Thursday, January 29, 2015

1977 NOR-CAL HIGH SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY RANKINGS

Today we are going back in time to the high school cross country season of 1977.

Rod Berry (Redwood HS, Larkspur; Stanford), who was ranked the #2 high school cross country runner in Northern California in 1977, is the Managing Director and Senior Investment Officer for Shott Capital Management, LLC.   He coached at Sir Francis Drake HS in San Anselmo in 2013.
http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=3071422

Rod Berry, 1978, cross country, track—Berry is possibly the best distance runner Redwood ever produced. His school record of 4:12 in the mile still stands, as well as his Marin County records of 8:53 in the 2-mile and 29:13 in the 6-mile. The highlights of his four-year high school career include:
  • Freshman: Named Northern California Freshman Cross Country Runner of the Year; set the world 3-mle record for boys 14 and under, and was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.”
  • Sophomore: Named Northern California Sophomore Cross Country Runner of the Year and named to the All Northern California First Team. The varsity Redwood team that year won the NCS championship and was ranked #2 in the United States. Berry placed ninth in the California State Meet in the 2 mile.
  • Junior: Berry was took first in the MCAL Championship meet and was named the league’s runner of the year, as well as the NCS runner of the year. He was ranked first in the nation in the 2-mile and second nationally in the 3-mile. He was named to the High School All American first team. In track, he took first at MCAL in the one mile and 2-mile, first in the 2-mile at the NCS, and second in the same event at the California State Meet. He took second place in the national high school 6-mile championship, and was ranked nationally at the following distances: 2-mile, #4; 2-mile (indoor), #2; 3-mile, #5; 6-mile, #2.
  • Senior: After recovering from a season-shortening bout with mononucleosis, Berry was named to the All Northern California First Team in cross country, came in second at the National Junior Cross Country Championships, placed 10th in the World Cross Country Championships in Scotland (he was the first American across the line) and was named to the first team High School All American. In track, he took second at the state meet in the 2-mile, and later placed first in that event at the International Prep Invitational in Illinois. He was named Redwood’s Athlete of the Year.
Berry attended Stanford University on an athletic scholarship, where he lettered eight times in cross country and track and field. In Marin he is especially noted for still holding the modern course record for the Dipsea race, which he set in 1981.
Berry currently resides in Fairfax.
http://rhsweb.org/halloffame/RodBerryBio.html

Tom Downs (Skyline HS; California), who was ranked #3, is a Medical Doctor at Kaiser Permanente in Vallejo (see photo below).  His son Nick Downs (Bishop O'Dowd, Oakland) placed seventh in the NCS MOC Division 3 Cross Country in 15:54.

Thomas William Downs, MD
Thomas William Downs, MD
Specialty: Ob/Gyn
Vallejo Medical Center
975 Sereno Drive, Vallejo, CA 94589

Jay Marden (Mission San Jose, Fremont) is the principal of Carmel River Elementary School in Carmel.

John Marden coaches at Mission San Jose HS, in Fremont.

Peter Downs, CFA

Mark Conover (Miramonte, Orinda) coaches at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

"Mark Robert Conover (born May 28, 1960 in Contra Costa County, California) is an American long distance runner and coach. He is most famous for his unexpected strategic victory at the 1988 United States Olympic Trials marathon,[1] qualifying him for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, where he was a member of the U.S. Team. The winning 2:12:26 at the Olympic trials was his personal best.[2]
Conover showed his potential running for Miramonte High School in Orinda, California, finishing 5th at the CIF California State Meet in the 2 mile behind Jeff Nelson[3] just a year before Nelson would set the record in the event that would last almost 30 years.
He then went on to Humboldt State University, where he became the 1981 NCAA Division II Cross Country Champion. In 1993, he was inducted into the Humboldt State University Hall of Fame.[4]
1984 was his first Olympic Trials, finishing 9th in a qualifying heat of the 10,000 metres. And four years after his 1988 victory, he returned to the marathon to finish 10th in 1992.[1]
His time as a professional runner was cut short in 1993 by a two year battle with Hodgkin’s disease. Professional internships that developed into planning jobs in San Luis Obispo County had him training in the area. He began as an Assistant Coach at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. In 2009 he was named Director of Track and Field and Cross Country for the university.[4]"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Conover

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NOR-CAL RUNNING REVIEW WINTER 1977-1978 (#69)
Prep Ramblings
by Keith Conning

NOR-CAL X-COUNTRY RANKINGS
For the second year, NCRR is ranking Northern California's
top ten individuals (boys and girls), and this year we are also
ranking the top ten teams too (we went five deep last year).
In addition, we are listing the other twelve individuals (not
in any specific ranking) of both the boys and girls "All NorCal
Teams", as chosen by the Northern California Track & Field Association.
Our prep editor, Keith Conning, did the top-ten
rankings, but the "All NorCal Teams", twenty-two deep, were determined
by a selection committee of: Plato Yanicks (Menlo Atherton),
Bill Thompson (Alameda), Ken Thomas (Soquel), Terry
Ward (St. Ignatius), Bob Woods (Camden), & Keith Conning (NCRR)
Major criteria for selecting the team were: place in section,
region, and league meets. Postal times, invitational results,
place in head-to-head competition, etc., also helped to influence
the final voting. Areas represented (Merced to Oregon
border; consisting of following CIF Sections--Northern, North
Coast, Central Coast, Sac-Joaquin, Oakland and San Francisco).
BOYS
#1--DAVE COULMAN (San Marin, Novato)--Undefeated season...first
places at San Ramon, Soquel, Pleasant Hill, MCAL, Redwood
Empire Area, North Coast Section.
#2--R0D BERRY (Redwood, Kentfield)--First at PA-AAU Jr. 10-Km.;
Seconds at Redwood Empire Area & North Coast Section;
Third at MCAL.
#3— TOM DOWNS (Skyline, Oakland)--A junior; Firsts at OAL Invit.,
San Ramon & OAL (Section); Seconds at Alum Rock
& Pleasant Hill; Sixteenth at Mt. SAC Invit.
#4--B0B LOVE (Carlmont, Belmont)--Firsts at Artichoke, Center
Meet (10/13), SPAL, Region II & Central Coast Section;
Second at Crystal Sprgs. Invit.; Fifth at 2-Mile Postal;
Thirteenth at Stanford Invit.
#5--FRANK TURNER (Colfax)--A junior; Firsts at Marysville, No.
Tahoe, Colfax, Bella Vista, Rio Linda, Matador Relays,
League & Northern Section; Second at USTFF (Fresno).
#6--DAVE AVILA (Cupertino)— A junior; First at League; Seconds
at Sunnyvale, Stanford, Artichoke, Region II and Central
Coast Section; Third at 2-Mile Postal; Fifth at
Soquel.
#7--CHRIS OTIS (Mira Loma, Sacramento)--Firsts at League, District
3 & Sac-Joaquin Section; Third at Nevada Union;
Sixth at Soquel; Thirteenth at Alum Rock.
#8--CRAIG HOCHHAUS (Clayton Valley, Concord)--First at League;
Thirds at NCS Central Area & North Coast Section;
Ninth at San Ramon; Fifteenth at Pleasant Hill.
#9--FELIX SOTO (Mt. Pleasant, San Jose)--A soph; First at Stanford
Invit, (soph race); Seconds at League & Region
Qualifying; Thirds at Soquel, Leigh-Lynbrook, Region
III and Central Coast Section; Eighth at 2-Mile Postal.
Seniors Dave Coulman of San Marin (Novato) and Irene Crowley
of Overfelt (San Jose) are the top runners in NorCal this
cross-country season. Coulman was undefeated in three major
invitationals and the North Coast Section meet. Crowley lost
only one early season race. Coulman defeated Rod Berry of Redwood,
who was out with mononucleosis during most of the season,
three times. Crowley defeated junior Laurie Crisp of Downey
(Modesto) in their only meeting at the 2-Mile Postal Meet.
Skyline of Oakland and Mission San Jose (Fremont) ended in
a tie for boys' team honors. Chico repeats as the best girls'
team. Although Skyline defeated Mission San Jose in two of
three invitationals, the outstanding performance of the latter
team during November earned them a tie. Chico lost once to
Rio Americano, but that was when they were depleted due to the
Scholastic Aptitude Test. Mission had a 47:39 postal clocking!

Top Runners by Class follow (both boys and girls):
Seniors:
Dave Coulman (San Marin, Novato)
Irene Crowley (Overfelt, San Jose)
Juniors:
Tom Downs (Skyline, Oakland)
Laurie Crisp (Downey, Modesto)
Sophomores:
Felix Soto (Mt. Pleasant, San Jose)
Nancy Huyck (Aptos)
Freshmen:
Angel Vasquez (Watsonville)
Stacy Dennison (El Camino, Sac'to)
Tied for first in boys' rankings were: (above) Mission San Jose
(front) Jay Marden, Steve Strangio, Mike Chastaine, (back)
Scott Ruffing, Kevin Coon, John Marden, Rich Read; and (below)
Skyline (front) Brad Lichtenstein, Jim Schneider, Mark Richardson,
(back) Peter Downs, Greg Valdez, Coach Dave Peterson,
Tom Downs. /Photos by Mike Mulhem & Keith Conning/
(Left) Redwood's Rod Berry battles it out with San Marin's Dave
Coulman in the NCS title meet. Coulman beat Berry by a second
and was voted the top NorCal prep of 1977. (Right) Irene Crowley
(Overfelt) won the Central Coast title and was voted number
one girl harrier. /Keith Conning Photos/
#10--STEVE STRANGIO (Mission San Jose, Fremont)--A junior;
Firsts at Hayward Invit., MVAL, Southern Area NCS &
NorCal Jr. Olympics; Seconds at San Ramon & 2-Mile
Postal; Third at Pleasant Hill; Eighth at North Coast
Section.
OTHERS: Paul Brewer (Leigh), Mark Conover (Miramonte), Glenn
Dean (Jefferson), Peter Downs (Skyline), Tim Gruber (Aptos),
Ken Holladay (Gilroy), Brian Millar (McAteer), Armand Moreno
(Piner), Dave Radican (Mira Loma), Ken Romiguiere (Castro Valley),
Greg Valdez (Skyline), Rob Wentworth (Livermore). -- Peter
Downs is a junior; all others are seniors or we don't know.
TOP BOYS' TEAMS:
(Fremont);
#1— (Tie) SKYLINE (Oakland) & MISSION SAN JOSE
#3--MIRA LOMA (Sacramento); #4— LEIGH (San Jose);
#5— CARLMONT (Belmont); #6— REDWOOD (Larkspur) - #7— CORDOVA
(Rancho Cordova); #8— CLAYTON VALLEY (Concord); #9— JESUIT
(Carmichael); #10— LELAND (San Jose).
GIRLS
#1--IRENE CROWLEY (Overfelt, San Jose)--Firsts at Alum Rock,
Leigh-Lynbrook, 2-Mile Postal, League, Regional Qualifying,
Region III, Central Coast Section; Third at Artichoke
Invit.
#2--LAURIE CRISP (Downey, Modesto)--A junior; Firsts at Cordova,
Bella Vista, Rio Linda, League, District IV & Sac-
Joaquin Section; Second at 2-Mile Postal.
#3— SUZANNE RICHTER (Chico)--Firsts at San Ramon, Matador Relays,
League, Northern Section; Second at Chico;
Thirds at Nevada Union and Rio Linda.
#4--ARLENE DALEY (Granada, Livermore)--Firsts at League, Central
Area NCS and North Coast Section; Fourths at Artichoke
and San Ramon.
#5— ANN TRASON (Pacific Grove)--Firsts at Artichoke, Aptos, Soquel
, Pacific Grove & League; Seconds at Region IV and
Central Coast Section.
#6— DIANE KENNY (Novato)--Firsts at McAteer & Redwood Empire
Area Meet; Seconds at San Ramon, League & North Coast
Section; Third at Stinson Beach Relays.
#7--STACEY DENNISON (El Camino, Sacramento)--A freshman; Firsts
at League, District 3 & NorCal Jr. Olympics (12-13 Division);
Seconds at Cordova and Sac-Joaquin Section.
#8— NANCY HUYCK (Aptos)— A soph; Firsts at Center Meet (10/13),
Peninsula Invit., League & Region IV; Seconds at Artichoke,
Aptos, Soquel, Pacific Grove; Third at Central
Coast Section.
#9--DIANA BUBANJA (Piedmont)--Firsts at OAL Invit., San Ramon,
Pleasant Hill, League & Southern Area NCS; Ninth at
North Coast Section.
#10— SHELLY NIETO (Merced)--A freshman; Firsts at Frogtown and
2-Mile Postal; Seconds at Nevada Union, League & District
IV; Third at Sac-Joaquin Section; Fifth at Rio
Linda Invit.
OTHERS: Karen Bain (Rio Americano), Debbie Bitz (Irvington),
Tiffany Choy (Salinas), Julie Hayes (Dublin), Francie Negri
(Foothill), Colleen Scannell (Bishop O'Dowd), Becky Schmidt
(Half Moon Bay), Kim Schnurpfeil (San Mateo), Julie Selchau
(Chico), Brenda Shanks (Quincy), Jill Symons (Chico), Lisa Van
Buskirk (Pleasant Hill). -- Choy & Scannell are frosh, Hayes is
a soph, Selchau is a junior; all others are seniors we think.
TOP GIRLS' TEAMS: #1— CHICO; #2— RIO AMERICANO (Sacramento);
#3— HALF MOON BAY; #4— MISSION SAN JOSE (Fremont); #5— CARLMONT
(Belmont); #6— SHASTA; 17-SOUTH TAHOE; #8— MIRAMONTE
(Orinda); #9— PLEASANT HILL; #10--SAN CARlOS.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jack Marden of Mission San Jose, who
girls to the North Coast Section team title
the year. Jack used to be one of the top
circles, along with Jim Shettler, when he
ta Clara Valley Youth Village. He learned
some valuable training techniques from his
Hungarian coach, Mihali Igloi, which he
employs with his MSJ team today. Here is
a typical workout schedule: Monday-hard
hills or intervals; Tuesday— endurance intervals;
Wednesday— easy intervals; Thursday-
good run or meet; Friday— shakeout,
warmout; Saturday— race; Sunday— long run,
10 miles at pretty good pace. Both his
sons run for the team and are among the
best for their aqes (Jay is a frosh and
John is a junior). Incidently, nearly all
members of his varsity squad are members
of West Valley Track Club. To cap off a
fine season, the boys' squad captured the
high school division at the Xmas Relays.
guided his boys and
es, is the coach of
road runners in AAU
belonged to the San-
Jack Marden, Coach
of the Year (Mission
San Jose).
/Keith Conning/
THE BELMONT INVITATIONAL: - The selection committee of the All
Northern California X-Country Team has come up with the idea
of having a season-ending cross-country meet on Saturday, November
25, 1978, at Crystal Springs, Belmont. This meet for
varsity boys and girls will be an invitational, with all teams
eligible to participate, so that there will be no trouble in
getting a sanction for the meet. The thought of having two
races was also suggested (one strictly invitational for boys
and girls). The meet would aid the selection committee in
choosing the All Northern California Team. If your school is
interested, you should contact Plato Yanicks at Menlo-Atherton
High School, Ringwood & Middlefield Rd., Atherton, CA 94025.
Mission San Jose's girls won NCS Championships: (Top, L-R) —
Landa Larson, Beth Dewey, Liz Strangio, Linda Coon; (Bottom)
Dina Buti, Mitzi Archer. /Photo by Mike Mulhem/

-25-
TRACK ADD FIELD
RESULTS
ALL-COMERS MEET (Dec. 10, Berkeley): - /OPEN/ 1500m: Robinson
4:01.5, Sweeney/AGRC 4:03.3; 60HH: Smith/Cal 7.8, Martin/Chab
7.9; PV: Grace/CSH 13-0; 400mR: Laney 42.4; 400m: (I) Lagon
49.6, Campbell 50.1, (II) Romain/WVTC 50.3; 800m: Vellequette
/Cal 1:59.1, White/RHS 1:59.3; HJ: Hice 6-9; LJ.: Wilkins/OHS
21-0, Miles/OHS 20-9; 60y: Payton/BAS 6.3, Newport 6.4, Randall
6.7; 200m: Rodgers/Un 22.0, Payton/BAS 22.5, (II) Randall/
Un 22.4, Segan/Un 22.6; 2 Mi: Schmulewicz 9:12.8; 5000m:
Martinez/AGRC 14:38.8, M. Sweeney/AGRC 14:46, P. Sweeney/AGRC
14:50, Tracy/AGRC 14:58.6; 1600mR: Laney 3:21.0, Richmond HS
3:24.6 (w/o Mike White), Laney 3:24.7. /HIGH SCHOOL/ SP: Meyer/
Tam 50-10; 60HH: Mark White/RHS 7.8; Mile: Foster/PHHS
4:45.2; 400m: Wilkins/OHS 51.3; DT: Fejer/Campolindo 169-2,
Meyer/Tam 151-10; HJ: Small/Tam 6-0; 800m: Roll/PHHS 2:02.4,
Clark/Pet 2:02.8; TJ: Kuhn/Cloverdale 45-4; LJ_: Clark/Pet
19-8; 60y: Nash 6.37 Kuhn 6.4; 200m: Nash 22.8; 2 Mi: Guinne/
CasVly 9:40.1, Mahaney/Sun 9:40.8, Hagen/CasVly 9:58.0.
/HS GIRLS/ 400m: White/Berk 60.9; 800m: Lee/Cal 2:29.4; LJ:
Howard/HFCS 14-3; 60y: Douglas 8.7! 200m: Ware/Berk 26.2
(9th grade), Jackson/Okld 26.8, Harris/Okld 26.9. /Conning/

ALL-COMERS MEET (Dec. 10, San Mateo): - /OPEN/ 1500m: Nichols/
WVTC 4:02.6, Green/CSM-WVTC 4:07.4; 60HH: Roberts/Sac 7.9;
400m: Rippenstein/SFS 50.1; LJ: Bule/WVTC 20-7; JT: Gilmore/
SFS 190-0; SP: Gummerson/SJS 54-10 1/2, Dol1/CSH-WVTC 54-8;
DT: Gummerson/SJS 158-6, Tafralis/CSM 154-9; 5000m: Geis/TS
14:00.6, Pinocci/WVTC 14:31.6, Laris/WVTC 14:35.6, Porter/WVTC
14:50.0, Sheehan/WVTC 14:50.3, Tracy/WVTC 15:01.2; HJ: Haber/
CSH 6-10, Coleman/WVTC 6-6, Wallace/Stanis 6-6; 330IH: Ybarra
/HATC 42.3; 200m: Peterson/SFS 23.0; TJ: Gettle/Skyl 43-4 1/2;
800m: Phelps/WVTC 1:59.2, Tracy/WVTC 1:59.6, Davis/CSM 1:59.8;
MileR: SFS 3:26.9; PV: Bockmi1ler/Un 16-6, Williams/BAS 16-0,
TardTeu/Un 15-6; 440R: CSM 44.5. /MASTERS/ 1500m: Richardson/
WVTC 4:22.2. /HIGH SCHOOL/ 440R: Sequoia 44.3; Mile: Millar/
McAteer 4:34.0; 60HH: Dixon/Seq 7.4, Ribera/Carl 7.7; 440:
Nicholson/M-A 50.1, Ribera/Carl 50.4; LJ/ Wells/Wash-SF 21-0;
PV: Crumpler/M-A 12-4; 60y: Price/Seq 6.4, Oravillo/Seq 6.5,
Maiocco/Lib 6.6; HJ/ Graber/LA 6-4; 2 Mi: Glenn Dean/Jeff
9:57.9, Gil Dean/Jeff 9:59.1; 220: Maiocco/Lib 22.5; 880:
Schneider/Skyl 2:01.7, Sperandeo/M-A 2:01.9; TJ/. Briseno/Lib
43-2. (Dec. 17 meet cancelled because of rain) /Harry Young/
ALL-COMERS MEET (Dec. 23, Los Gatos): /OPEN/ 880: Schilling/SJS
1:53.5, Webster 1:54.1; lOOy: Sanders/Un 10.2; Mile: Hurst/SJ
4:17.5; SP/ Mannon/WVC 50-10; LJ: Steffes/WVTC 23-11; TJ:
Steffes/WVTC 48-1. /HIGH SCHOOL/ lOOy: Taylor/MPl 10.0; Mile:
Shirey/Fre 4:31.7; 220: Taylor/MPl 22.2; 440: Narlasky 52.9;
DT: Townsend/Brnhm 141-3; SP/ Campbell/Brnhm 48-0 1/2; LJ/
McCurdy 20-5; TJ/ McCurdy 44-6 1/2; HJ/ Wyrick 6-4. /GIRLS/
70LH: Reiman/Saratoga 9.1; lOOy: Robinson 11.6, Jordan 11.9,
Chrisal 11.9; Mile: Yaninek/SJC 5:28.5; 220: Jordan/Saratoga
26.9, Miller 27.6; HJ/ Venable 4-10. /Glenn Harmatz/

PHOTOS: http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/NCRR/1977/ncrr69.pdf

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