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SR'S BYERS ISN'T SLOWING DOWN: SENIOR WINS SPRING LAKE RACE WITH COURSE'S 8TH Published on October 8, 2009 BYLINE: MICHAEL COIT, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Reesey Byers is the North Bay League's hottest runner, carrying a breakout spring track season into the fall cross country campaign and matching strides with the Bay Area's best. Wednesday's win for the Santa Rosa High School senior didn't dampen his so far stellar season at all. In fact, his time in the nine-team event enhanced it as he now holds the eighth all-time fastest time on the Spring Lake Park course. Byers had opened the early season with a second place finish to Petaluma standout Hugh Dowdy in the Rancho Cotate Invitational. And then he won the Div. II races at both the Ed Sias Invitational, in Martinez, and the Stanford Invitational. Yet Byers is not satisfied, trying to get comfortable with a more rigorous training regimen that should continue lowering his times heading into regional and state cross country races. ``I'm just trying to get into shape. I think it's going to pay dividends later,'' Byers said. On Wednesday, for instance, Byers was 12 seconds off his target time for the 3.05-mile Spring Lake course. Still, his 15:22 finish was a fast time, with Byers pushed by Luis Luna of Piner, who set the sophomore course record with a 15:26 finish, tying for ninth all-time. The third fastest on the afternoon was 15:38 by Brian King, of Cardinal Newman, which was the 19th best time ever at Spring Lake. ``That's exceptionally fast. This was a good day,'' said Santa Rosa coach Doug Courtemarch. The day featured nine teams in three meets running the same course at the same time. But the slight, shy Byers wasn't lost in the crowd. He has been a stronger, more competitive runner since finishing second in the 3,200 meters at last spring's Montgomery High Viking Classic track meet to Erik Olson, of Novato, who could be the state's top high school distance runner. ``I want to try to catch him, or be as close as possible. Ever since that race, running's been more serious for me,'' Byers said. Byers capped the track season with the NBL 3200 meter title, third place at the North Coast Section meet, fourth at the Meet of Champions, and 17th place at the state finals. In that contest, Byers ran the second fastest 3,200 meters in Redwood Empire history with Sterling Lockert of Petaluma finishing five seconds ahead -- both times topping a 31-year-old record. After two weeks off, Byers ran 40-45 miles a week over the summer, nothing he wasn't used to over the past few years. His coaches stepped up the miles entering the cross country season, with some 50-60 mile weeks. A higher mileage week probably left Byers a bit slower for the Rancho Cotate Invitational, but should make him stronger deeper into the season. ``Reesey's been closing the gap. His legs are feeling better,'' Courtemarch said. With Dowdy and now Luna joining him in the region's lead pack of high school cross country runners, Byers will have plenty of competition to push him. ``He's a great runner. It pushes me. It makes me run faster,'' Luna said. The trio is beginning to draw comparisons to some of the best ever to run Sonoma County's hills. Targets for Byers are a sub-15-minute personal record and the NBL title at the finals in a month, and improving on his seventh place at the Meet of Champions two weeks later. Bettering his 66th place finish at state won't be difficult, Byers said. Since that turning point race last spring, Byers said he continues to feel both mentally and physically stronger. ``I do a lot better when there's tougher competition out there,'' he said. You can reach Staff Writer Michael Coit at 521-5470 or mike.coit@pressdemocrat.com.
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