2008 Woodie Awards
First-year runners discover the route to success
By: Cristian Vasquez
Issue date: 12/4/03 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 2 next >
While experience is often a necessary ingredient for success in sports, sometimes raw athletic talent can be more important.
Some teams have a very young squad but do very well when it's time to compete. The women's cross country team has proven to be one with many first-year runners.
After winning the SCC championship Nov. 1, the Warriors placed second in the state championships Nov. 8 at Mt. SAC.
The success of the team earned coach Dean Lofgren coach of the year honors.
"Southern California is more competitive than Northern California," Lofgren said.
"This year we have more talent and experience," Lofgren said. "We can compete at a higher level. We have Heather Rosas, who is one of the best runners in the state."
Talent is not the only thing the women's team has to make it successful. It's also the ability to run in different positions that has benefited the team.
"We have very talented women up front and we have depth too," Lofgren said. "A very good quality of our team is that the runners are interchangeable. We have six or seven runners who can be upfront or run from the back."
The squad gets most of its talent from seniors who graduated from the surrounding high schools. The high quality of competition at South Bay schools prepares local runners for college-level races.
"We all come out of mostly the same kinds of high school programs," freshman Evelyn Lopez said.
"This is my first time ever running with a group that could pace me," Lopez said. "They challenge me."
The transition from high school to college woke up some runners to the intensity that defines college cross country,
"High school was very different because we have more workouts," freshman Janet Tostado said. "In high school, we would run like twenty-five miles a week but here we run up to fifty miles a week."
Being in good physical shape and being disciplined are key factors to get to the top.
Some teams have a very young squad but do very well when it's time to compete. The women's cross country team has proven to be one with many first-year runners.
After winning the SCC championship Nov. 1, the Warriors placed second in the state championships Nov. 8 at Mt. SAC.
The success of the team earned coach Dean Lofgren coach of the year honors.
"Southern California is more competitive than Northern California," Lofgren said.
"This year we have more talent and experience," Lofgren said. "We can compete at a higher level. We have Heather Rosas, who is one of the best runners in the state."
Talent is not the only thing the women's team has to make it successful. It's also the ability to run in different positions that has benefited the team.
"We have very talented women up front and we have depth too," Lofgren said. "A very good quality of our team is that the runners are interchangeable. We have six or seven runners who can be upfront or run from the back."
The squad gets most of its talent from seniors who graduated from the surrounding high schools. The high quality of competition at South Bay schools prepares local runners for college-level races.
"We all come out of mostly the same kinds of high school programs," freshman Evelyn Lopez said.
"This is my first time ever running with a group that could pace me," Lopez said. "They challenge me."
The transition from high school to college woke up some runners to the intensity that defines college cross country,
"High school was very different because we have more workouts," freshman Janet Tostado said. "In high school, we would run like twenty-five miles a week but here we run up to fifty miles a week."
Being in good physical shape and being disciplined are key factors to get to the top.