Event schedule for the US Outdoor TF Championships is posted: Check it out!
Event schedule for the US Outdoor TF Championships is posted: Check it out!
Local favorite Kim Conley will compete in the 10,000m. Run the Billy Mills 10K (7 pm, 6/26) and then stay to cheer her on! Entry to the Billy Mills 10K includes a ticket for the Nationals June 26 events.
Echo Summit Track Dedication to be held the morning of June 27. Press Release
“Capitol Shot” will kick off Championships… at the State Capitol on June 25! Read more.
When Julia Bounds crossed the finish line at the 2008 USA Track
& Field National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships,
held at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Virginia, tears were in
her eyes. Her feet were numb from the cold and she was spent from
her efforts. Then the 9-year-old Bantam Girls national cross country
champion spied her mom through the crowd and mouthed the
words, “I won! I won!”
Her coach, Willie Young, never had any doubts. Young, now
entering his 19th year as Head Coach and Team Manager of the
Palo Alto Lightning Track Club, had e-mailed Julia’s dad, Jay
Bounds, before the race. In that e-mail, coach Young said, “Julia’s
going to win this.”
Jay Bounds described his emotions upon seeing his daughter cross
the finish line, capturing the win in the Bantam Girls division (for
girls ages 10 and under), and earning her first national
championship title: “Pride. Awe. Amazement. I was shaking
because I was so happy for her,” he said. “She started off with a
goal to win, and put it all out there and did it.”
Julia’s time of 11 minutes, 34 seconds for the 3-kilometer course
was a scant two seconds ahead of second placer Danae Rivers of
the New Haven (Connecticut) Age Group Track Club.
Coach Young’s pre-race directions to Julia were to get out quickly
from the starting gun and avoid getting caught in a first-turn
bottleneck.
“I told her that she had the number two best time in the country,”
Young said. “The number one person is going to be here, but on
any given day you can always beat this person, and this is your
day. You are going to do this.”
Julia Bounds in the lead of the Bantam Girls pack at the 2009 National Junior Olympic XC Championships.
When the gun sounded, the 221 young athletes raced for the first turn. Julia was running in about 5th place. She gradually
moved up until she was vying for first. At the urging of coach Young, Julia shifted gears and pulled away for the win.
That made three big wins in a row for the youngster. To compete in the JO National Championship meet, Julia had to
qualify—through the Pacific Association JO Championship and USATF Region 14 JO Championship meets. She handily
topped all Bantam Girls at these qualifying events.
Despite Julia’s extraordinary achievement, Julia’s mother, Norleen Bounds, said that her daughter is just like any normal
9-year-old girl. Julia attends the Carey School in San Mateo, Calif. where she enjoys art, PE, and math.
“I like math,” Julia said, “because in my class, math usually has something to do with food.”
According to her mother, the young Bounds plays the piano, loves singing and performing, likes to write and listen to
music, and she especially loves animals. Along with two dogs, two cats, and a hamster, the Bounds family has a relatively
recent new addition—a rabbit.
Norleen Bounds promised Julia the rabbit if she qualified for last summer’s USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field
Championships. Given this incentive, Julia turned in a 1,500-meter qualifier for the big meet, where she finished 10th
among Bantam Girls. Her time was 5:34.83, despite stumbling when another racer stepped on her foot.
So, Julia earned her new rabbit, who happened to have a famous name.
“We got the bunny at the SPCA,” Norleen Bounds said, “where they named her Cindy because she has this big black spot
that looks like (fashion model) Cindy Crawford’s mole.”
Julia displayed an aptitude for sports since she was very young.
Norleen Bounds recalls that her daughter excelled at soccer,
gymnastics, swimming, “whatever sport she could do.” When she
was 8 years old, Julia ran her first 5-kilometer race and placed 2nd
in the 12-and-under age group.
The following spring, Julia joined the Palo Alto Lightning Track
Club, a youth PA/USATF club with about 39 members, ranging
from 5 to 18-years-old.
Head Coach Willie Young focuses on complete conditioning for his
young charges, who run on and around the Stanford University
track. Practices include basic warm-up drills, stretches, and
conditioning based on where his athletes are in the competitive
season. He balances endurance training with sprint training, adding
in jump rope and push ups for coordination and upper body
strength.
“Julia gives her all. We ask for 150 percent and she does it,” coach
Young said. “She’s funny. She has a very good sense of humor. She
can focus, though, because she wants to win.”
“She loves it,” her mother added. “She loves coach Willie and
coach Michael (assistant coach Michael Davidson). She loves being
with the team, training with the team, encouraging others. The
camaraderie, and helping others get better, helps keep her interest.
“She has days [when] she’ll go to soccer practice for an hour-and-a-
half, then to track practice for an hour-and-a-half. Then she’ll come
home and be bouncing off the walls. Very high energy.”
Julia charges to victory.
Julia’s mother, however, stresses the importance of balance. She realizes that,
at some point, her daughter will have to choose between club soccer and
higher level track competition. She said Julia already knows she may have to
drop her soccer down to a less competitive level to fit everything in.
“She’s fine with that,” said Norleen. “She clearly loves track and cross
country.”
When asked what she enjoyed most about competing at cross country JO
Nationals, Julia replied, “What’s really fun is that I get to meet different
people. I like meeting my competition and making friends. I also like the
feeling when I run, and I get to travel to different places.”
For 2009, “different places” include spring track meets in Los Angeles, where
Julia is looking forward to a return visit to Disneyland. (She loves roller
coasters.) She’s also looking forward to improving on her 10th place finish at
last year’s JO track nationals. She feels that she’s much stronger this year,
with a cross country season and solid training behind her. A top-3 finish and
All-American honors are her goals.
As lofty as these goals seem, coach Young thinks they are attainable.
“She’s a great young lady,” he said.
In fact, Julia reminds Young of another exceptional young runner.
“I can see Julia as possibly the second coming of Jordan Hasay,” he said.
Now, that’s something to shoot for.
Story published in late January, 2009
Julia Bounds, 2008 Bantam Girls National Junior Olympic Cross Country Champion
When Julia Bounds crossed the finish line at the 2008 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, held at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Virginia, tears were in her eyes. Her feet were numb from the cold and she was spent from her efforts. Then the 9-year-old Bantam Girls national cross country champion spied her mom through the crowd and mouthed the words, “I won! I won!”
Her coach, Willie Young, never had any doubts. Young, now entering his 19th year as Head Coach and Team Manager of the Palo Alto Lightning Track Club, had e-mailed Julia’s dad, Jay Bounds, before the race. In that e-mail, coach Young said, “Julia’s going to win this.”
Jay Bounds described his emotions upon seeing his daughter cross the finish line, capturing the win in the Bantam Girls division (for girls ages 10 and under), and earning her first national championship title: “Pride. Awe. Amazement. I was shaking because I was so happy for her,” he said. “She started off with a goal to win, and put it all out there and did it.”
Julia’s time of 11 minutes, 34 seconds for the 3-kilometer course was a scant two seconds ahead of second placer Danae Rivers of the New Haven (Connecticut) Age Group Track Club.
Coach Young’s pre-race directions to Julia were to get out quickly from the starting gun and avoid getting caught in a first-turn bottleneck.
“I told her that she had the number two best time in the country,” Young said. “The number one person is going to be here, but on any given day you can always beat this person, and this is your day. You are going to do this.”
Julia Bounds in the lead of the Bantam Girls pack at the 2009 National Junior Olympic XC Championships.
When the gun sounded, the 221 young athletes raced for the first turn. Julia was running in about 5th place. She gradually moved up until she was vying for first. At the urging of coach Young, Julia shifted gears and pulled away for the win.
That made three big wins in a row for the youngster. To compete in the JO National Championship meet, Julia had to qualify—through the Pacific Association JO Championship and USATF Region 14 JO Championship meets. She handily topped all Bantam Girls at these qualifying events.
Despite Julia’s extraordinary achievement, Julia’s mother, Norleen Bounds, said that her daughter is just like any normal 9-year-old girl. Julia attends the Carey School in San Mateo, Calif. where she enjoys art, PE, and math.
“I like math,” Julia said, “because in my class, math usually has something to do with food.”
According to her mother, the young Bounds plays the piano, loves singing and performing, likes to write and listen to music, and she especially loves animals. Along with two dogs, two cats, and a hamster, the Bounds family has a relatively recent new addition—a rabbit.
Norleen Bounds promised Julia the rabbit if she qualified for last summer’s USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships. Given this incentive, Julia turned in a 1,500-meter qualifier for the big meet, where she finished 10th among Bantam Girls. Her time was 5:34.83, despite stumbling when another racer stepped on her foot.
So, Julia earned her new rabbit, who happened to have a famous name.
“We got the bunny at the SPCA,” Norleen Bounds said, “where they named her Cindy because she has this big black spot that looks like (fashion model) Cindy Crawford’s mole.”
Julia displayed an aptitude for sports since she was very young. Norleen Bounds recalls that her daughter excelled at soccer, gymnastics, swimming, “whatever sport she could do.” When she
was 8 years old, Julia ran her first 5-kilometer race and placed 2nd in the 12-and-under age group.
The following spring, Julia joined the Palo Alto Lightning Track
Club, a youth PA/USATF club with about 39 members, ranging from 5 to 18-years-old.
Head Coach Willie Young focuses on complete conditioning for his
young charges, who run on and around the Stanford University track. Practices include basic warm-up drills, stretches, and conditioning based on where his athletes are in the competitive season. He balances endurance training with sprint training, adding in jump rope and push ups for coordination and upper body strength.
“Julia gives her all. We ask for 150 percent and she does it,” coach
Young said. “She’s funny. She has a very good sense of humor. She can focus, though, because she wants to win.”
“She loves it,” her mother added. “She loves coach Willie and
coach Michael (assistant coach Michael Davidson). She loves being with the team, training with the team, encouraging others. The camaraderie, and helping others get better, helps keep her interest.
“She has days [when] she’ll go to soccer practice for an hour-and-a-half, then to track practice for an hour-and-a-half. Then she’ll come
home and be bouncing off the walls. Very high energy.”
Julia charges to victory.
Julia’s mother, however, stresses the importance of balance. She realizes that, at some point, her daughter will have to choose between club soccer and higher level track competition. She said Julia already knows she may have to drop her soccer down to a less competitive level to fit everything in.
“She’s fine with that,” said Norleen. “She clearly loves track and cross
country.”
When asked what she enjoyed most about competing at cross country JO
Nationals, Julia replied, “What’s really fun is that I get to meet different people. I like meeting my competition and making friends. I also like the feeling when I run, and I get to travel to different places.”
For 2009, “different places” include spring track meets in Los Angeles, where
Julia is looking forward to a return visit to Disneyland. (She loves roller coasters.) She’s also looking forward to improving on her 10th place finish at last year’s JO track nationals. She feels that she’s much stronger this year, with a cross country season and solid training behind her. A top-3 finish and All-American honors are her goals.
As lofty as these goals seem, coach Young thinks they are attainable.
“She’s a great young lady,” he said.
In fact, Julia reminds Young of another exceptional young runner.
“I can see Julia as possibly the second coming of Jordan Hasay,” he said.
Now, that’s something to shoot for.
Story published in late January, 2009
Julia Bounds, 2008 Bantam Girls National Junior Olympic Cross Country Champion
2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship
Pacific Association Top Age Division Finishers
YOUTH DIVISION
Youth Girls (L to R): 3rd place – Clare Carroll (Roseville PAL Express) 15:28; 12th place – Sophie Hartley (Diablo Valley) 15:43; 24th place – Kristina Martinez (Unattached) 16:11 Team Scores: Buffalo Chips B (8th place); Roseville PAL Express (10th place); Diablo Valley Track (15th place)
Youth Boys (L to R): 3rd place – Kevin Poteracke (Santa Rosa Express) 13:52; 10th place – Connor McCarthy (Pleasanton Heat) 14:09; 13th place – Spencer Cudworth (Unattached) 14:15
Youth Boys, continued: 17th place – Bradford Avilla (Pleasanton Heat) 14:18; (no photo) 21st place – Aidan Goltra (Pleasanton Heat) 14:21
Team Scores: Pleasanton Heat A (1st place); Pleasanton Heat B (12th place); Roseville PAL Express (13th place)
2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship
Pacific Association Top Age Division Finishers
YOUNG WOMEN & YOUNG MEN DIVISION
Young Women (L to R): 4th place – Kelsey Smith (Buffalo Chips) 19:27; 5th place – Breanna Lewis (Buffalo Chips) 19:28; 6th place – Hayley Scott (Buffalo Chips) 19:30
Young Women continued (L to R): 10th place – Michelle Mowry (Buffalo Chips) 19:43; 13th place – Katherine McFarren (Buffalo Chips) 20:05; 14th place – Christine Zavesky (Buffalo Chips) 20:09
Young Women continued (L to R): 15th place – Kristine Lozoya (Buffalo Chips) 20:10; 16th place – Maureen May (Buffalo Chips B) 20:10; 20th place – Demery Kirsch (Unattached) 20:23
Young Men: 4th place – Geoffrey Hull (Unattached) 16:22; 13th place – Benjamin Heck (RF United) 16:34; 14th place – Amje Akoukhadijeh (Unattached) 16:36
2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship
Pacific Association Top Age Division Finishers
YOUTH DIVISION
Youth Girls (L to R): 3rd place – Clare Carroll (Roseville PAL Express) 15:28; 12th place – Sophie Hartley (Diablo Valley) 15:43; 24th place – Kristina Martinez (Unattached) 16:11 Team Scores: Buffalo Chips B (8th place); Roseville PAL Express (10th place); Diablo Valley Track (15th place)
Youth Boys (L to R): 3rd place – Kevin Poteracke (Santa Rosa Express) 13:52; 10th place – Connor McCarthy (Pleasanton Heat) 14:09; 13th place – Spencer Cudworth (Unattached) 14:15
Youth Boys, continued: 17th place – Bradford Avilla (Pleasanton Heat) 14:18; (no photo) 21st place – Aidan Goltra (Pleasanton Heat) 14:21
Team Scores: Pleasanton Heat A (1st place); Pleasanton Heat B (12th place); Roseville PAL Express (13th place)
2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship
Pacific Association Top Age Division Finishers
YOUTH DIVISION
Youth Girls (L to R): 3rd place – Clare Carroll (Roseville PAL Express) 15:28; 12th place – Sophie Hartley (Diablo Valley) 15:43; 24th place – Kristina Martinez (Unattached) 16:11 Team Scores: Buffalo Chips B (8th place); Roseville PAL Express (10th place); Diablo Valley Track (15th place)
Youth Boys (L to R): 3rd place – Kevin Poteracke (Santa Rosa Express) 13:52; 10th place – Connor McCarthy (Pleasanton Heat) 14:09; 13th place – Spencer Cudworth (Unattached) 14:15
Youth Boys, continued: 17th place – Bradford Avilla (Pleasanton Heat) 14:18; (no photo) 21st place – Aidan Goltra (Pleasanton Heat) 14:21
Team Scores: Pleasanton Heat A (1st place); Pleasanton Heat B (12th place); Roseville PAL Express (13th place)
The night before the big races … the 2009 USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country National Championships … the skies dropped 4″-6″ of snow on the course. This on top of 6″-10″ that had fallen several days earlier. Throughout the day of the competitions it continued to snow but that didn’t slow down the talented youth athletes of the Pacific Association (PA). To ensure athletes could compete in their events all races were delayed by one hour to allow everyone time to gain access to the park. This was due to the challenges cars had maneuvering through the snow filled roads into Rancho San Rafael Park, Reno, NV. For the third year in a row the PA rented a tent for our athletes to stage in before and after their events which helped in dealing with the wet and cold environment.
To earn All American status an athlete had to finish in the top 25 individuals or their team had to finish in the top 3 teams. How exciting to be able to recognize All American Pacific Association athletes in each age group that was contested. To cap it off … two PA athletes won their divisions: Christine Bayliss of Roseville PAL Express won the Midget Girls race and Sam Blake of Los Gatos won the Midget Boys race … this is his second year in a row winning a national title!
One amazing story came from the third place finisher in the Youth Girls race. At approximately the 800m mark her right shoe came off when the girl behind her stepped on the back of her shoe. She still managed the run the last 2 miles without her shoe. Along the way someone handed her the shoe so she could carry it across the finish line since it held her timing chip. Way to go, Clare Carroll of Roseville PAL Express. Do have stories or pictures to share of PA youth athletes who competed in the National USATF Junior Olympic meet? Submit them to the PA Webmaster so they can be posted to our website and shared with the rest of the youth athletes.
The trip to Reno was worth the effort. Check out how successful our athletes were in the results below.
Bantam Girls
2nd place - Julia Bounds (Pleasanton Heat) 12:05
10th place - Rylee Woen (Santa Rosa Express) 12:32
20th place - Blanca Sosa (Silver State Striders) 12:47
Team Scores:
Pleasanton Heat (6th place)
Roseville PAL Express (13th place)
Bantam Boys
2nd place - Reed Richard (Unattached) 11:24
7th place - Timothy Falls (Pleasanton Heat) 11:30
12th place - Kent Slaney (Palo Alto Lightning) 11:37
14th place - Gavin Hill (Castro Valley) 11:39
16th place - Alexander Sokol (Pleasanton Heat) 11:43
23rd place - Sampson Reynolds (Pleasanton Heat) 11:50
Team Scores:
Pleasanton Heat (4th place)
Roseville PAL Express (14th place)
Silver State Striders (16th place)
Midget Girls
1st place - Christine Bayliss (Roseville PAL Express) 10:55
6th place - Chloe Pigg (Roseville PAL Express) 11:33
23rd place - Eleanor Velez (Unattached) 11:54
Team Scores:
Roseville PAL Express (12th place)
Pleasanton Heat (14th place)
Modoc Braves (18th place)
Midget Boys
1st place - Samuel Blake (Los Gatos AA) 10:12
3rd place - Steven Sum (Los Gatos AA) 10:32
16th place - Peter Schlachte (Pleasanton Heat) 10:54
19th place - Mason LaBodie (Silver State Striders) 11:01
25th place - Andrew Dobrowski (Silver State Striders) 11:07
Team Scores
Los Gatos (2nd place)
Pleasanton Heat A (3rd place)
Pleasanton Heat B (18th place)
Youth Girls
3rd place - Clare Carroll (Roseville PAL Express) 15:28
13th place - Sophie Hartley (Diablo Valley) 15:43
24th place - Kristina Martinez (Unattached) 16:11
Team Scores
Buffalo Chips B (8th place)
Roseville PAL Express (10th place)
Diablo Valley Track (15th place)
Youth Boys
3rd place - Kevin Poteracke (Santa Rosa Express) 13:52
11th place - Connor McCarthy (Pleasanton Heat) 14:09
13th place - Spencer Cudworth (Unattached) 14:15
17th place - Caton Avilla (Pleasanton Heat) 14:18
21st place - Aidan Goltra (Pleasanton Heat) 14:21
Team Scores
Pleasanton Heat A (1st place)
Pleasanton Heat B (12th place)
Roseville PAL Express (13th place)
Intermediate Girls
4th place - Jessie Petersen (RF United) 19:17
8th place - Emma Freeman (Buffalo Chips B) 19:28
9th place - Shelby McIntyre (Buffalo Chips B) 19:30
11th place - Brooke Holt (Buffalo Chips) 19:39
18th place - Savannah Camacho (San Luis Distance Club) 19:51
19th place - Natalie Dimits (Pleasanton Heat) 19:53
23rd place - Shayna Powless (Buffalo Chips D) 20:05
24th place - Haley Kroll (Pacific United) 20:06
Team Score
Buffalo Chips B (2nd place)
Buffalo Chips D (4th place)
Pacific United (5th place)
Intermediate Boys
15th place - Parker Duel (Pleasanton Heat) 16:47
20th place - Mathew Ruppenthal (Asics Aggie B) 16:52
23rd place - Nathanael Williams (Unattached) 16:57
25th place - Christopher Bolt (Asics Aggie) 17:03
Pleasanton Heat (5th place)
Asics Aggie Running (7th place)
RF United (10th place)
Young Women
4th place - Kelsey Smith (Buffalo Chips) 19:27
5th place - Breanna Lewis (Buffalo Chips) 19:28
6th place - Hayley Scott (Buffalo Chips) 19:30
10th place - Michelle Mowry (Buffalo Chips) 19:43
13th place - Katherine Mcfarren (Buffalo Chips) 20:05
14th place - Christine Zavesky (Buffalo Chips) 20:09
15th place - Maureen May (Buffalo Chips B) 20:10
16th place - Kristine Lozoya (Buffalo Chips) 20:10
20th place - Demery Kirsch (Unattached) 20:23
22nd place - Sarah Brandt (Pacific United) 20:30
23rd place - Sara Howard (Ascis Aggie) 20:32)
Team Score
Buffalo Chips (1st place)
Buffalo Chips B (4th place)
Asics Aggie Running (6th place)
Young Men
4th place - Geoffrey Hull (Unattached) 16:22
13th place - Benjamin Heck (RF United) 16:34
14th place - Amje Akoukhadijeh (Unattached) 16:36
Team Score
RF United (6th place)
2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship
Pacific Association Top Age Division Finishers
MIDGET DIVISION
Midget Girls (L to R): 1st place – Christine Bayliss (Roseville PAL Express) 10:55; 6th place – Chloe Pigg (Roseville PAL Express) 11:33; 23rd place – Eleanor Velez (Unattached) 11:54 (photo also shows #2033 Lauren Castanon of the Buffalo Chips fwho inished 31st place in 11:58).
Team Scores: Roseville PAL Express (12th place); Pleasanton Heat (14th place); Modoc Braves (18th place)
Midget Boys (L to R): 1st place – Samuel Blake (Los Gatos AA) 10:12; 3rd place – Steven Sum (Los Gatos AA) 10:32, 15th place – Peter Schlachte (Pleasanton Heat) 10:54
Midget Boys continued: (L) 19th place – Mason LaBodie (Silver State Striders) 11:01; (R) 25th place – Andrew Dobrowski (Silver State Striders) 11:07
Team Scores: Los Gatos (2nd place); Pleasanton Heat A (3rd place); Pleasanton Heat B (18th place)
2009 National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship
Pacific Association Top Age Division Finishers
INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
Intermediate Girls (L to R): 4th place – Jessie Petersen (RF United) 19:17; 8th place – Emma Freeman (Buffalo Chips B) 19:28; 9th place – Shelby McIntyre (Buffalo Chips B) 19:30
Intermediate Girls continued (L to R): 11th place – Brooke Holt (Buffalo Chips) 19:39; 18th place – Savannah Camacho (San Luis Distance Club) 19:51; 19th place – Natalie Dimits (Pleasanton Heat) 19:53
Team Score: Buffalo Chips B (2nd place); Buffalo Chips D (4th place); Pacific United (5th place)
Intermediate Boys (L to R): 15th place – Parker Duel (Pleasanton Heat) 16:47;20th place – Mathew Ruppenthal (Asics Aggie B) 16:52; (no photo available) 23rd place – Nathanael Williams (Unattached) 16:57; 25th place – Christopher Bolt (#1981, Asics Aggie) 17:03
