Saturday November 8, 2008
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| Tori Tyler opens up a gap on talented group of chasers, including Western Washington's Porter (3rd), UCSD's Schofield (5th), Seawolf's Carr (4th) and Chepkosgei (6th). |
| Men survive a comedy of errors, claim another Regional title Tyler's runner up finish, anchors women's fourth regional crown |
| By Gary Towne, Chico State head coach Saturday November 8, 2008 |
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SAN DIEGO -- Through the years I've witnessed many exciting cross country races filled with unexpected twists and turns, but nothing that I've seen or taken in previously could have prepared me for what we endured on Saturday. The men's 10k race was led well beyond one of the first major turns on the course by the lead cyclist, resulting in complete mayhem. With the majority of the athletes in the race having passed the turn, athletes scrambled and sprinted through the dense woods to find themselves back on the correct path. The mishap took place at approximately 1.5 miles into the men's 10k and the field ran another 2.3 miles before being stopped by race officials as they reached the 6k mark near the UCSD track stadium. It was decided by coaches and NCAA officials that the men would run another Full 10k at 11:15am (the original race started at 8:45am). Thankfully the Wildcat men didn't allow the extra 6k of racing to affect them and they would eventually capture their 7th straight west regional title by out-dueling the Alaska team that was highlighted in my race preview last week. Of course the men had the opportunity to become more inspired to reach this accomplishment by watching their female teammates win their own regional title. All in all it was a very exciting and exhausting morning in San Diego. If you're interested in taking a ride through the experience read on.
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| If not, you're welcome to skip to the results which will paint a more abreiviated picture of how things went in this year's regional championship meet.
The Course/Conditions: To completely understand how things went down this weekend it will help to know the environment that the Wildcats were working in. Temperatures on Saturday were a bit warmer than normal with readings topping around 80 degrees in the later morning hours. Given the cooler temps that most teams present have been training in as of late.. it was a bit warm out. The UCSD course is a fairly challenging one . After a wide start on the UCSD soccer fields the majority of the course takes place on a hilly piece of land filled with a dense stand of eucalyptus trees that sits adjacent to the campus. This forested area is chock full of trails with a somewhat complex network of hilly paths cris-crossing one another. UCSD coaches have developed a usually functional route through this network of trails that keeps runners from crossing each other's paths while also allowing some quality spectating for those interested in venturing into the woods. A few of the limitations of this course are the very narrow trails (at times just wide enough for just two runners) and the sometimes confusing turns and looping that occur. The latter calls for excellent race volunteers who Know the layout well and can make sure the lead bike is kept on the proper path during the race. Unfortunately this was compromised on Saturday as course monitors failed to direct the lead bike down the proper path during the men's 10k event. Men's 10k (Take 1) 8:45am: Respecting the Alaska squad and the difficulty of the course the Chico men ran somewhat conservatively from the start. Scott Bauhs and teammate Brendan Scanlon tucked into a lead pack that included the entire Top-5 of the Anchorage team. The remainder of the Chico guys worked together in chase packs, looking composed and preparing for the battle ahead. With the Alaska guys noticeably keying off the effort of Chico's pre-race favorite Bauhs, Western Washington's Jordan Welling snuck off the front, sensing that the pace was too slow. Welling quickly established a lead that approached 10 seconds before Bauhs headed the effort to slowly reel in the 30:30 10k guy who deserved attention. After an initial 1.2 mile stretch that allowed fans to catch the action about a mile in, the lead bike swung Welling and the chasing 150 athletes back toward the excited fans. As the lead bike approached the intersection where the course was to take a 90 degree right turn downhill, a race volunteer had flagged off the turn, instead of the main trail that they were running on. If the flagging had been swung across the main trail, the bicycle and following athletes would have no option but to make the turn as needed. Fans congregated near the turn, but from the accounts that I've heard the volunteers working the intersection thought for some reason that the course wasn't to turn down the trail at this point in the race. The result was that the lead bike rode past the needed turn and Welling and Company followed. According to Bauhs, the leaders ran around 150 meters beyond the turn before being re-directed by a different course monitor to reverse direction back to the intersection. Given the number of athletes that had passed the intersection and the narrow stretch of trail separating them from the turn that most of the field had missed, the following 2 minutes of running was nothing short of crazy. Athletes ran through the trees, hurdled logs, some falling, basically doing whatever was needed to get to the trail that they needed to be on. The fact that NCAA berths were on the line, the intensity of this chaotic rush cannot be underestimated. Since I was waiting at a more quiet section of trail near an outer loop I was completely unaware of the unfortunate turn of events. Although there were only a few brave souls who ventured to my perch in the outer trails, a few of the arriving UCSD non competing athletes delivered news that something had gone wrong at the intersection off the main trail. In a few minutes Bauhs and Chessetto crested the hill in front of me and Scott smiled and shook his head as if he didn't know what was going on. I wasn't sure that something had gone wrong though until I saw that UCSD's usual #4-#5 guy crested the hill in 4th place overall! Understanding the general order of the field the last time I'd seen the pack, it was obvious that the race was very sorted, with some of the early leaders having fallen well back in the pack. At my next vantage point near the 2 mile mark it was apparent that the miscue hadn't affected the Chico men too badly. The guys had moved into good positions and by the three mile mark we had what appeared to be 4-5 in the top 10 overall! However as I sprinted up to the track to watch the field make their way through the track stadium at 6k I noticed that athletes in the distance appeared to be walking. Race officials had decided that with NCAA berths on the line that it would be completely unfair to recognize the results of a race where so many of the top athletes had been led off course. Athletes and coaches took the word in various ways, some expressing complete anger, others happy that the result of the day wouldn't be hampered by such an event. Either way the next 10-20 minutes is a stretch of time that I have never experienced before in my life, (and hopefully won't again). Coaches met on the infield and after much discussion and with the help of some telephone calls to the NCAA committee back East it was decided that another 10k would be run at 11:15am following the women's 6k event. The Chico guys took the news quite well and prepared themselves accordingly for what would be a tough 10k run in just under 2 hours time. Women's 6,000m (only 1 race thankfully!) The women did an excellent job of not allowing all that had just transpired with the men's race deter them from what they were preparing for. A very young and relatively inexperienced Wildcat group readied for what they hoped would be a fourth regional title in 6 years. By the start of the women's race the temps had risen to what felt like 80 degrees which meant that it would be an uncomfortable run on the trails today. As a special treat leading up to the race I introduced Chico Alumnus Laura Dockery and Heather Newcom to the '08 Chico women's team. Newcom and Dockery were both a part of the first Chico State Women's cross country team to qualify for the NCAA meet in '97 and I wanted the competing women to know that Dockery, Newcom and others had made the trip out to support them. The '08 'Cats were very excited to chat with the '97 crew and after hearing that Dockery had invented our current pre-race cheer the team asked Dockery and Newcom if they'd lead them through the cheer before Saturday's run. Gladly accepting this honor Laura and Heather joined the 'Cats near the start, gave them some encouraging words, Led them through their cheer, then sent them to the line in search of victory. The women's race, as always, was aggressive from the gun as everyone fought for early positioning. The Chico women seem to operate best when working at a fairly even rate but today they would need to be careful Not to become buried early in the race due to the narrow stretch of trail that was described in detail earlier. By 600m the 'Cats main group ran just inside the top-50 but appeared to be moving forward as they saw openings ahead. In my women's race preview last week I made mention to how I felt that Tori Tyler appeared poised for a breakthrough performance. Her running to date this season would have ranked her around 8th-10th in this field but workouts have indicated a much better result if she could put a solid race together. Standing at the mile mark It was no surprise to see defending NCAA champion Jessica Pixler appear first. Following approximately 10 seconds back was a pack of 10 very talented women. Tyler ran second in this group behind GNAC runner-up Sarah Porter (my pick for 2nd place in this race based off past results). CCAA champ Vivien Wadeck ran on Tyler's heels in fourth place overall. Not too far back was the solid trio of Shannon McVannel, Kara Lubieniecki and Alia Gray who appeared to be working somewhere in the 20's overall, but looking quite well in doing so. A few packs behind Stephanie Consiglio, Colleen Joyce and Shannon Rich worked together as a group. With just over 2 miles remaining the 'Cats were in good position but they would need to execute well to enjoy a victory at the race's end. By two miles Tyler had solidified her second place position by opening up a gap on the chase pack behind. While Tori appeared to be dialed into the type of race that we knew she was capable of, there was still some distance yet to cover with a very talented group chasing. Tyler's teammates looked as confident and controlled at mid race as she had, and the race seemed to be playing out just as everyone had hoped beforehand. As Tyler held off the strong group behind to eventually finish second overall, teammate McVannel stretched the "rubber band" that seems to hold her, Lubieniecki and Gray together during races. Over the final half mile of trail McVannel caught and passed several athletes to hit the track in 10th overall. Shannon's final sprint narrowly missed catching CCAA champ Wadeck, but earned her a rewarding top ten finish. A year ago Shannon struggled at this meet finishing 75th overall. Today she earned her first All Region honor while setting herself up well for the NCAA meet ahead. Gray and Lubieniecki followed closely as each held their own with a solid finishing sprint. Lubieniecki's 14th place effort gave the 'Cats 4 in the top 15 and during her final sprint she passed eventual second place team SPU's #3 Natty Plunkett. Insurance of the eventual team title would come in the form of two up and coming frosh Stephanie Consiglio and Shannon Rich. The two hit the tape 22nd and 23rd overall well ahead of SPU's #4 who would finish 30th overall. The only "rough" performance today would be that of Sophomore Colleen Joyce who finished 46th overall. The final results would reflect the 'Cats dominance this year as the Chico women enjoyed a 32 point win over 2007 NCAA runner-up SPU. Alaska Anchorage would finish 3rd recording a mini-upset over CCAA runner-up Cal State LA. Western Washington's women were the biggest surprise of the day while finishing ahead of host UCSD while nabbing the final ticket to this year's NCAA meet. By virtue of their Top-15 peformances Tori Tyler (2nd), Shannon McVannel (10th), Alia Gray (12th), and Kara Lubieniecki (14th) each earned their first All West Region honors. With the team title the Chico women earn their 4th crown in 6 years and their 9th straight trip to the NCAA championships, dating back to 2000! Tyler joins Katie Lee ('05) and Mary Torres ('06) on the 'Cats list of previous regional runner-ups. |
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Men's 10k: (Take 2!) 11:15am
With just over 6k of racing already behind them the men's field was definitely a bit more tentative with their second start. The initial pace was similar but the lead pack from the gun was composed primarily of Chico and Alaska athletes. It appeared that many of those who normally start fast and fade, were reluctant to try this approach and this was for good reason given the hot temperatures and obvious distance that everyone was running.
During the second pre-race talk of the day much of what was said was to ensure the Chico guys that they were physically well prepared for another tough effort and that they REALLY needed to believe in this. Those who questioned their preparations and ability to handle 16k of racing would most likely fade and finish well back in the pack. If we were to have any chance of defeating the Alaska team the guys would need a good mindset going into and especially during the race. Thankfully the guys were collectively fine with the restart and everyone appeared up to the challenge ahead.
As the leaders hit the mile for the second time of the day (similar split as the first run) the lead pack was almost entirely Chico and Alaska. It was a 10k dual meet for the title and everyone was excited to see how this would play out. By the second mile Bauhs and Chessetto had separated from those chasing. Chico's Brendan Scanlon ran in third overall with Alaskan Jake Parisien on his heels. With the exception of the defending regional champ John Riak and WWU's Jordan Welling and SPU's Brian Cronrath, almost everyone else among the top 15 seemed to be either from UAA or Chico. At 5k the race for the title was extremely tight. Bauhs and Chessetto ran stride for stride at the lead with Scanlon and Parisien running together in 3rd and 4th (a toss up at this point). Not counting a few individuals not on the Chico or Alaska squads, AK standouts Alfred Kangogo and David Kipligat followed next (advantage AK), but Chico's Angel Marquez was hot on Kiplagat's heels and Chico's Beau Rogers, Michael Wickman, Manny Mejia and Jordan Fairley had all just passed Alaska's #5 Paul Rotich (who wasn't looking too good). At 6k the pack successfully passed the previous premature finish area near the track and things were still quite dicey between the two top teams. Bauhs ran on the shoulder of Chesseto but Parisian had pulled clear from a fading Scanlon into third position. The Chico guys looked solid with all 7 running inside the top 15 with 4k to go. |
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In the final two miles the Chico guys took complete control over the race in progress. Marquez partnered with defending champ Riak as the pair pulled clear of Kangogo and Kipligat and moved closer to Parisian who appeared to finally be feeling the effects of the aggressive early racing. Unfortunately Chico's Brendan Scanlon was fading badly as he dealt with a tightening hamstring muscle that apparently wasn't happy with the additional race distance. Scanlon's fade wouldn't affect the 'Cats chances however as teammates Rogers, Wickman and Mejia had all three worked up to Kiplagat (AK's #4) and appeared to be moving past the struggling Seawolf.
As planned Bauhs shot to the lead inside the final two miles and quickly built a gap between himself and Chesseto. Over the final kilometers Bauhs kept an eye on Chesseto to ensure victory, but not wasting any unneeded effort as he gears up for the NCAA meet in two weeks. Marquez and Riak had pulled away from Parisien over the final kilometers and the two would eventually finish 3rd and 4th overall respectively. Parisien would hold on to finish 5th overall but Chico would claim 3 of the next 5 spots with Beau Rogers leading the way with his 6th place effort. Michael Wickman in his first real race of the season improved on his 10th place run a year ago at regionals while finishing 7th this year. WWU's Jordan Welling would finish next, followed by Kangogo of Alaska Anchorage(#3). Finishing only 2 seconds behind Kangogo was Chico's #5 Manny Mejia who stopped the Chico scoring today with his 10th place finish. In a personal victory that also earned himself his first All Region award was the big kick of Jordan Fairley who caught and passed Kiplagat on the track just before the finish. This gave the 'Cats half of the Top-12 finishers and six on the All West Region team. The only Wildcat to have a rough outing for the guys was Sophomore Scanlon who'd finished second at the CCAA two weeks prior. His careful approach to the final miles will hopefully allow his ailing hamstring to recover more quickly. With the win the 'Cats claimed their seventh straight regional title and their 10th straight NCAA appearance. Bauhs (1st), Marquez (4th), Rogers (6th), Wickman (7th), Mejia (10th), and Fairley (12th) took home All West Region honors with their Top-15 performances. Bauhs becomes the 'Cats second Regional champ in the history of the program, joining current Chico Assistant Coach Pat Boivin on that short list. Up Next: For the Ninth straight season the men's and women's cross country teams from Chico State will represent the school and community at the the NCAA Championships. This year's championships are to be held in Slippery Rock, PA (Not too far from Pittsburgh). Races are on Saturday November 22nd |
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