Sac-Joaquin Section Cross Country Championship Or Bust

Willow Hill Reservoir
Folsom, CA
Saturday, November 15, 2014
by Keith Conning, Pleasanton, CA
e-mail: keithconning@aol.com

I will be one of the announcers for the CIF State Cross Country Meet in Fresno. In preparation for my job I attended the Sac-Joaquin Section Championship.

Suggested Routes from Pleasanton to Folsom by Map Quest

CA-99 N 103.53 miles
1 hour 49 mins / 1 hour 49 mins based on current traffic

I-5 N 115.04 miles
1 hour 52 mins / 1 hour 51 mins based on current traffic

I drove in my 2006 Toyota Prius up to Folsom on CA-99 and returned on I-5, a total of 218.57 miles and 3 hours and 40 minutes. I encounted thick pea soup fog on the way up Grant Line Road, a two-lane road.

"Monterey Trail High School is named after its location on the Monterey Trail of the 19th century, located just south of Elk Grove, which was used by travelers of the time to travel to Monterey, the capital of both Spanish and Mexican California. Home of the Mustangs.

The school color of forest green is based on the abundant amount of trees along the areas of Elk Grove, Laguna Creek, and Franklin. The second school color of gold is based on the Monterey Trail becoming well-traveled after the discovery of gold. The school mascot, the Mustang, is based on the horses that travelers rode while traveling the Monterey Trail in the 19th century.[1]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Trail_High_School

It was a beautiful day for cross country running, my favorite sport. I started running cross country as a sophomore at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco in the fall of 1956 some 58 years ago. I am now 73 years old. I don't run anymore, but I still take daily walks. I get pains in my right leg and knee if I stand too long in one place. Thus, I have started carrying a portable stool to sit on.

Hourly Forecast: 9AM 55 degrees, 10AM 58, 11AM 60, 12PM 63, 1PM 64, 2PM 64, 3PM 64, 4PM 63

I saw many of my friends at the meet including: Peanut Harms, the coach at El Dorado High School in Placerville; Craig Wilson of Red Cap Timing; Tom Lingel, a track announcer; Kay Nekota, the coach at Vacaville High School; Mary Woo, the coach at Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville; Tom Crumpacker, the coach at Dixon High School; Bill Gregg, the coach at Davis High School; Carolee Gregg, the coach of the Davis Aquadarts swim team and wife of Bill Gregg; Dave Gregson, the coach at Folsom High School, David Monk, the coach at Armijo High School in Fairfield; Chuck Bruns, the coach at Woodland High School; and Greg Wright, the coach of the Lodi Flames. I also met announcer Don Winters of Davis.

This is the meet that determines who will represent the Sac-Joaquin Section at the CIF State Meet at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Next Saturday, November 22, I will announce the North Coast Section Meet of Champions at Hayward High School.