By Leonard COUTIN

In preparation for the 2017 cross-country season, CV’s Head Coach Mark Evans, along with his coaching staff of Rob Evans, Alex Lowe and Brett Harvey, offered their runners a program to boost their conditioning and racing abilities during the summer. The team headed out to its favorite camping site in Mammoth.

“We had a great week in Mammoth,” Evans said. “The Mammoth running camp gives us a chance to come together as a team. It is a week when we can focus on training and doing things together as a group. We are able to meet with each athlete and discuss goals – both as a team and individually. We are also able to stay on trails and do different runs in a new environment. The altitude adds an extra stress, but the athletes are able to adapt to this.”  

CV High School parents can be relied on for support and volunteer to spend countless hours assisting and organizing this trip, as well as driving the team all over Southern California during the season. In addition, they work to raise funds to pay for the stipends for the coaching staff, and also to pay for needed equipment to support the program.

         With the return of all the varsity runners from last year, Coach Evans and his Falcons are feeling optimistic about the upcoming season. As they prepared for the season, the team discussed various strategies.

“We talk a lot about what it takes to be a successful team. We set up workouts where they can, for the most part, work on staying together. We set up race plans with specific goals that help keep the group together,” said Coach Evans. “It is just a process that takes time.”

Asked how he will prepare his star runner, Colin FitzGerald, for the CIF meets and state exposures, Coach Evans answered, “We really are not doing anything differently. For everyone it is about building strength and confidence, about believing in the training process and getting everyone to trust themselves, their teammates and the coaches. Colin really does not need to do anything different.”

Testing their strength on Thursday, the Falcons competed against Newbury Park High and Camarillo High for the first non-scoring competitive cross-country meet. Camarillo only brought their girl team to battle this year.

Due to the intense heat, the meet was delayed until the weather got cooler. In the past, Newbury Park supplied some keen competition against the Falcons. FitzGerald controlled the boys’ three-mile varsity race, crossing the finish line first (15:22.53). Newbury Park senior Nathaniel Garner took second (15:28.97) and his teammate, sophomore Jace Aschbrenner, placed third (15:29.25).

Coach Evans commented, “This was fastest our boys have ever run on that course.”

Final score: CV 23, Newbury 32

The Falcon girls, led by senior Nalia Ortiz, were strong, too. Ortiz scored second place (19:07.66) coming behind Newbury Parks’ Kira Samuel, a junior, who won the race (18:58.31). Camarillo sophomore Sierra Klemann took third running 19:24.94.

Final score: CV 41, Camarillo 41, Newbury Park 44

The JV races were reduced to 2.1 miles. In girls’ JV, McKenna Heeg, a sophomore, ran a time of 14:30 was the fastest of the day followed by teammate ninth grader Sarah Nakama running her first high school race in a time of 14:36.00. The CV girls won their meet.

Final team score: CV 20, Camarillo 36

Taking the win in the JV boys’ race was Falcon Erik Faeustle, a sophomore, who ran a time of 11.57.47 followed by teammates Grant Bolstad, a senior, (12:00.62), Jacob Thomas a sophomore, (12:07.12).

Final score: CV 19, Newbury Park 38

On Friday, the Falcons will head over to Brookside Park to run in the Cool Breeze Invitational where FitzGerald holds the meet record that was set last year.

  Leonard Coutin