colorado

[RedArmy]

XC predictions. Who's going to win state team titles? How about Liberty Bell?

[Brad]

Boys

5A C. Creek
4A D. South
3A ?

[MaroonCat1600]

you guys are a powerhouse in xc , howcome you have noone on dyestat?

[Brad]

Denver south top man is Mohamud Ige one of the top returners from Footlocker finals 2004. Behind Mohamud are 6 other runners who have raced -10:20 at altitude. Also, the Denver South feeder program has alot of talent on its way in. Such as, Jose Guerrero 7th grader who so far this past year has ran 4:38 for the mile.

[byga]

What about Fort Collins for 5A, who do you think will win the indevidual state championships? Any upsets? does D-South have any new recruits comming up? On the same note what other 6 runners have run 10:20 this year, if memory serves me correct you guys only had one other person at state with a 10:20 ish. :confused:
Do you think Ige will be able to get the state record this year?

[Brad]

FT. Collins has a great coach and I am sure that they will re-load. Though, I still feel that Creek is the 5A team to beat. In regards to D. South depth. You can only race 3 athletes from each school at state. The other boys did their times during the season when we let Mo and Aden focus on other events. As far as Mo and the state record? Will he have a legit shot at it, yes. Though alot of things can go on between now and then.

[Mongo]

anyone here ever been to the adams state running camp?

[barton_hurdler]

I went in the summer of 2002, that year i met kristen hemphilll and heather wood who would both be top 20 at Footlocker west with wood making the top 8. I was even in the same bed as Brittany Somers who is now running for adams state. Alamosa is a different town, but as for the running the first day (mon??) is like hell, we did five up a mountain. We were always in the back of the pack, well with being from kansas and shooting the altitude up 3000-4000 feet. We invented the closet intiations.

[FreaknDaSheets]

Bump.

[notyourcheese]

i'm from colorado, but i dont know what to say about it

[byga]

Ok...
Well how about the 5A race? Will Weeks defend his state championship or will someone else beat him. Noah Shannon placed 15 at FL Midwest while Weeks was back in the pack.

http://colorado.prepplanner.com/articles/pool/spring05/weeks_05_11_05.htm

The 3A field was rather week last year. Will anyone rise up to the challenge or will the mediocre times continue to pour in.

http://209.90.122.252/runner/data/505/377/result/Results2004.htm#3ab

The girls 5A race should be very exciting as well with a state champion vs. a FL qualifier.

[notyourcheese]

Weeks is pretty hardcore, but i think there will be people there to give him a run for his money this year.

I dont think 3a has any chance of improving much, i expect to see similar times this year.

True, 5a girls will be exciting, probably the most exciting race, but i just hope that there'll be more national caliber runners this season.

[machonacho]

For the 5A boys race, I think it would be very difficult for Weeks to repeat as Shannon is determined and is looking really good right now. Collins will also be tough to beat as they look to repeat.

[mayfly]

5A boys - Perhaps one of the most interesting races of the season. I think it becomes Weeks "make or break" year. If he can repeat as state champion and do well at FLMW and possibly qualify, then he's set. But if he struggles and fades then it becomes exponentially tougher to dig yourself out of that hole. I've got my money on another runner though and that's Dakota Ridge's Nickolei (sp?). To be honest, I don't really know much about Noah Shannon. Overall, it's Weeks' race to lose, but it's not going to be easy defending his title. He seemed to fair well in track being a favorite in the 3200, but once again, defending a title is a different ballgame. I don't really know about the teams; it all depends on summer training, injuries, etc. Though I'm sure the main players will be Ft. Collins, CC, and maybe Rocky (I don't know who they return, but they had a sweet distance track team).

4A boys- Mohamud's and Denver South's race to lose no doubt. I've heard that the state course is changing. Instead of keeping the entire race on cartpaths, I believe they are going to actually use the golf course for the race, undoubtedly slowing it down. I don't know about any other challengers to Mohamud. As for the team title, I'm sure Liberty and D'Evelyn will piece together very good teams, but will they be good enough?

3A boys- Hopefully somebody breaks out and runs fast this year.

5A girls- My money is on Keara to win. She gained a lot of valuable racing experience this past year and Greg Weich knows what he's doing. He'll have her ready to roll no doubt. I still think Smokey Hill wins the team.

4A girls 3A girls- To be honest, I haven't clue really.

All that I really want to see from this season is more of what was started about 4 or 5 years ago. I think in the past couple of years there has been a push to not just be the best in the state of Colorado, but also on the National level. It started with guys and girls like Schoolmeester, Vaughn, and MKbach. Continued with with KK, Harkrader, Deak, Whitney, Keara, Morgan, McGuire, and Ige. And hopefully there will continue to be others to continue the trend and bring CO into distance running prominence. So I guess anybody reading this who thinks or maybe doesn't even realize they have a shot at being at that level, go out there and say "F*ck It, I'm going to train like an utter badass and be the best and toughest motherf'er out there".

[machonacho]

Great analysis. Mayfly what school do you run for?

[mayfly]

Well I just graduated from HS, but I went to D'Evelyn (notice my bias haha).

[Shiny Heiny]

What about Fort Collins for 5A, who do you think will win the indevidual state championships? Any upsets? does D-South have any new recruits comming up? On the same note what other 6 runners have run 10:20 this year, if memory serves me correct you guys only had one other person at state with a 10:20 ish. :confused:
Do you think Ige will be able to get the state record this year?
Ya Ill give you a 5A upset, Wheat Ridge :cool:

[Shiny Heiny]

Niccoli? Nah, He'll fade, it's just what happens to Dakota Ridge runners, it always happens. I agree tho that Weeks will be hard pressed to win again, Shannon's determined, but Grant Duin from Smoky Hill and Cheyne Heiny from Wheat Ridge should also give him a run for his money.

[Shiny Heiny]

Notyourcheese, what school r u from?

[1323]

Brad, isn't this "feeder program" a track club? Doesn't Denver South have some kids on it that live in different areas of Denver? If I remember right, your old team Denver West had a kid that was supposed to go to Wheat Ridge on their team. Just curious.

[Brad]

All of the boy's at Denver West came frome the two middle schools that feed into Denver West. We did have a boy that as a 10th grader, his mother had to move into another low income apartment which was in either the Wheat Ridge or Jefferson highschool area. It was a 10 minute extra drive for him to stay at West and with his friends. In regards to the South boy's, all of them except for Mo and Murph live in the area. I find it interesting that you ask this question of our team. Why not a suburban team?

[1323]

Like Mullen?

[eman]

Brad, isn't this "feeder program" a track club? Doesn't Denver South have some kids on it that live in different areas of Denver? If I remember right, your old team Denver West had a kid that was supposed to go to Wheat Ridge on their team. Just curious.

I personally don't understand why you are asking this question. What difference does it make if his feeder program is a track club or a middle school. If you knew the makeup of his track club you would understand that there are kids on the track club from Regis, Mullen, Denver Christian as well as Mullen and Denver South. In fact on this very website he made an open invitation to all runners from Colorado and elsewhere that if you wanted to come and run with his team you would be welcome with open arms.

http://www.dyestat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6557&highlight=Brad.

[1323]

MAYBE he gets kids to join his club, then gets them to go to South. Why do you think he invites kids to join his team. MAYBE to recruit them. MAYBE not. Just asking questions, don't take it PERSONALLY. Everyone has a big problem with Mullen, but other coaches have done the same thing. I mean, it said in the paper that Escalera was going to South, initally. Its just bizarre. Whatever happened to kids from the neighborhood going to the local high school? Plenty of good runners out there, we don't need to pimp them out.

[1323]

Botom line is, what is he doing for the average 20:00 5k runner? Nothing. Hand picked athletes, they better win. Go coach 100 kids, develop your average athlete, take what comes to you every year and do what you can with it. THAT is the beauty of high school, in my opinion. Some years you win, some years you get killed. Wodlands, York don't hand pick. That's great coaching.

[eman]

Botom line is, what is he doing for the average 20:00 5k runner? Nothing. Hand picked athletes, they better win. Go coach 100 kids, develop your average athlete, take what comes to you every year and do what you can with it. THAT is the beauty of high school, in my opinion. Some years you win, some years you get killed. Wodlands, York don't hand pick. That's great coaching.

It seems to me that you think that there is this plethora of untapped talented cross country runners in the inner city, where half the teams in the league don't even have a cross country team and no team has more than 40 runners on it boys and girls combined. When Denver West won their championship it was the first state championship the school had ever won. Had Marcos Escalera gone to Denver South he would have been the first establised runner to ever enter the program. Everyone else was developed in the program.

p.s. There are more people out for the Cherry Creek cross country team (250 to 300 people) on an annual basis than all of the Denver Public Schools cross country teams put together.

[Brad]

Well, if you must know! This year Denver South will have 3 boys run in the low 18's who last year were at 22 to 23 minutes. As far as asking athletes to run on the club team from other schools in order to have them transfer to south, well ask any these kids if it was ever brought up to them from either a south runner, coach, parent, dog, cat and you will here NO.

[Shiny Heiny]

What about Scott Fauble?

[Brad]

Scott is an 8th grader and runs for a friend of mine and a great kid. One of my 8th grade boys had to leave a meet early and Scott took the time to pick up his medal, his father called me to get an address to send it to and then scott took the time to mail it with a personal not to our 8th grader. That is class. An 8th grader can go where he wants and should pick a school for him where he feels will be a good fit academically, socially and athletically. Any freshman that is enrolled at our school is welcomed on our team. The final choice is up the students parents. Remember, If you want to go to Harvard, having a 4.0 and a 30 ACT is no big deal. Though, if you add on a -4:22 1600 at altitude, well then you will have a better chance of getting the college coach as an allied in the admissions office. Go where it is the best fit in order to reach your goals. I am sure that there are a few kids at Wheat Ridge that should have gone to Jefferson. Why not? Wheat Ridge was a better fit for one reason or another. Good luck with your season.

[1323]

eman spare me this crap, plenty of schools have had success with less going for them than DPS. Lake County is one of the many. One of the poorest, most apathetic areas in the state. Yet, they won MANY State Championships.

[eman]

One day Brad Barnes is going to write a book detailing all the trials and tribulations he has met in trying to establish his running club and the problems trying to integrate that program into a high school scenario. Until then none of you will truly be able to appreciate just what has transpired over the past 4 years.

As for the crap that I should be trying to spare 1323, what does the Lake County program have to do with the statements you were making about the Denver South and the Team XC program and what you believed to be their questionable recruiting tactics. Tactics that Brad has personally gone out his way to explain to you are not in existance.

[1323]

I am not completely buying into the argument that youre working intently with lesser-talent kids, based on talking to people I know that have seen you work. They might be 10-year olds running 21:00, not HS kids running that speed.

[Brad]

In regards to the claim by 1323 and that I hand pick my kids, then at least say that I am one of the best hand pickers in the USA in regards to future H.S. talent. Remember most of my team came to my program when they were in 7th or 8th grade. I remember the 1st time I met Mohamud Ige. I held a pizza party at Rishel Middle school(a feeder school into Denver West where I was a coach at that time) A flyer went out to the student body that if any student wanted to find out about Cross Country, then there was a meeting during lunch. When I walked into the gym there was about 15 kids sitting there. Boy's and girls and all different races. I remember looking at this skinny little African American boy, who at that time I would have bet that he would have been lucky to pick himself off the floor on his own power, let alone propel himself up a hill at Footlocker Nationals three years later. He was little, very shy and so skinny. Though he and a few others came out for my team, he listend (most of the time) and he is who he is today because of that meeting. A coach and athlete working together for one shared goal, To see that skinny little boy become a fine young man and go onto college. Also, at that same meeting there was a little girl who as an 8th grader was running 800 in 2:30 and 5k in 21:16. I helped her go to a private school in Denver, why? because it was a better fit for her. Would it had been nice to have her at my school, you bet, though my goal is to help kids get the most out of their potential.

[1323]

A lot of coaches do great things for their athletes. Those coaches don't come on here and talk about what records their athletes are going to break, and talk about being world savers.

[Brad]

I have never done that. My response was to your accusations of our program. I have a feeling that you are not a Highschool runner, if you are I will just hope that you will grow as an individual as you get older and not be so angry. If you are an adult and if you are going to make accustions against our program at least have the gut's to not hide behind 1323 and take a stand with your name.

[1323]

Okay, maybe I am a LITTLE accusatory. It is crazy to me when I read some of your posts. You do talk about your athletes, and it seems pretty arrogant to me. The whole story about moving the kids to South, the lawyers, things I have heard about funding the club, it seems a little too BUSINESSLIKE for high school-level sports. I am not the only one who feels this way. I have read all your posts, and if I am wrong, FINE. I started asking questions. Based on your responses (and eman's), you instantly took offense, so there may be truth to what I am saying. I think it is a problem when we treat high school athletes like they are professionals, shifting them around to different schools, giving them advice on where to go to high school. You guessed I am not an athlete and I can guess you are not a high-school employee. They wouldn't do that.