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Piner's top six runners post personal bests

ERIC BRANCH
The Press Democrat

Prep notebook
Published: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

There’s no such thing as a moral victory? Second place is just the first loser?

Please. Don’t tell it to the Piner boys’ cross country team, a group that lost despite performing its very best 
last week at the North Bay League Championships at Spring Lake.

With their top six runners posting personal-best times, the Prospectors tied league champion Maria Carrillo with 
56 points, but lost because the Pumas’ No.6 runner had a faster time. Piner’s second-place finish was its best 
since moving to the NBL in 1986.

“Obviously if we didn’t run well and lost we would be upset,” Piner coach Luis Rosales said. “But our top six guys 
did great — they ran faster than they ever had. To lose on a tiebreaker on the sixth guy? What are you going to do? 
You can’t be upset.”

Rosales, 47, is the dean of boys at Cardinal Newman and a former infantry sergeant in the Marines. And he’s whipped 
Piner’s program into shape in just his third year. The Prospectors went 1-7 in league in 2007 and Rosales, who ran 
track at Healdsburg High, could tell plenty of work lay ahead.

“When I first got here, I could run with all these guys and I’m not an elite runner by any stretch,” Rosales said. 
“Now I can hardly keep up with the girls.”

The Prospectors’ turnaround has been headlined by sophomore Luis Luna, who is ranked fifth in the North Coast 
Section. Luna’s time of 15 minutes, 20 seconds at the NBL Championship set a sophomore record at Spring Lake and 
ranks ninth all-time. Fellow sophomore Jason Saler finished seventh with the 15th-fastest time for a sophomore at 
Spring Lake. Sophomores Zekaryas Mebrahtu and Epi Nunez finished ninth and 12th, respectively, and junior Dylan 
Ferrell placed 25th.

The quintet’s performance spoiled the anticipated showdown between defending champion Santa Rosa and Maria Carrillo, 
which won its sixth league title in the past seven years.

The Pumas were led by seniors Gus Greenstein (5th) and James Ramirez (8th). And given the makeup of Piner’s 
up-and-coming team — four sophomores and a junior among its top five — Maria Carrillo coach Greg Fogg plans 
to savor this latest NBL title. He knows Piner won’t be surprising anyone in 2010.

“Everyone knows its their pennant to lose next year,” Fogg said.



PUMA POWER

If the fight for the boys’ title at the NBL Championships was unexpected, the girls’ race followed a familiar script.

Maria Carrillo won. Again.

The Pumas claimed their seventh straight NBL title, a streak during which they’ve won 49 consecutive regular-season 
dual meets.

Led by seniors Lauren and Cara Curtin, who finished second and third, respectively, Maria Carrillo took five of the 
top seven spots. Its score of 22 points was the second-best at the NBL Championships since 1979.

Freshman Lauren Kraus finished fourth with the ninth-fastest time for a freshman at Spring Lake while senior Margie 
Garza (6th) and sophomore Heidi Thiele (7th) rounded out the Pumas’ top five.

Domination? Yes. But consider this: Maria Carrillo’s junior varsity team would have placed fourth in the varsity race.

So how have the Pumas stayed so good for so long? Fogg, in his third year, said the tradition started with former 
coach Danny Aldridge, who is now at Sonoma Academy. But he also credits the school’s location.

During this decade, Maria Carrillo has been led by runners such as Jenny Aldridge, who won a state track title in 
the 1,600 meters; Amy Robinson, who ran at UC Davis; and Kristen Sanzari and Leanne Fogg, who are running at Cal 
Poly San Luis Obispo.

“This is not a dig at myself or Danny, but there’s just a lot of talent around here,” Fogg said. “We consistently 
get really good talent. There’s definitely something in the water.”

For more Empire high school sports coverage, please visit Eric Branch’s prep sports blog at prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. 
You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com.

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