XC signing

Competing at (Washington 4A) state meet was senior Alex Bowns in the 1600m run finishing in 16th place (4:26.30). Bowns also ran a 15:34 5000m last November, and will run track at University of Portland next year.

DoubleDipper wrote:With such a highly touted incoming class, would this be a more typical UP recruit?

I noticed this in the Ballard (WA) Blog:

Competing at (Washington 4A) state meet was senior Alex Bowns in the 1600m run finishing in 16th place (4:26.30). Bowns also ran a 15:34 5000m last November, and will run track at University of Portland next year.

Not too impressive compared to the higher profile recruits in this year’s recruiting class, but he apparently had offers from Santa Clara, Gonzaga, and UW, in addition to UP . So it would appear coaches see some potential for development in Alex, although I don’t believe he’s been mentioned as a NLI signee by the Pilots.

Performances by Event (from DyeStat)
Date Event Performance Notes Meet

2012-04-26 B-800 1:57.70 WA#51 ht Issaquah tri(#2)

2012-04-12 B-800 1:59.60 ht Ballard v Bothell(#1)

2012-04-28 B-1600 4:17.62 WA#29 Shoreline Invitational(#9)

2012-04-14 B-1600 4:17.87 Larry Eason Invitational(#1)

2012-05-11 B-1600 4:17.91 4A KingCo Championships(#2)

2012-05-18 B-1600 4:20.57 4A District I-II Championships(#4)

2012-04-21 B-3200 9:14.12 WA#15 Bellevue Invitational(#3)

2012-05-11 B-3200 9:18.40 4A KingCo Championships(#1)

2011-05-28 B-3200 9:22.23 WA#19 WA 4A State(#9)

2012-05-18 B-3200 9:24.74 4A District I-II Championships(#6)

2011-05-20 B-3200 9:26.86 WA 4A Northwest Regional(#4)

2011-04-23 B-3200 9:29.74 Bellevue Invitational(#5)

2011-05-13 B-3200 9:32.61 WA 4A KingCo Championships(#4)

2012-04-14 B-3200 9:37.48 Larry Eason Invitational(#1)

2011-10-29 B-5k_XC 15:34.00 WA#18 WA 4A NW Regional(#1)

2011-11-05 B-5k_XC 15:41.00 Washington Class 4A(#15)

2010-10-21 B-5k_XC 15:46.00 WA#28 WA District XC Class 4(#4)

2010-11-06 B-5k_XC 15:59.70 4A WA State XC(#20)

2011-09-24 B-5k_XC 16:03.15 Bellevue Invitational(#5)

2010-10-30 B-5k_XC 16:16.39 WA Regional XC 4A(#3)

2011-10-08 B-5k_XC 16:21.15 Hole In The Wall Invitational(#11)

2011-12-03 B-5k_XC 16:25.00 Foot Locker West Regional(#30)

2009-09-26 B-5k_XC 16:27.49 Bellevue HS Invitational(#12)

For Alex Bowns, cross country running was just supposed to be a way to get in shape for the soccer season. He had never run long distance before, and figured it would be a good chance to improve his cardio. Yet four years later, Bowns now has a different plan.

Last Wednesday at Issaquah, Bowns broke the 3-mile course record by ten seconds, finishing 54 seconds faster than the second place runner. And that’s not his only record: last spring at the 4A state championships, Bowns broke the Ballard high school 2-mile record.

“Bowns is going well off the field too, sporting a 3.9 GPA. When asked about where he plans on going to college, he stated that he hadn’t committed anywhere yet, but that there was plenty of interest from D1 schools. One thing that he is sure of though is that he will continue running in college.

Although cross country is essentially an individual sport, Bowns is very appreciative of the stability and influence his coach Bob Mirenzi has given him.

“My coach has been a great influence on me and has coached me all four years,” he said. “Becoming a runner has been a great experience for me.”

T: Have you ever run a marathon?
A: NO. I never want to run a marathon and I really hope I don’t ever. It sounds horrible.

Izaic Yorks among additions to adidas Dream Mile

NEW YORK CITY (May 30, 2012)---Tyreek Hill, who last weekend set the track world on fire with a scorching double of 10.19 at 100 meters and 20.14 for 200 meters at the Golden South Classic, will compete in the adidas Dream 100 at the Adidas Grand Prix on June 9, organizers have announced.

Both times lead the nation this year, and Hill's 200-meter clocking catapults him to #2 on the all-time U.S. high school list, just 1/100th of a second off the national prep record of 20.13 set by Roy Martin in 1985.
Hill, a senior from Douglas, Ga., who was virtually unknown outside of his home state until his Golden South breakthrough, is the 2012 Georgia 5A State Champion in 100 meters, 200 meters and the long jump. The addition of Hill and Hall to the field gives the Boys' Dream 100 the five fastest 100-meter sprinters in the nation this year.

The Dream 100 and Dream Mile are again destined to be among the most hotly contested events at the adidas Grand Prix on June 9. In its eighth year as one of the premier track-and-field events in the world, the adidas Grand Prix, at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island, will feature dozens of Olympic medalists and World Champions, including Yohan Blake, the reigning 100-meter World Champion, and David Rudisha, the 800-meter World Record-holder.

Izaic Yorks, a senior from Lakewood, Wash., ranked #1 at 1600 meters (4:04.00), has been added to the Boys' Dream Mile. The 2012 Washington 3A State Champion at 800 meters and 1600 meters, he will attend the University of Portland.

Fields for the Dream Mile and Dream 100 are being drawn from the winners of three qualifying meets in the adidas Golden Stripes series, as well as from at-large bids. In addition to the opportunity to compete in a world-class international track event, athletes in the Dream Mile and Dream 100 will also have the chance to receive coaching from mile legend Jim Ryun.

pilotram wrote:How did the BYU recruits do? I heard they had some fast dudes that were likely in that race.

DaTruRochin wrote:With a 3:46.67 in the 1500 at the US Junior T&F Championships... http://www.usatf.org/events/2012/USAJuniorOutdoorTFChampionships/results/F10.asp

Which means Yorks just qualified for the AAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona next month... Um WOW.

DaTruRochin wrote:Ugh, I know... (And seeing him excel at track specifically is even more concerning considering recent history.)

DaTruRochin wrote:Which means Yorks just qualified for the AAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona next month... Um WOW.

Izaic Yorks is getting some worldly experience before he heads down to Oregon for college.

Yorks, who graduated last month from Lakes High School, placed seventh in Tuesday’s preliminary heat of the 1,500-meter run at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona. His time of 3 minutes, 49.21 seconds failed to move him into today’s final.

Yorks reportedly was at the front of the chase pack for the first two laps, but slipped behind at the tape.

Shortly before heading to Spain, Yorks mentioned that the odds were stacked against him.

“No American has ever medaled in the 1,500,” he said, “and, you know, I don’t think I’m even in the top 10.”

Still, he said, he was planning to “just have confidence going in.”

“I know what I can do … It’s not really intimidating going knowing that I have the support and the training.”

He also said he was looking forward to seeing Spain.

“I like seeing different cultures and different things,” he said. “It’s always a learning experience in a way. I wouldn’t be able to do this (otherwise), probably.”

In June, Yorks competed in the elite Dream Mile race in New York, finishing eighth, in 4:04.38. He entered the race with the nation’s fastest mile time.

“It was an OK race,” he said. “I ran a 4:04 and I wasn’t feeling too great, but I was able to be consistent on a not-so-great day.”

But the pair of disappointing showings isn’t the end for Yorks.

“I’m a big believer that if you believe in it, it can happen,” he said.

And next, it’s going to happen at the University of Portland, where Yorks has a track scholarship. He isn’t sure of his major, but is considering physical therapy and pre-law. And he’ll be rooming with fellow runner Nick Borg, a Peninsula High School graduate who he says is “a pretty fun guy.”

Yorks conceded that it will be hard to leave home, “But it’s going to be less weird than if I had gone to Wisconsin or something because getting back from there would be a pain, but if I wanted to, I could come home from Portland every weekend.”

And he also expects to see his family – especially his father – on the sidelines at his meets.

“I know he’ll make it to the big ones,” he said.

It also wasn’t easy leaving Lakes, where Yorks starred in both cross country and track. As a senior, he won the league and district cross-country meets, setting a personal best time of 15:19 in the 5K run at the former. In track season, he set a state record in the 1,600 at the state meet, completing the four laps in 4:04.

“I wish I could stay in a way,” he said, “but I’m really excited to move on to college.”

During his final season, Lakes coach Joe Clark said that Yorks is “a blessing” to coach, and that the team will miss him.

“He works hard, he knows how to race and he follows his plan,” Clark said.

Yorks, who began running in eighth grade, said that he enjoys the sport because it helps build upon the work ethic he learned from his family. His younger sister, Brittany, is in a wheelchair, and he said he admires her determination. Brittany will be a senior next year at Clover Park High School.

“That makes me think it’s a blessing to be able to run, and I wouldn’t want to waste it,” he said. “She’s been a big inspiration to me.”

And he’s hoping to be an inspiration to others, too.

“I want to do well in college, but ultimately, I would like to become a professional runner and medal at the Olympics,” he said.

So does that mean he can see himself still running when his 10-year reunion at Lakes rolls around?

“I do,” he said. “I’m pretty optimistic about that stuff, and I see myself running professionally in 10 years.”

Danny Martinez had two goals in the 3,200 meters - to break nine minutes and win the state title.

The St. John Bosco senior came up just a little short of those lofty objectives, but not by much.
Martinez finished second at the state meet for the highest 3,200 finish by a St. John Bosco runner in school history, helping the Braves finish in a tie for sixth place in the team competition. Martinez finished the season with a season best of 9:01.93 and ran under 9:10 five times.

"It didn't end the way I wanted it to, but it wasn't a disaster," Martinez said.

Far from it.

The Press-Telegram Dream Team Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year was undefeated in the 3,200 meters until the CIF State meet, where he finished second to USA Track & Field Junior championships steeplechase champion Darren Fahy of La Costa Canyon High.

Along the way, Martinez won the Southern Section Division III and Masters Meet titles. He also set the school record of 4:13.19 in the 1,600 in the Division III preliminaries.

It is the third Dream Team Athlete of the Year award for Martinez, who earned the honor in cross country in 2010 and 2011. Martinez, who will attend the University of Portland, is the first athlete to win both the track and cross country Athlete of the Year award in the same season.

In cross country, Martinez won the school's first individual Southern Section and State Division III titles and earned a berth in the Nike Cross Nationals to earn the distinction as the first St. John Bosco runner to compete in a national championship.

St. John Bosco coach Tim McIntosh called the 5-foot-5 Martinez one of the most technically efficient runners that he has coached in 22 years at his alma mater.

"We've never had anybody run the kind of times that he has and not look like he is pushing it," McIntosh said. "Sometimes, I would yell at him in a race and then look at my watch and realize how fast he was running.

"He looks effortless."

Martinez's season-best time of 9:01.93 came in a solo effort in the CIF-SS Division III finals after finishing second in the 1,600 meters. As a junior, Martinez ran 8:57.42 in the state meet to finish eighth while becoming the area's first runner to break nine minutes since 1972.

This season, Martinez ran a limited number of 3,200s in an effort to peak for the state meet. Unfortunately, heat and wind at the state meet in Clovis were not conducive for a record time. The race turned into a tactical affair with Martinez running 9:05.74, more than eight seconds slower than he did in the 2011 state meet, but six places higher.

"I just figured that I would run under nine in the right race," Martinez said. "It is a little strange to finish second and not break nine.

"Second place is still something a lot of kids haven't done."

McIntosh believes Martinez was in condition to run well under nine minutes at the state meet, but neither was prepared for the breezy conditions in Central California.

"The training was definitely there," McIntosh said. "We didn't count on the wind. We didn't hit our goal and when you go back and look at it maybe he would have run 8:50.

"My only wish is that we could have had last year's weather."

Men’s Cross Country and Track Adds 14 Newcomers for 2012-13

PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots Men’s Cross Country and Track teams replenished their rosters on Tuesday, adding 14 additional incoming freshman, announced head coach Rob Conner.

"This is a tremendous group of athletes,” Conner noted. “Our recruiting coordinator Jesse Johnson did an incredible job. We think we have one of the best incoming cross country classes in the nation. The success we have had at University of Portland has always been because of the hard work of our developmental recruits.”

Joining Sergio Gonzalez, Jacob Smith, Izaic Yorks and Danny Martinez as newcomers this year will be:

Alex Bowns, Seattle, Wash. (Ballard HS) – Bowns placed 15h at the 2011 Washington State 4A Cross Country Championships and posted personal records of 1:57 (800m), 4:17 (1600m), and 9:14 (3200m) during the spring season.

Alex Dillard, The Dalles, Ore. (The Dalles-Wahtohka/Dufur HS) – Dillard grabbed a second place finish in the Oregon State 5A Cross Country Championships for the 2011 season for The Dalles-Wahtohka before capturing the 1A State Championship title courtesy of an 8:43.19 personal record in the 3000m in the spring with Dufur HS.

Ben Forsee, Broomfield, Colo. (Broomfield HS) – Forsee followed up an 11th place finish at the Colorado State 4A Cross Country Championship with a second place finish in the 3200m and seventh place finish in the 1600m events at the 4A State Championships.

Griffin Hay, Fort Collins, Colo. (Fort Collins HS) – Hay captured the 5A State Championship title in the 3200m event in the spring after placing seventh at the Colorado State 5A Cross Country Championships in 2011.

Justin Rocereto, Beaverton, Ore. (Southridge HS) – One of only two Portland-area recruits, Rocereto clocked a time of 4:00.27 in the 1500m event at the Oregon 6A State Championships, finishing tenth on the strength of his season best.

Adam Waldum, Cedar Park, Texas (Vista Ridge HS) – Waldum earned a fourth place finish at the Texas State 4A Cross Country Championships to cap off an impressive 2011 senior season.

Gavin Flynn, Lincoln City, Ore. (Taft HS) – Flynn saved his best performance of the season for the 4A Oregon State Championships, placing second in the 400m with a time of 49.95.

Sean Johnston, Seattle, Wash. (O'Dea HS) – Recording a time of 1:54.03 in the 800m, Johnston finished 10th at the 3A Washington State Championships in the spring.

Nathan DeVaughn, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minneapolis SW) – One of two field event recruits in the class, DeVaughn came in 12th place at the 2A Minnesota State Championships for long jumpers.

“All Americans like Joe Driscoll, Todd Davis and Michael Kilburg all started here as developmental athletes,” Conner added. “It will be exciting to see the progress these men make over the next four or five years.”

Distance runners Will Baker-Robinson (San Anselmo, Calif./Sir Francis Drake HS), Nick Borg (Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula HS), Andy Holstrom (Beaverton, Ore./Valley Catholic HS), and Nick Shindler (Port Angeles, Wash./Port Angeles HS) will also be joining the Pilots in the fall. Rounding out this year’s freshman class is Stuart Milner, a triple jumper from Mountlake Terrace High School in Mountlake Terrace, Wash.

What is your favorite part about living in Portland?

Definitely the freedom I have right now because I’m so far away from my parents. I get to do what I want a little bit more and there’s so much to do around Portland compared to Fort Collins, Colo. where I’m from. It’s so much more urban and there’s constantly concerts going on, great restaurants and things like that. I love it.

Do you have any nicknames?

I don’t really have a nickname yet on the cross country team here, but my old team used to call me “Princess” because they knew I’d get annoyed by it and I tend to be a stickler for details at times.