If you drive around Tempe next week around 3 p.m. you will most likely see a multitude of high school cross country runners running the sidewalks around Corona, Marcos, McClintock and Tempe high schools readying for the first main cross country the first part of September.
Corona won the boys state championship in 2013 with Corona’s top three runners, Nate Rodriguez, Ryan Normand and Marcus Wheeler, crossing the finish line 1-2-3, and placed third in 2014 when Wheeler took first place followed by teammates Slade Sumners, who took 6th place, Alex Hart, at 23rd, Andrew Eversden at 34th, Lucas Ykema in 62nd, Graham Eversden at 79th and Liam Kovatch was 90th.
This fall Corona will be relying on junior runner Sumners to lead a pack of young runners including Ykema, Graham Eversden, Kovatch and potentially Johnathan Lopez.
Rodriguez spend last fall running cross country at Iowa State as one of the top 10 runners on the Cyclone’s traveling squad. He was a contributing member of the 2014 Cyclone team that took third place at the Big 12 Championships and third place at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Rodriguez ran in the first race of the season Sept. 27 at The Roy Griak Invitational.
“Unfortunately I had one of the worst races I have ever run at the Roy Griak Invitational,” said Rodriguez. “That first race was a rough transition for me into collegiate competition but a lesson well learned.”
Rodriguez’s second race was at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational Oct. 17 where he took over two minutes off his time from the Roy Griak finishing 13th overall in the “B” race.
Rodriguez went on place 29th overall at the Big 12 Championships Nov. 1 and 40th overall Nov. 14 at the NCAA Midwest Regional running the 10K with a time of 30:53.6.
Rodriguez is excited about starting his second year running for the Cyclones and as a student in the classroom.
“School here is great plus I like running for such a dedicated coaching staff who are some of the most driven people I have ever met,” said Rodriguez. “Being part of a small group of focused athletes all striving for the same goal, day in and day out, has been a great environment for me.”
“In addition, my teammates are all tremendous athletes and some great people to be around.”
Rodriguez does miss some things in Arizona, though.
“The things I like most about college is getting to go away to a new great place like Ames, Iowa, where I have great teammates and coaches but I do miss my family and friends back home,” said Rodriguez. “Moving so far away from my very close knit family and group of friends has been tough.”
Corona’s girls team, who placed sixth at state last season when senior Kelly Naumann ran an incredible race to finish in 2nd place followed by teammates Renee Clary in 20th place, Alexis Artiaga in 49th, Mackenzie Harder in 60th, Sidney Bussler at 79th, Rachel Dietz in 83rd and Riley Wright in 92nd place, will have almost everyone back and could easily move up in the standings at the end of this season.
MLB Draft Selections
Two local baseball players were selected to the MLB first-player draft in early June.
Trever Allen an outfielder on Corona’s baseball team was selected in the 25th round at No. 765 by Los Angeles. Allen has committed to play baseball at Arizona State University next season.
Noel Rodriguez, a right-handed pitcher from Marcos de Niza was selected by Tampa Bay in the 26th round at No. 778. Rodriguez has committed to play at Paradise Valley Community College this fall.
Corona Wresting
Brothers Ryan and Mark Farina both competed as part of the Team Arizona in the ASICS Junior and Cadet National Wrestling Championships in Fargo, NC, July 18-25.
Ryan, who was a Division I state champion in the 126 lb. weight class last season and Mark who took 5th place at the state championships are from a wrestling family.
Their father, Lou Farina, wrestled at Rhode Island University and their older brother, Glenn Farina, currently wrestles at Cal Poly University.
While at Corona, Glen was a state champion his junior year and state runner-up as a senior.
Defensive Player Standouts
Two local football players were recently recognized by the East Valley Tribune as one of the preseason top 10 defensive football players.
Senior linebacker Jacob Hernandez from Marcos de Niza was recognized for his ability to tackle and drop the other team’s offensive players. Last season he was credited with an incredible 59 solo tackles and 132 total tackles including one quarterback sack.
Tempe High School’s defensive lineman My-King Johnson helped the Buffaloes win 12 games last season as a sophomore with his prowess on the defensive side of the ball. He had 43 solo tackles and a total of 79 total tackles but most impressive was his ability to use his speed and quickness to get to opponent’s quarterbacks. Johnson was credited last season with over a sack a game at 13.5.
Duane Coaching Club BB
For those of you who had a hard time believing Sam Duane Jr. would stay away from coaching basketball for very long, Duane recently agreed to work with Arizona Power Basketball Academy, not as a team coach but more as a basketball skills coach.
“My focus will be on helping kids at all different levels improve their basketball skills,” said Duane.
Duane is currently in China working a camp and will not start at the Academy until August.
Corona Basketball Updates
No surprise for Corona fans, Marvin Bagley III continued to be highly rated by college coaches, ESPN and other recruiting agencies during the July basketball evaluation period when he competed at two 16U tournaments.
A bit of a surprise may be the recruiting activity Saben Lee garnered during the July basketball evaluation period by college coaches. Most fans should remember Lee starting to emerge as the sixth man midway through last season only to disappear after suffering what was thought to be an injury in the Putnum Vo-Tech game Jan. 17.
It now appears he was suffering from an avulsion fracture in his hip due to a growth spurt his freshman year.
Lee, the son of Amp Lee, a Florida State star running back on the Gator’s football team, has since healed and had an incredible summer playing point guard for Power Black.
Lee, currently 6-foot-2 with an improved vertical has supposedly picked up nine scholarship offers including one from New Mexico where former teammate Dane Kuiper is playing and another from Florida State.
A healthy Lee, with speed, quickness and ball handling capabilities, will be a welcome addition on the court next season.
