2013 Boys Cross Country Capsules
ADELSON SCHOOL
Head coach: Don Giardina, first season
Returning lettermen: One
Top athletes: Aaron Schwartz (So.)
Outlook: The Lions have just three runners on the boys roster and are focused on individual improvement.
ARBOR VIEW
Head coach: Tyrel Cooper, first season
Returning lettermen: Three
Top athletes: Cole Jones (Sr.)
Outlook: Jones placed 10th in the Sunset Region meet and 13th in the state meet last season and is back to lead an inexperienced group, as a handful of potential returnees opted not to come out this season.
“This boys team has had a strong summer of training and is hoping to compete for a trip to the state meet,” Cooper said. “We will need all of our athletes to step up and work hard this season to achieve this goal.”
CANYON SPRINGS
Head coach: Freddie Thompson, 10th season
Returning lettermen: Four
Top athletes: Ryan Samano (Sr.), Aaron Ibarra (So.), Joseph Spendlove (Jr.), Tony Alcala (Sr.), Evan Anderson (Jr.)
Outlook: The Pioneers have four lettermen back and are hoping to make more noise in the Sunrise Region.
“We’re looking to improve every meet,” Thompson said.
CHAPARRAL
Head coach: Cynthia Ziegler, sixth season
Top athletes: Ricardo Salas (Sr.), Sean Wadsworth (Sr.), Oscar Trujillo (Sr.), Nolan Brandt (Jr.), Kevin Pineda (So.)
Outlook: The Cowboys welcome back a handful of runners and should be in better position to compete this season.
CORONADO
Head coach: Mark Tondryk, eighth season
Returning lettermen: Two
Top athletes: Colin Schaefer (So.), Sterling Saltz (Jr.)
Outlook: The Cougars have some work to do after losing five of the seven members of last season’s Sunrise Region championship squad.
Schaefer placed eighth in the region, and Saltz took ninth last year.
“The boys are young and have to work hard to have a chance to make it to state,” Tondryk said.
DESERT OASIS
Head coach: Jim Dinkel, sixth season
Returning lettermen: Six
Top athletes: Frankie Martinez (Sr.), T.J. Ness-Pavlinsky (Jr.), Sam Jimenez (Sr.), Nathan McIntosh (Sr.)
Outlook: The Diamondbacks should be primed for a good seaons with the return of the team’s top four runners.
Martinez placed 11th in the state meet last year.
“Frankie Martinez will lead the team again this season,” Dinkel said.
DURANGO
Head coach: Jim Holben, 14th season
Top athletes: Marlon Medina (Jr.), Daniel Caswell (Jr.)
Outlook: The Trailblazers hoped to have a strong season, even after graduation took its toll, but lost their top three runners to eligibility issues.
“Hopefully we can rebuild for next year,” Holben said.
FOOTHILL
Head coach: Tim Simonis, fifth season
Returning lettermen: Two
Top athletes: Jesse Dalton (Sr.), Kolten Anderson (Jr.)
Outlook: The Falcons aren’t quite as deep in the returnees areas as some of their Sunrise Region comeptition.
But they do return a couple of capable runners in Dalton (30th in the region meet) and Anderson (36th).
Simonis also said he expects help to come from a handful of sophomores and a freshman.
“Foothill looks to stay in the mix this season,” Simonis said.
GREEN VALLEY
Head coach: Blaine Thompson, 11th season
Returning lettermen: Eight
Top athletes: Ben Stock (Jr.), Austin Rogers (So.), Derrick Sumner (So.), Robert Lovelady (Jr.), Tyler Zurcher (Jr.), Jake Braverman (So.), Nick Lamb (Jr.), Tim Halopoff (Sr.), Edgar Narciso (Fr.), Lenny Rubi (Fr.)
Outlook: A quick glance at the Gators’ expected top runners nets only one senior, but don’t mistake that for inexperience.
The Gators bring back four of the top 15 Sunrise Region returnees.
“We expect to win the Northeast League, qualify for state, and compete for the Sunrise Region title,” Thompson said.
THE MEADOWS
Head coach: Charles Bernick, 10th season
Returning lettermen: Two
Top athletes: Alex Bice (Sr.), Robbie Netzorg (Jr.)
Outlook: Bice, who placed third in the 1,600 in the Division III state track meet last season but is new to cross country, is one of a small handful of upperclassmen for the Mustangs.
“The team is dominated by youth, with 10 of the 13 runners being freshmen or sophomores,” Bernick said. “The success of the team likely will depend on how quickly the lower classmen develop over the season.”
SHADOW RIDGE
Head coach: Don Kimura, first season
Returning lettermen: Four
Top athletes: Nick Oberdin (Sr.), David Peters (Jr.), Josh Ballard (Jr.)
Outlook: The Mustangs return two of the top eight finishers in last year’s state meet in Oberdin (sixth) and Peters (eighth).
“Nick Oberdin, David Peters and Josh Ballard are the nucleus of a boys team that competed at state last season,” Kimura said. “Returning lettermen and underclassmen continue to train hard to make a push for this year’s team to return to state.”
SPRING VALLEY
Head coach: Jean Rees, second season
Top athletes: Desmond DeCaires (Sr.), Steven Thomas (Jr).
Outlook: DeCaires should be at or near the front of most of the Grizzlies’ races after posting a 3.1-mile personal best time of 16 minutes, 46 seconds last season.
The Grizzlies are hoping to find enough depth and continue to improve.
“We are looking forward to a great season,” Rees said.