons for King High. Those of us who have been around long enough can remember that first season in 1999 when there weren’t even five girls available to race at league finals. How far we’ve come! The JV girls have been a very pleasant development for KXC, as the last two
GIRLS 2012 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001
seasons have not illustrated the depth or the competitive spirit we’d like. A huge turnaround in 2012 was on display yesterday, as the ladies ran the table. Brianna Jacklin led for most of the race before she was passed by Rachel Rosales in the last 400 meters. Iveth Gutierrez was right behind them in third and she was trailed by Lauren Soholt who finished fourth. After two Centennial runners crossed the line, Bayleigh Porter and Amanda Haring came through, putting six King runners across in the top 8 places. Emily Sanchez, Lauren Carr and Ruthie Wiggins all earned medals for finishing in the top 14 places. That’s depth that a team can thrive on! Freshmen Sarah Rink and Hanna Boutwell also had great races; Boutwell improved 3 minutes on the 5K course from the first league meet to the final! The final score had King with 17 points; Santiago was in second with 48. King’s JV boys have been strong and deep for some time and showed that again yesterday. After Corona’s fine team took it out hard in the opening mile and make the score tight by the half-way mark, the boys from King began to dig in and move up and by the finish line had put all five scorers in the top 9 places, including a sweep of the top three! Dalton Seckinger came off the final hill in third but with a closing effort the bullish - and slightly injured - sophomore wouldn’t be denied and took home the individual title. Fellow sophomore Rolando Phalen had a fantastic race to finish second and senior Weston Templeton (who spent his first two years of high school on the grid iron) crossed the line in third. All three guys would have finished in the top 25 of the varsity race! Impressive racing! Much improved Carlos Ramirez came in sixth and sophomore Kyle Johnson was right behind him. Jacob Norys dashed out with aggression then held on for a ninth place finish. Jacob Enriquez and freshman Michael Robinson both medaled with top14 finishes. Daniel G. Gonzalez and Garret Koontz had tremendous efforts with sub 18:30 times on a 5K course that ran very slowly compared to others. Roosevelt’s varsity boys and King’s crew have been closely tied in times throughout the season and had split the first two meets, with King winning the second race. Close behind the two teams is the
Girls JV improved from 3rd in 2011 to undefeated in 2012
always-tough Corona Panthers who were looking to be the spoilers in the championship. The three teams have been separated by only 12 points-or-so all season long. At the gun, Perry Elerts, Brandon Berz, Joe Casco and Nathan Torres all positioned themselves in the front group which, at a slightly conservative pace, stayed bunched with 15 guys through the half-way mark. As the field entered the third mile they separated, with Elerts and Torres falling off the leaders as Berz and Casco tried to stay in the top five. The race was very tight between all three teams with 800 meters to go. Corona was bunched well but in the teens, Roosevelt was dominating up front but their fifth-man lingered in the mid-twenties, and King’s seven were spliced throughout. Then, with less than 400 to go, Nathan Torres passed two Roosevelt runners to finish right behind Casco and Berz, making a King line in the 5-6-7 spots. That move made a HUGE difference in the score as King ended up winning by one point over Roosevelt, 44-45. (True to the season’s form, Corona finished an admirable third, 12 points out.) Torres’ two-man pass was a swing of 6 points. But it still may not have been enough, for King’s sixth and seventh runners had to score as well. Seth Villanueva and Trevor Berney were the guys in those spots, and while not scoring outright, their placing ahead of Roosevelt’s fifth-man inflated the Mustang’s final score and contributed to the King win. It was quite a race and quite a meet. Not since 2005, while in the Ivy League, has King won all four league titles. For the girls, it was a return to the top; a position in league the program has enjoyed for almost every year of its existence. After last year’s disappointment, it was also their primary goal of the season and in its pursuit they brought along a healthy JV squad with them. For the boys varsity, playing the bridesmaid in league – they’ve finished 2nd place 7 times in 14 seasons – ended this season. Having the win come against two very good opponents in Roosevelt and Corona made the achievement all the sweeter.
CIF PRELIMS: ITS ALL ABOUT PEAKS AND VALLEYS
Athletic competition. It’s filled with great highs and darkened lows. The Mt.SAC course, on which CIF is held, is no different. Three large hills, gapped by a valley take the racers to both highs and lows. Put the pressure of CIF qualification on that course and it becomes an apt metaphor for all that sport can and often does produce: the thrill of victory - or qualifying for Finals in this case - and the agony of defeat. For the ladies of King, they were the ones who went home tasting the bitter pill of missing the move-on. To make it even more tart, the difference between Finals and the end of the season was one mere point. The seven runners couldn’t manage to put together a collectively solid effort, an outcome that they knew going into the race was going to be necessary. On paper, it appeared that there was a one-point gap between King and West Ranch for the fourth and final qualifying spot. While King managed to best West by over 10 points, it was Long Beach Millikan that surprised many folks by putting together
a masterful race and snagged that coveted spot by one, 138-139. For the Lady Wolves, freshman Alyssa Haring ran well, matching her PR on the course. Hannah Johnson had a nice PR, but perhaps the best race was turned in by Rachel Rosales who just a few weeks ago was running JV. Moved into the starting lineup after League Finals, she took advantage of her opportunity and PR’d by over a minutefifteen and scored in the 5th position. King’s boys have had their sights set on CIF Finals all season and raced with purpose in the third of four heats. Predicted to finish third, they did just that, two points ahead of league rival, Corona, but well ahead of 5th place Paloma Valley. Joe Casco led the way this day, with the #2 Mt.SAC time in school history at 15:30. He was followed by Perry Elerts who dipped under 16:00 for the first time ever. Perhaps the race of the day belonged to Seth Villanueva who ran King’s second-fastest sophomore time in school history at 16:05. It was not just his fast time that impressed though, as King’s usual #5, Robert Sanchez had to bow out of the race just before gun time due to illness. Robert’s absence necessitated a solid race by the talented sophomore and Seth did not disappoint. Stepping in for Sanchez was fellowsoph Rolando Phalen who put down an incredible race in his own right, dropping 20-plus seconds off his Mt.SAC PR set last month. Collectively, the group dropped 30 seconds from their MT.SAC
Invitational team time (combined top-5 scorers’ times) and notched the #2 team time in school history on the course. And so another CIF comes and goes, offering up both the good and the bad, the bitter and the sweet. The girls ran valiantly, but came up a skinny point short of the sweetness. The boys celebrated a grand achievement, qualifying to race at CIF Finals. A week hence, they’ll toe the line with the 16 best teams in all of D1 (a collection of 100 schools) and race out into the unknown, grasping once again for the peaks that only sports can provide.
BOYS NOTCH HIGHEST FINISH EVER AT CIF FINALS
The CIF Southern Section Division 1 Finals is as competitive a race as you’ll find anywhere outside of the State Finals. In some respects, is just as competitive as the state meet is. So to come away with a top 10 finish as the boys of King High did on Saturday, it’s a good result. Their 10th place finish was one better than the program’s previous highest placing of 11th, set back in 2010. The day was greeted by some rain which moved the contest to the “rain course” - a flat and less than 3 mile (estimated at 2.95 miles) layout all on concrete. The boys took it out conservatively as a strategy and it seemed to pay off well for them. Joe Casco led the charge and moved up nicely through the last two miles. From the middle of the field at half way, he ultimately crossed the line in 14th, earning himself All CIF honors. Nathan Torres had his best race of the year to finish second for the Wolves. Perry Elerts was next with yet another very solid race, just as he’s been all year. Brandon Berz struggled a bit in the final mile and was fourth for the team.Seth Villanueva made a terrific push over the last 800 to finish in what appeared to be a dead-heat with Berz for the final scoring points. Robert Sanchez and Trevor Berney who ran almost the entire distance within arms reach of each other, also moved up well over the last half of the race and rounded out the team. The results were not what they hoped for, as the Finals always holds out that opportunity for an advance to the State Meet should a team finish in the top seven. There were 66 points between the team and that coveted final spot, a point spread that softens the blow just a bit. But all things considered, the result was an outstanding one for a team that came together in late August and worked tirelessly together toward the goal of representing King on the Southern Section’s biggest stage. For the Seniors who led the squad all season - Berz, Elerts, Casco, Torres, Sanchez and Berney - they can walk off the field of battle with their heads held high. It was quite a season, with a league title and finishing the highest place at CIF Finals in King’ history. For the younger ones, they’ll undoubtably use this season’s many successes to propel them to great heights down the road.
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