Toward greater heights

Mike Sciacca

Last year proved to be a landmark year for the Laguna Beach High

cross country program, and in the 2004 season, the Breakers would

like to make those accomplishments a tradition.

Last November, Laguna qualified both its boys’ and girls’ teams

for the CIF State Championships, the first time in school history

both teams had qualified in the same season.

By reaching the meet at Woodward Park in Fresno, it also broke a

drought for both teams: the boys had not reached a State meet since

it won the title in 1989, and the girls had not been there since the

1993 season.

Kat Gordon, Alex Crawley, Emma Proctor, Stephanie Pearson, Carly

Lojacono, Breanna Duplisea and Jamie Hancock were all underclassmen

on coach Earl Towner’s girls squad last year, and are back from more

in 2004.

Laguna’s boys, coached by Dave Brobeck, returns six of its top

seven runners from a 2003 team that won the school’s first league

title since 1989.

Returners Sam Fuszard, a senior and two-time all-Pacific Coast

League runner, Max Mullender, a junior who was all-league and

all-CIF-Southern Section Division IV, senior all-leaguers Shane Riehl

and Shawn Pfendler, senior Ryan Hedden and sophomore Michael Brown

will be bolstered by newcomers sophomores Jeremy Eaton and Ryan

McCarter, juniors Aman Bhatia, Ricardo Espiritu and Tim Sanchez and

senior Tim Turnbull.

Brobeck said that Eaton, new to cross country, should “crack the

top seven,” with the other five being “strong varsity contenders.”

“This team has great opportunities to be successful,” Brobeck

said. “We have essentially the same crew in place that won the PCL

championship in 2003 and qualified for the California state meet. Of

course, everyone is now a year stronger, everyone has more maturity

and drive and everyone on the team has big race experience. I have

more tools in place on this team than in any previous years. The

competition for the seven varsity spots has been intense.”

Brobeck said that with such a solid and impressive nucleus

returning, big things are expected from the Breakers.

“I expect great things,” he said. “Then again, I always do, and

not surprisingly, I haven’t yet been let down. It is somewhat out of

my control, though. I prepare and organize months in advance, I write

exacting workouts for whatever training phase we’re in, and then, you

hope that the guys have the passion to improve and are willing to be

disciplined in their lifestyle.

“It’s so important to execute the workouts correctly. It’s too

easy to run too fast, too soon, especially as an eager 16-year-old.

We have learned that doing this can lead to not having any legs left

for the state meet in November. Our team mantra has shifted this year

from, ‘Run Hard,’ to, ‘Train Smart.’”

Despite returning six of his top seven runners, Brobeck says the

league race will boil down to a three-team affair and that Northwood

should be considered the favorite for the crown.

“In the PCL, our two rivals will be Northwood and Corona del Mar,”

he said. Despite beating them in league last year, Northwood has to

be considered the favorite this year, because they have everyone

returning.

“Luck is a big part of this sport. Last year, we were slowed by a

number of minor injuries and sickness. The big ‘if’ is whether we can

get through the CIF run without this reoccurring. If we can, I like

our guys with anyone in the state.”