Two full year since the shutdown, high school track seems to be in the midst of a normal season of competition. After a flurry of early season meets, Whitney Distance has reached a respite from the first busy phase of the 2022 track season. Of course the highlights of March always include the Dublin Distance Fiesta and the Bronco Distance Carnival.
In cross country, we focus on team accomplishments and not as much on individual times, one reason being there is so much variation and inaccuracy from course to course. In track, there is quite a bit more emphasis on individual margins of improvement. And though not every meet is meant to be a “PR meet”, the distance meets are definitely ones where we circle the date.
One of the targets we try to hit each track season is for every runner to PR–not just for the season, but lifetime PR’s. We are happy to report that every runner on the distance team has PR’d in at least one event–not easy for a team to achieve this. Furthermore, it is exceedingly difficult to achieve 100% PR’s across the board for all runners in all 3 distance events within a single season. So it is definitely worth noting that with still more than a month left in the season, we’ve had 29 out of 29 boys run a lifetime PR in the 3200m. And these aren’t just little one- and two-second margins… the average improvement as of the end of March is 37 seconds! This is testament to the character of people we have in this program, showing up on a cold morning 3 days after Christmas to start putting in the quiet miles from December into January that nobody sees. Couple that with our team culture, and this group is unstoppable.
Below, our distance athletes are highlighted for hitting lifetime PR’s at Dublin and Bronco, and even some more from the dual meets in March.
FROSH SOPH GIRLS
Mallory Turner wrapped up her soccer season before joining the track team, and after a couple of 1600m races, she was able to break 7 minutes for the first time at the Bronco Distance Carnival.
Taylor Bettencourt is one of our most committed runners. Not only is she always at practice, but she is characterized by staying with the team at long track meets, even after she is done competing. Her hard work is paying off as she has already hit lifetime PR’s in all three distances (800m, 1600m, 3200m) over last year’s personal bests. She had a 20-second improvement in the 1600, breaking 6:40. But maybe even more impressive is a 40+second PR in the 3200, not only breaking 15 minutes for the first time, but dropping all the way down to 14:21.
Mandy Rao has gone above and beyond in her commitment to the team and to the sport. She is showing steady improvement in all the distances, and ran a lifetime best in the 1600 of 6:37 in her most recent race at Bronco.
Eliana Nichols is one of our newest runners, having not been on the team during cross country. But she came on board for track showing some talent and, even more importantly, a high level of character and commitment. She has run the 1600m a couple of times, each time very close to breaking the 6 minute barrier, then finally broke 6 minutes, going 5:59.
Alishia Elie has tried various events on the track team, and recently has settled in with the distance squad. After a couple weeks, her mile time has dropped 22 seconds as she hit 6:08 at Bronco. This was good enough for first place in her race as she won a t-shirt. She is also showing promise in the 800, getting close to the 2:40 mark.
Brooklynn Casey was not able to participate in either of the distance meets, but has worked very hard to improve her time in the mile and broke 8 minutes, going 7:59 at the recent Folsom dual meet.
FROSH BOYS
Aaron Humphries is one of the most positive people you’ll ever meet. He is always smiling and really finds joy in our grueling sport. Aaron has eclipsed the 6-minute barrier in the 1600, including 5:59 at Bronco. And just as impressively, he pummeled the 13-minute barrier in the 3200 at Bronco, going 12:54.
Cody Wagner is putting up nice numbers despite splitting his time with soccer, which means missing a couple workouts each week. Still, Cody ran super tough to break 11 minutes in the 3200 at Dublin, then came back a week later to break the 5-minute barrier in the mile at Bronco.
Tyler Kubota ran a masterful 3200 at Dublin, setting a pace early that appeared to ensure a last place finish. But Tyler ignored what place he was in, eventually finishing ahead of several runners, and most importantly PR’d, nearly breaking 11 minutes. At Bronco, Tyler earned a t-shirt as he was 2nd in the 800 with a strong 2:22. He is also within 3 seconds of breaking 5 minutes in the 1600 after his Bronco performance.
NOTE: The most runners Whitney has ever had in one season break the 5-minute mile was 15, and that was last year. Right now, Whitney is at 15, and Tyler is next closest with his 5:03.
NOTE to the NOTE: That stat from the last note doesn’t really specify “boys”, so when Katie broke 5 minutes in the sombrero heat at Dublin, technically we are at 16 already 🙂 More on that story later…
Grey Robinson is a soccer player, did not do cross country this past fall, and is new to distance running. He has quickly demonstrated several attributes … one being he has a knack for how to be tactical, and secondly he has a vicious kick. He hit 5:13 in the mile, 2:17 in the 800, and recently outdid his Dublin 3200 by easily breaking 12 in the 3200 at the last dual meet.
Victor Needham is steadily improving. Consider that his four 1600m races have gone like this… 5:47, 5:43, 5:39, and at Bronco went 5:32, where he placed 2nd in his heat and won a t-shirt. Similarly, here is his 3200m progression… 12:34, 12:28, 12:14 at Dublin, and then at the most recent dual meet bettered his Dublin mark by breaking 12!
Jack Regan used the buddy system with Aaron Humphries and Akanis Surapak at Bronco to hit a massive 38-second PR in the 3200, breaking 13 minutes in the process at 12:47.
Connor Rekers just began distance running on the first day of track practice less than 2 months ago. He is learning how to train and race, and the result is a good progression in the mile where he broke 5:30 in the 1600 at Dublin, going 5:29, then bettered that at Bronco with a 5:26 current PR. In the Dublin race, Connor earned a t-shirt as he held on for 3rd.
Max Bowen was not able to compete at either distance meet, but is progressing well, as he is close to breaking 6 minutes in the mile (6:09), and has broken 2:40 in the 800 (2:38).
SOPH BOYS
David Hurren PR’d in the 1600 at Dublin, winning his heat, earning a t-shirt, and getting a PR. Then he raced the 3200, and knocked nearly half a minute off of his PR and found himself suddenly in the low 10’s, earning another t-shirt as he placed 2nd in his heat. With a super impressive 10:20, he now finds himself in realistic range of threatening that tough 10-minute barrier before the season is over. At Bronco, David lowered his PR in the 1600, going 4:42, and in the 800 went 2:15, good enough for 3rd and one more t-shirt.
Noah Reed continues his meteoric rise as a distance runner. Noah’s 3200m PR from last season was 11:31, but has destroyed that mark by well over a minute, hitting 10:24 in a powerful performance at Dublin, placing 3rd in his heat and earning a t-shirt. Maybe he has a chance at that 10-minute barrier? And in the mile, Noah is consistently under 5 minutes, including a new PR of 4:49, set at Bronco.
Brendan Whitmore gutted out a really good performance in the 3200 at Bronco to not only PR, but to break 11 minutes for the first time ever. Brendan is very close–within 2 seconds–of his lifetime best in the 1600.
Landon Wibbeler really had a breakout race at Dublin in the 3200. His PR from freshman year was 13:01. He broke 12 at LeFebvre, but then shellacked that by going 11:17 at Dublin. In the 1600, he came from barely under the 6-minute barrier to all the way down to 5:19 at Dublin. And at Bronco, Landon earned a t-shirt by placing 2nd in his heat of the 800, and a new PR at 2:30.
Peyton Boyd broke 2:30 in the 800 for the first time at Dublin. He also PR’d in the 1600, clocking 5:16, then bettered that at Bronco with a 5:12 (maybe sub-5 by end of season?). And as if that wasn’t enough success for the first month of the season, he PR’d in the 3200 as well with a very strong 11:30.
Akanis Surapak has come so far in a year and a half. He has been improving like crazy, but many people would agree a breakout race for him was when he got the baton in that 4×800 relay under the lights at Placer, where he split a 2:23. At Dublin, he more than backed that up, going 2:19. At Bronco, he came close to breaking 5:30 in the 1600, and did break 13 in the 3200, crossing the line with Jack Regan in 12:47.
VARSITY GIRLS
Ashlyn Fujioka had gone 6:01 a couple times before in the 1600m, but has been hoping to break 6. She finally did it… went 5:59 at Bronco! She also PR’d in the 3200 at Dublin, going 13:26. Next will be a PR in the 800…
Kylee Wibbeler did something very difficult at Dublin. She equaled her PR in the 3200. Her old PR was 13:51, and her new PR is 13:51. If only she dove at the finish line …
That PR will come, but Kylee did PR in the 1600, hitting 6:16.
Mariana Blanding was not able to participate at Dublin or Bronco, but she has worked hard to come back after not being able to run for a while, and has hit a PR in the 800 at 2:42.
Gillian Kingery has PR’d at all three race distances. First was a 14:43 PR at Dublin, next she went 6:34 to PR in the 1600 at Bronco, and then ran a PR in the 800 at Bronco, breaking 3 minutes for the first time ever.
Ava Kopec set a very high bar last year when she raced an incredible 11:08 at the final race of track season. We knew it would take a little longer this season reaching that kind of a mark. But at Dublin she got right back to it by clocking 11:10. Ava also ran the 1600 at Dublin, placing 3rd in her heat and earning a t-shirt. A week later at Bronco, Ava PR’d in the 800, running a very fast 2:20 to improve upon her league championship mark of 2:21 from the end of last season.
Grace Scott just missed a PR in the 1600 at Dublin, but came back in the evening to eclipse her previous best in the 3200 by 5 seconds, clocking 11:50. She followed that up a week later at Bronco, opting to shoot for a fresh 800, which paid off as she PR’d in a very fast time of 2:27.
Sophie Bowen has PR’d at all 3 distances this season, and all 3 PR’s came at Dublin and Bronco. She chose to race the 800 at Dublin and hit a fast 2:37, which dominated her heat as she won the race and a t-shirt. Then the 1600 at Bronco was a very fast 5:43, followed later that evening by an equally impressive 12:29 in the 3200.
Isabel Soto just keeps getting faster. She broke 13 in the 3200 early in the season, but then PR’d by half a minute at Dublin, pulling away from all the other runners in her heat, going 12:11 and earning a t-shirt. In the 1600, Isabel PR’d at Dublin, then lowered that mark to 5:39 at Bronco where she was 2nd in her heat, getting another t-shirt. And in the 800, she flew to a tough PR of 2:35.
Katie Kopec had a record-breaking March. First off, at Dublin, she qualified for both sombrero heats. The 1600 was arguably the greatest gathering of milers ever in a NorCal high school event. A dozen girls broke the 5-minute barrier, with Katie being one of them–the first high school girl from Rocklin ever to do it… 4:59 is now the school record. Later, Katie ran in the sombrero heat of the 3200, which was equally as stacked with great runners. Katie established a second school record in the same day, clocking an insane 10:44, and finishing 5th overall. At Bronco, we entered her in only one race, a fresh 800. In this race she lined up with the best local talent and nearly won, placing 2nd in a photo finish. Oh, and another school record of 2:16. Katie won a t-shirt, and was just 3 hundredths of a second from winning the coveted decorated cowgirl hat. These and other accomplishments garnered so much attention, Katie ended up being featured twice in the Placer Herald, including a special “Athlete of the Week” write-up.
VARSITY BOYS
Joel Tajiri has PR’s across the board. As a sophomore running varsity, he continues to excel as a runner. He is near breaking 4:40 in the 1600, and has broken 2:10 in the 800, but clearly his most impressive race this season was cranking out a 10:04 in the 3200 at Dublin. To be this close to breaking 10 as a sophomore is exciting.
Noah Lopez is rising fast at all three distances. He ran 4:35 in the 1600 at Bronco. A week earlier at Dublin, Noah went 10:09 in the 3200, and is threatening that 10-minute barrier even though he is only a sophomore. But maybe Noah’s 800 at Bronco was the most fun to watch because he felt really good, made a big move, and won his heat by a bunch, earning a coveted t-shirt and a huge 2:07 PR in the process.
Alex Wan, who is running his first track season with Whitney Distance as a senior, has set his 800 and 1600 PR’s from Bronco, at 2:36 and 5:45 respectively. As a relatively new runner to distance training, he should undoubtedly see those times continue to drop.
Callum Turner has dealt with on-again/off-again back issues for nearly a year, which seemed to flare up as track season started. But Callum has patiently and diligently gotten himself ready for action, starting with an eye-opening 10:03 in the 3200 at Dublin, good for 3rd in his heat and a t-shirt. He then ran a 2:03 in the 800 at Bronco, and recently entered rare territory with a very fast 4:29 mile.
Tyler Herceg started the season with a 13:37 PR in the 3200, came within 2 seconds of a PR in the mile at Bronco, but did hit a lifetime PR in the 800, running 2:38.
Mateo DelGadillo was still competing on the basketball team as track training started, but has hit a couple of big marks early in the season. At Bronco, Mateo got 2nd in his heat and a t-shirt as he went 4:39 in the 1600, a new PR. Later that evening, he set out with the possibility of breaking 10 minutes in the 3200, and managed to complete the race at exactly 10:00. So he is no doubt itching for the chance to get into the 9’s. Teo went 2:01, a very fast PR in the 800 at the recent dual meet.
Aidan Barkve is taking big chunks of time out of his race distances. Dublin was a big meet for Aidan (he always does well at Dublin) as he broke 5 minutes in the 1600 for the first time, hitting 4:57, placing 2nd in his heat and getting a t-shirt. In the 3200, he got well under 11 minutes, going 10:40 for another big PR. At Bronco, Aidan managed yet another PR, this time in the 800, clocking 2:14, winning his heat and a t-shirt.
Hunter Schwab ran the fastest 3200 of his life at the Bronco Distance Carnival in a time of 10:24. At Dublin, he was very close to a PR in the 800, running 2:20, just one second short of a PR there.
Jaden Rapp hit two big PR’s at Dublin. In the 1600, Jaden ran 4:46, way under his previous best last year when he barely broke 5 minutes. Jaden also raced really well in the 3200, breaking 10:30 on his way to 10:27.
James Bowen finished the cross country season as our #1 runner in the final big meets. His track season is going just as well. James bypassed his usually stronger, shorter events (800 and 1600) to focus on a fresh 3200. His focus paid off as he blasted his way to 9:49, a huge PR, winning his heat and getting a t-shirt. He got to show his speed in the 800 at Bronco, nearly breaking 2 minutes and running one of the fastest times of the meet at 2:00, winning his heat and another t-shirt.
Cole Jamieson has been dealing with an unusual knee issue, but has steadily worked his way back into competition form. He was not able to compete at Dublin or Bronco, but has since tested himself in the mile at a legit 4:44, then illustrated the team player that he is by pacing a 6-flat pace for a few runners we had trying to break 12 minutes in the 3200 last dual meet.
Dario Ruscica is one of the fastest rising runners we have. Consider that Dario’s PR last year in the 3200 was 11:29. Fast-forward to Bronco where he flew to a 10:18! Dario has also dropped his mile time from well over 5 minutes to well under 5 minutes… 4:51 at Dublin.
Brandon Olah shaved a little off his PR at Dublin going 4:40.1, just a tenth of a second from the coveted 4:30’s in the 1600. At Bronco, Brandon got down to 10:16 in the 3200, and is one of several top runners eyeing that difficult 10-minute barrier.
Nick Herrmann has quietly put in the miles during several off-seasons, including the extended covid period, where Nick just kept up on his mileage chart. Here at the end of his junior year, Nick has achieved a well-earned elevated status. At Dublin, Nick charged out to a sub-4:30 mile, hitting 4:29, winning his heat and a t-shirt. He immediately bettered that time by a couple seconds at a dual meet, then took a chunk more out of that at Bronco, flying to an amazing 4:24. In the 3200, he followed up his first sub-10 performance at LeFebvre with a 9:34 effort at Dublin, good for 2nd in his heat and another t-shirt. And just when we thought he was a mile/2mile guy, he ran 2:00 at Bronco in the 800, crossing with James and earning yet another t-shirt.