Profiles of some
of the leading teams in the 2003 Great American Cross Country Festival Nike
Boys Race of Champions
(Researched and written by Ricky Quintana of the National Scholastic Sports Foundation. www.nationalscholastic.org )
Desert Vista(AZ)
Desert Vista returns three from last year’s team which won it’s
first 5A state championship. Chris Steel, Pat Gahan and Jeff Jones will be a
tough top three, but have to burden the load and hope that someone steps
forward.
Catalina Foothills(Arizona)
Coach Grant’s crew cemented themselves as
Arizona’s number one cross country team after wins at every major Arizona state
invitational and their third straight State 4A championship. They return six
from that group including individual state champ and 3200m track runner-up
(9:31.13) Ben Reed.
Denver West High School( CO)
Coach Brad Barnes thinks his team is destined to be one of the great teams
in the country this season. And why shouldn’t he? He returns six boys from a
team that went undefeated in Colorado, collected a 5A State XC Championship,
and placed 2nd in the seeded division of the Great American
Festival. They are led by two all staters; sophomore Mohammed Ige, 8th
in the 1600m, 4:25.96, and 6th in the 3200m, 9:49.89, and junior
Aden Ahmed, 7th in the 3200m, 9:50.49. They also have a third,
senior Jesse Romero, that Barnes thinks will complete a strong front running
trio that will crack the 15:30 barrier for 5k. And remember, that’s at
altitude.
Salesianum (DE)
Since 1969, Salesianum has lost only 5 Division I State Championships.
That’s 29 titles. They also have produced 13 individual state titlists. They were hurt by graduation and return only
two from last year’s team that placed 25th in the Great American
Festival’s Race of Champions.
Look for senior Sean DeCecchis and sophomore Alex Gambogi to lead the way with
rising juniors, Joseph Donnelly and Mike Kowal stepping in to fill the void.
Bishop Kenny (FL)
The Crusaders earned their 5th state championship, won the small
school division at the Great American Festival with a combined time that would
have placed them 4th in the Race of Champions and ended the season
as Florida’s best team last year.
They will be led by three track finalist; senior, Tony Costanza, 6th
in the 1600m, 4:23.75, junior Chris Mullany, 9th in the 3200m,
9:45.35, and Brain Doyle, 11th in the 3200m, 9:52.36. Closely behind
them are a tightly grouped pack of seniors that is poised to improve their
national status.
South View (NC)
South View returns six boys from last year’s team that dominated the North
Carolina XC scene last year. Their lone defeats came in a heartbreaking tie
breaker at the state meet and an 18th place finish in the Great
American Race of Champions.
The senior laden team will be led by Footlocker XC Championship South Region14th
placer, 15:23.14, Robert Longoria, Sr, Josh Wyatt, Sr, 7th in 3200m,
9:41.40, and Paul Longoria, Sr, 10th in the 3200m, 9:51.91. Jason
Williams, Sr, and Jonathan Isom, Sr, will add the strength to a team which
should once again be the cream of the crop in North Carolina.
Cherokee (NJ)
Cherokee returns six boys from a team that placed third in the Group IV
Championships and 6th at the New Jersey Meet Of Champions.
They are led by state track finalist, Tom Yersak, 13th in the 3200m,
9:46.37, and a close knit group of five who were within 25 seconds of each
other in the two season ending meets.
Christian Brothers (NJ)
Christian Brothers is synonymous with championships in New Jersey collecting
18 Parochial A titles and 13 NJ All- Group titles in the past 33 years. They are expected to improve upon last
year’s 3rd place showing at the New Jersey Meet of Champions
(NJMOC) as six of their top seven returns.
Last year’s front runner, Will Metlofchik, will again be the team’s best after
placing 12th in the 3200m at NJMOC, 9:23.04, and recording a
personal best of 4:18.2 in the 1600m.
Behind him are four seniors who are within 40 seconds of each other.
Shenendehowa (NY)
Coach Matt Jones ended
last XC season with the top rated team in New York after collecting the
NYSPHSAA Class A State Championship and winning the NY Federation Championship.
With all members of the varsity returning, they will look to repeat last year’s
sensational performance.
Seniors Jacob Gurzler, 11th in the 1600m, 4:23.1, Ryan Gaedje, 7th
in the 3k steeple, 9:43.41, and Phil Roach, 12th in the 3200m,
9:39.76 will try and build off their track success to lead this team which
sports less than a minute gap between their first and seventh runners.
Warwick Valley (NY)
Warwick Valley was hit hard by graduation losing four of their top seen to
graduation.
Winner of three state team champions, Coach Richard Furst will look to senior Jake Larde, 6th in the
800m State Champs, 1:55.97, Bill Velasquez and sophomore Mike Mark to fill the
void.
Hilliard Davidson(OH)
Last year’s Division I State XC Champs and Adidas Outdoor 4 x mile
Champions, will be hard pressed to repeat last year’s stellar seasons after
losing five of their top seven.
They will depend on lone returnees Josh Brink, Sr, Nate King, Jr, and an
arsenal of some 20+ returning runners to regain their top showing.
Middletown (OH)
After last June’s Adidas Outdoor Championships last year, it will be hard
not to turn one’s attention to Ohio for the next two years as then sophomore,
Jeff See, cracked Alan Webb’s four year
old National record, with his 4:06.07 3rd place finish in the best
high school mile field ever assembled.
See is not the only performer returning from last year’s winner of the Great
American Festival’s seeded race. All- Ohio first teamer, Michael Veatch, and
five other sub 17:00 5ker’s return to make this team formidable.
LaSalle (OH)
The Big Red Express again returns a strong team that should finish in the
top ten in the Race of Champions. They have finished runner-up the past three
seasons in the Ohio Division I State XC Championships, have earned All-American
honors outdoors in the 4x mile, and placed 6th at state in the
4x800m with a time of 7:49.06.
They return runners 3-7 and are led by 4x Mile All-Americans Kyle Dragan, Sr,
and Dan Heister, Jr.
Henderson (PA)
Henderson earned their second state championship in six years last year
after finishing runner-ups in 2001.
They are led by 2002 Footlocker finalist, Ian Gottesfeld, Sr who also recorded
a 9:20.40 in the 3200m in track. 4:17.51 1600m performer, Greg Williams, Sr,
should give them two strong runners at the front. They will have to rely
heavily on these two as they are the only two returning from the top five.
Webb School of Knoxville (TN)
The 2002 Division II State Champs return this year with a strong top five.
Tennessee’s 2003 preseason #1 pick ( source: Mike Wood), earned their second
championship in school history last year.
They will be led by two state track finalists: junior Lex Hultquist, 3rd
in the 3200m, 9:41.78 and 6th in the 800m, 2:00.93 and senior Denton
Jones, 7th in the 1600m who have both have personal best of under
16:00 for 5k. John Wright and Andrews
Press are also under the 16:00 barrier.
Kingwood (TX)
Kingwood lost three all-staters after collecting a surprise eighth state
title over heavily favored rival The Woodlands last year. Seniors Brian
Bergquist (4:20 and 9:20 on the track), Tom Wensrich(4:18 and 9:30), and David
Matuschak( 4:24, 9:37) are a tough trio. Behind them 4 of their teammates with
PR’s of 9:55 or faster for 3200m from last year. That should make a potent top
five.
The Woodlands (TX)
The Woodlands’ dominating 93 point victory last year in the Race of
Champions (ROC) was short lived after the disqualification of their top two
runners. The 10 time Texas state champions lost only two from last year’s team.
2002 Footlocker finalist and 5A State champion, Brian Sullivan, leads the way.
The senior was third in last year’s ROC before the disqualification, and has
the fastest PR over 1600m, 4:08.87, and 3200m, 9:02.88. Returnees Dane
Hurtubise, Justin Smith, Daniel Lanzillotti, and Ben Schultz will get plenty of
help from Luke Hansen, Daniel Gerber, Footlocker South 9th grade
champ, and Garret Jones. That’s eight runners with 3200m PR’s of 9:45 or better
and 6 runners with 1600m bests of 4:23 or better. No team compares.
Mt. View (UT)
After the disqualification of the top 5 from last year’s Race of Champions,
Mt. View was elevated to the top spot. Living legend, Coach David Houle,
finished the season adding one more Utah state championship victory to the
record book. He now leads Utah in 5 categories; total victories, total at same
school, consecutive wins, and total and consecutive state championships.
This year, they return 3 from last year’s team. State track finalists, senior
Steve Strickland, 4th in the 1600m and 2nd in the 3200m,
and Jared Keller, Sr, state champ in the 1600m, 4:21.14, and 2nd in
the 800m will be the top returning performers. Justin Leavitt, the other lone
returnee, will need help from a group of
two seniors and one sophomore that have PR’s of under 5:00 for the
1600m.
Orem (UT)
Orem returns five from last year’s team that placed 4th in the
Utah Class 4A state championships.
Their top five are separated by a mere 60 second spread.
Senior Peter Wright is the fastest of the group with senior Tim Wright,
sophomore, Race Ostler adding some strength up front.