2011 Earlybird Post-Meet Write-Up

The cross country season kicked off on the Central Coast of California in fine fashion at the 17th Annual North Monterey County Earlybird Cross Country Invitational. Perfect running weather, a great crowd, and loaded fields made for some of the best performances ever seen at the large early-season meet held at Toro Park in Salinas on September 11th, 2011.

Before the event we knew the boys would steal the show on the team front while the ladies would have to shine on the individual front. That is exactly what happened. Bellarmine had been the Earlybird showcase team the last 2 years running 81:37 and 81:10 combined team times (races are held by grade levels) to take home the fastest team award. Well, the 2011 Bellarmine squad came ready to fly and ended up with a BLAZING 80:43 team time good for 3rd FASTEST EVER AT THE PARK! That is a school record and improved on their 80:48 they ran last year at the CCS section finals! Today they featured 2 guys under 16:00 with a nice scoring gap of just 42 seconds. They were also short-handed with one of their aces ACT testing so watch out for them down the road as they seek to improve on their 6th place showing last year at state in Division I! With that you might think Bellarmine did enough for top honors today, well, forget about it! Madera South from Division II rolled into town from the Central Valley and BLASTED a 80:31 team time good for 2ND FASTEST EVER AT TORO PARK! They now only trail the great Mountain View team of 2008 that scorched a 80:13 time for our current park record. Madera South put on a show with 3 guys under 16:00 and an incredible 22 second scoring spread for their top 5! That type of performance should move Madera South near the top of the state rankings with Toro Park and Woodward Park running fairly close in times. Coach Rich Parris for Madera South can now add an Earlybird title to his resume with Madera South after many titles he won while leading Madera several years back. The efforts that Madera South and Bellarmine put in today really were the best team efforts we’ve seen in the 17 year history of the meet. It was amazing running by two great programs. San Benito (82:05), Carlmont (82:31), Los Altos (83:56), and Cupertino (83:57) also had good days.

The girls had to settle for individual honors and boy did they do that in fine style! We knew Nikki Hiltz (Aptos) and Vanessa Estrada (San Benito) would have a great battle in the junior girls’ race and it truly was magic. Nikki looked as good as ever and has carried her 4:43 mile, good for 3rd at state, over to the trails this fall for her 2nd Earlybird win. Vanessa is a strong front-runner but Nikki took charge early and never looked back on her way to a historic 17:44 clocking! The time moves her to 2ND ALL TIME AT TORO and she now only trails the legendary 17:16 effort by Tori Tyler (Gunn-2004)!! This effort puts Nikki above many of the legendary regional girls that have gone on to amazing feats at the state and national level both in high school and college ranks. Nikki Hiltz is the real deal! Vanessa held on valiantly for an amazing 18:11 clocking good for 12th ALL-TIME! Morgan Lira (Valley Christian) had to do much of the work alone in the senior girls’ race but she did it in fine style defending her Earlybird win and clocking 18:31 good for 24th ALL TIME! We thought 2-3 girls had a shot at the top 25 lists and we were pleased to have 3 make it today! Anna Welsh (18:51-Senior-Monterey), Alyssa Johnson (18:56-Junior-Leland), and super newcomer in the 9th grade race Jenny Xu (18:59-Monta Vista) all dipped under the very difficult 19:00 barrier! In all we had 22 girls under 20:00 making it a fine field including sophomore winner Clare Peabody (Aptos-19:06).

The individuals in the boys’ field maybe lacked a bit of the top elite marks at the highest levels like the girls enjoyed today but flourished with second tier elite depth we’ve never witnessed before. Local runner Samuel Hales (King City) made a huge move up the Toro hills to separate from the lead senior pack that had a group of 20 together up until then. He blazed the last part of the course to make the top 25 ALL-TIME list with his very fine early season 15:38 good for a tie for 25th ALL TIME at the park. Richard Ho (Leland) was our pre-meet favorite to win his 3rd Earlybird trophy in the junior boys’ race and he didn’t disappoint us with his fine 15:41 just missing the top 25 listings. Sub 16:00 guys Thomas Anthony (Cupertino-15:42) and Jack Bordoni (Bellarmine-15:47) flew in the senior race while Charles Deanda (Bellarmine-15:51) was second to Richard in the junior race. Footballer turned runner Ruben Collins (San Benito) stole the show in the sophomore race winning with a very fine 15:52 while 9th grader Chris Foster (Los Gatos) got his 1st Earlybird trophy in a nice 16:49 effort. The depth was evident as a historic 12 guys dipped under 16:00 today!

On the team front for the ladies, San Benito put together a fine day to take home the overall fastest squad plaque with their 100:29 clocking with Vanessa leading the charge for them. Presentation (100:47), Valley Christian (101:48), Aptos (102:32), and Madera South (102:55) also had a good day. Individual race team plaques were awarded to Los Gatos’ 9th graders, St. Ignatius’ 10th graders, San Benito’s 11th graders, and Gilroy’s 12th graders.

The boys’ team awards continue to stock the Bellarmine cupboard as the Bells ran away with the 9th, 10th, and 12th grade plaques with an additional 2nd place showing to Madera South in the 11th grade race! With that, BELLARMINE also ran away with the TOP OVERALL EARLYBIRD AWARD COMBINING BOYS AND GIRLS! The crazy thing is that Bellarmine keeps winning that award without a single girl in their school! That is a true tribute to a great boys’ program.

We’d like to thank all of the coaches, teams, athletes, sponsors, and volunteers that truly made the 17th meet one to remember! We hope to see you all next year!!

Coach Gustavo Ibarra

Earlybird Meet Director

Full results are available at

2011 Earlybird Invitational Preview by Coach Gustavo Ibarra

North Monterey County High School is proud to present the 17th Annual Earlybird Invitational! We’re set for a 6th year at Toro Park (2012 CCS Championship Site) in Salinas. It will be another thriller with more than 50 teams and over 2,000 athletes expected to participate Saturday, Sept. 10th. Races will be held by grade levels with combined team times being used for overall bragging rights. This may be the most competitive early-season meet in the state of California with many state and section ranked teams and individuals. The 2011 edition will welcome our traditional line-up of powerhouse squads from the north and central part of the state. The Central Coast Section will put on a show with most top ranked teams here! The Central Section, North Coast Section, and the Northern Section will also send some of their best including several squads ranked in the top 3 in their section and state ranked squads. As cross country is a true team sport, we’ll start by highlighting the top teams followed by the top individuals. We’ll break with tradition and start with the boys since some of the top girl teams are electing to lock horns later on in the season while most top boy teams in the region will clash here.

The BOYS, with 9 out of the 10 fastest squads ever at Toro lined-up here, will steal the show! Our yearly Central Coast Section preview at Earlybird continues as we have 8 out of the top 10 pre-season overall ranked teams here. In the past other sections have shined at Earlybird but CCS is holding its own recently. From 2002-2007 the titles went to Central Section powerhouse Madera. In 2008, Redondo Union rolled into town from the Southern Section and dethroned the Central Valley kings. The last 2 years a re-surging Bellarmine cranked 81:37 and then 81:10 team times at Earlybird for top bragging rights. The Bells return and are the favorites for a three-peat but they are a bit short-handed today with one key scorer ACT testing and another out with an injury. They are currently ranked 1st overall in CCS and 8th in state after a great 6th place showing at state last year in DI. Madera South from the Central Sectionnow has the coach that led Madera to their amazing run and could dethrone the Bells here. They have put in a great summer and should be ready to roll. Ranked 7th in State in DII they will be a force all year. The team that could upset the party may be San Benito from CCS DI. They know Toro well and should run great with a key addition this year. Some DII squads from CCS that will challenge include Los Gatos, Los Altos, and Cupertino. These three should battle all year. Monta Vista has a great leader and could shine also with a fast team time. Keep an eye on Carlmont as well as locals Salinas and Alisal. Other squads shooting for top 10 spots include Leland, Enterprise, Wilcox, St. Ignatius, Lynbrook, Gilroy, and host North Monterey County. Mountain View is a proud program and will try to stay competitive with their still standing course record of 80:13 from 2008.

The senior boys’ race has Kevin Bishop(Monta Vista) comingback for another Earlybird win after a nice 15:51 run last year. Kevin has blossomed and ran a fantastic 8:59 3200 at state dipping under the ultra-elite 9:00 barrier! If he’s ready to roll he may run away with it and climb high on the all-time Toro list! Earlybird veteran Jack Bordoni (Bellarmine) has been in the top 3 three times and could challenge for the win after a nice 16:01 runner-up last year and should help lead a fierce chase pack. Nathan Esparza (Madera South) was only 6th here last year but he’s our sleeper pick for the upset win.Our mystery runner is Michael McCabe (Willow Glen) as he returns for a 3rd win after huge wins in 9th and 10th grade! He blasted a 16:09 here 2 years back and we’re hoping he’s back in top form. Grant Foster (Los Gatos) andPeter Anthony (Cupertino) bothran a nice 4:19 1600 in track and can use their mile speed if they are close after the famous Toro hills. Juan Navia (Madera South) is very fit this summer. Locals Samuel Hales (King City) andteammates Said Hernandez andOmar Vasquez (San Benito) know Toro well and could surprise.Esteban Valencia (Bellarmine),Austin Bowie (Los Altos),Robert Valencia (Alisal), John Collins (Enterprise), Bryan Tena (Salinas), Thomas Anthony (Cupertino), Edgar Garcia (Watsonville), Jeffrey Stalun (Carlmont), Henry Manning (Los Gatos),with his 1:56 800 speed,and Francisco Salvador (Alisal) will all need good days to snag a hard to come by senior medal!

Bellarmine blew away the competition the last two years and should shine once again! Monta Vista, Salinas, Alisal, and San Benito will show well for the graduating groups.

The junior boys’race has a returning star. Richard Ho (Leland) is going for win number 3 and he may get it after a dominating win last year at 16:00. He is not afraid to push the pace alone. Charles Deanda (Bellarmine) will give chase once again and watch Jose Herrera (Madera South) who’s not afraid to run up-front and may go for the win. Randy Sosa (Greenfield) blazed a 21:54 4 miler at Toro recently and may shock everyone up the hills! Ciaran Murphy (St. Ignatius) has developed well on the track and is a sleeper if he’s ready to go. John Beutter (Los Altos), Ismael Guzman (Madera South), Ryan Stockton (West Valley), Justin Tucker (Wilcox), Chris Swanson (Fremont), Uriel Cabanas (Madera South), Timothy Layten (Carlmont), and Ricky Esqueda (San Benito) hope for medals.

The Bellarmine juniors have kept pace with their seniors and have also blown the competition away the last 2 years but we think Madera South may close the gap. Los Altos joinedthe party last year as runners-up and will want to spoil the party this year. Salinas and St. Ignatius, with their army, could show well for the junior teams.

The sophomore boys will provide a great dual once again as Takuto Doshiro (Monta Vista) and Steven Velarde (San Benito) renew their rivalry. Takuto edged Steven last year by 2 seconds and we’ll see what’s in store this year. But, we’re calling a big surprise as footballer RJ Collins (San Benito) makes his cross country and Earlybird debut and could steal the whole race! Sean McCarthy (Leland) was 4th last year and could move up. David Garcia (Madera South) and Ryan Bishop (Monta Vista) are our 2 sleeper picks here coming from great running traditions. Arthur Schulte (Carlmont), Sean Morrison (Los Gatos), Colton Deaver (Enterprise), and Johnny Corral (San Benito) all have medal hopes.

Bellarmine put on a show last year winning the freshmen team race by more than 70 points but are short 2 of their scoring 5 from last year. Look for a closer battle with Monta Vista, Sobrato, Madera South, and Mountain View.

The freshmen boys’ race welcomes our newbies that get the meet off to a great start each year! We’ll see if anyone can run with the Bellarmine army here.

Now, the GIRLS! The team title has opened a tad as some top regional squads will face each other down the road and some squads can be greatly enhanced with some newcomers in the 9th grade! On paper Mountain View may take the title here after placing 2nd the last two years. The top ranked squad in DII has won the last 5 CCS titles in that division and they return a great crew with an amazing leader. They also hold the 2nd fastest team time ever at Toro Park at 96:11 from 2008! Also on paper people have Aptos down a bit in the pre-season rankings. We’ll go against the grain and peg Aptos as a co-favorite here. With amazing leadership and a crop of youngsters the machine rolls on. If they can find a decent 5th scorer they could be dangerous. Carlmont returns to defend their Earlybird title from last year with their nice 99:48 early season run and won’t give that up easily. San Benito also has amazing leadership and could surprise with great Toro abilities. They feature a great one-two punch. A crew of CCS Divison II squads including Los Gatos, Presentation, St. Ignatius, and Gilroy line-up for what will be year-long battles. Some of these squads are traditional powers and fill gaps very well each year. Los Gatos’ team time course record at Toro Park from 2006 stands at a blazing 96:01! Saratoga will also run well while other sections will challenge CCS squads with Madera South, which returns the bulk of a team that qualified to state last year, and Enterprise that has a solid veteran crew. Valley Christian will seek to up-end the bigger schools and keep an eye on Leland, Willow Glen, Santa Cruz, Wilcox, and West Valley.

The senior girls’ race has a great toss-up battle set-up to settle a great dual! Allison Sturges (Mountain View) is going for her 3rd Earlybird win after titles in 9th and 10th grade although she will now have to dethrone defending champ Morgan Lira (Valley Christian)! Allison has the credentials to run away with it if she’s on. She had a stellar spring blazing a 4:47 mile good for 5th place at state! Morgan was a surprise winner last year and Allison should not be surprised here. If these two are not careful local Anna Welsh (Monterey) could play spoiler after a very fine 10:44 2 mile in track. Another local star that could challenge if healthy is Nina Anderson (Notre Dame-Salinas). She ran a 10:47 2 mile two years back and knows Toro Park very well. Laura Vazquez (Presentation) and Kayla Knapp (Los Gatos) return to try to duplicate their top 5 finish from last year. Amelia Eckhardt (Santa Cruz) broke 19:00 last year and should shine.And, watch teammates Mei-Lin Okino and Sarah Schreck (Carlmont) work together. Lalida Maokhamphiou (Wilcox), Athena Alarcon (Gilroy), Meghan Morse (Aptos), Sarah Wells (Mountain View), Maritza Ruelas (Gilroy), Emily Andrew (Mountain View), Sofia Rios (Madera South), Katie Alioto (Soquel), Abby Blake (Westmont), Sarah Gilbert (Sobrato), and Isabel Garcia (Valley Christian) could also medal here.