Going the Distance ... Rebecca Trupp

One of the sweetest and kindest girls to have ever crossed out path has been Rebecca Trupp. She is known far and wide as a person who is as genuine as they come and a classy teammate.

Right from the start, Rebecca has been part of the heart and soul of the team. A caring soul, she has been the shoulder to cry on for some, the compassionate heart for others, the inspiring teammate for still more.

Typical of her in these last weeks of the season, she has single-handedly spearheaded our community service project, having contacted the directors of "Share our Souls" and taken the initiative to collect boxes for containing donated shoes which will in turn make their way around the world for those in need.

The cynic might say this is just a stunt for a girl to get attention as she finishes her career. Not so. This kind of action, love fully on display, has been Rebecca's trademark for all her years in high school.

While she never ran a varsity race, that's ok, for she realized early on that one's impact on a team is not directly related to one's athletic talent. Rather, the legacy one leaves behind is most significantly marked not by PR's and record-lists but rather to the level of their commitment and willingness to give all of what they have.

For four years, Rebecca Trupp has done exactly that, and for that King Cross Country is a better program for her having been here. As you donate your used pair of shoes next week, remember her influence and be thankful for all the good she has brought to our team.

Going the Distance ... Jarod Nocella

It was a revelation to me, just last August on the traditional "senior night" of Mammoth. Given the floor and a few minutes to reflect on his time in cross country, Jarod, like all the other seniors, spoke from the heart, with a passion and sincerity that rocked the evening. Among many things he said that night, the one that jumped out at me was this.

"After my freshman year, I almost quit."

I tried to hide my surprise, but as I considered the words a bit more, I realized that my surprise was a bit misplaced. Given what Jarod has done in his running over the last couple of years, my memory of those early months has understandably been shoved into the darkened corners of history. But I'll admit the words shocked me back to a place that was real, 2 years ago, a place I have happily forgotten about since.

He, like many, joined the team following a social goal. His friends had signed up and somehow managed to roll out of bed in the summer months at the ungodly hour of 5amsomething. He, like many, rubbed the sleep from his eyes and wondered what he had gotten himself into. But by the time he was officially a 9th grader, the ball of XC was rolling and he rolled with it.

His sophomore year presented a challenge however, as several of those he joined up with, quit the team. It was there at that crossroads that he strongly considered walking away too.

We are SO GLAD he didn't. His years have been a steady arc of improvement. He has been a tremendous contributor to the athletic and social health of the team. Here in this senior season, he has all the marks of one of King's finest distance runners ever! He's an absolute beast when he wants to be. He has thrown down some simply stunning performances and has been a rock the team can stand on.

I'm sure most kids consider quitting at some time during their years of running XC. The sport ain't easy. It demands a great amount of discipline and tenacity and sacrifice.

Jarod Nocella -- the one time "almost quitter" -- has done all that the sport requires and has done it well. Without doubt, Jarod's ability to "go the distance" is one of the main reasons King Cross Country is where it's at today.

Homecoming

It was cool to see cross country kids represented well at the Homecoming festivities on Friday night. Craig Aguilar and Rebecca Asplund were both nominated as members of the court and were acknowledged at half time of the football game.

Their escorts were also King XC alums, Charlie Alvarez and Casey Candelaria, both of whom are running well for the RCC Tigers!

Going the Distance ... Danielle Fillmore

In the course of any race, the serious runner comes face to face with a question: slow down, or keep going. The act of racing over long distances is an invitation to a dance with pain, or at best the management of pain. Discomfort becomes our partner and it is only those who accept this relationship that thrive.

It is the same over the course of time. Years and circumstances can be wearing, and trials leap in our way and shout with real words. STOP. GIVE UP. THIS IS TOO HARD!

As a freshman, she was playfully dubbed "little Fillmore" after her popular older brother who was finishing high school as she entered. Since that rookie year, Danielle has experienced both the valleys and mountain tops of running. She's battled injuries, illnesses and a season that seemed as if it would never end. During that season, she found roadblocks and culdesacs, confounding desire and offering escape from the beaten path.

What Danielle discovered though ... perhaps ... is an inner resolve and strength that she may not have known was there. She was driven to the brink, and the brink didn't win.

As a result, her senior year has been a good one. Good times have returned and success has been tasted. That sweet smile, distant for a time, has returned. In the curve of the lips, one can read the words that mark Danielle, I'M NOT GIVING UP. I WILL FINISH THIS.

There can be no greater reward nor greater achievement. Danielle Fillmore leaves a different and better person than when she came. Little Fillmore, is little no more.

Going the Distance ... Brandon Rogers

He is known simply by "BR,BR ... Beeee Aaaaar" It goes to the tune of an old song by P.O.D. which goes "We are, we are, the youth of the nation." I'm not sure why or how he was given such a moniker, but I'll admit I've joined in the refrain a time or two.

Brandon Rogers is a likable guy, he's got a very even temperment, I don't think I've ever seen him lose his cool. His facial expression, his emotions, his effort level could all be traced with a flat line. One might call him stoic and not be too far off.

But the story line of Brandon's running career is anything but flat. It's a span of four years that has steadily risen. Go back to 2006 and you'll see a freshman who was firmly planted near the bottom of the freshmen ranks. He was still that quiet and unassuming guy he is today, but he was a lot slower. His times rattled around in the 22-23 minute range and he toiled in a fair amount of anonymity.

Since that beginning, he has written a song similar to the Cars' Let the Good Times Roll. He's been knocking on the door of top-10, and his times today are a vast improvement from the old days. It's a whole new Brandon. Recently at the Clovis invitational, he notched his fastest time ever with a 3-mile mark of right around 17:00. Yea, a full 5 minutes ahead of his 9th grade times! Sweet music indeed.

So sing loudly the praise of BR's four years of running. Unlike some tunes, this one you won't mind having stuck in your head!

Going The Distance ... Sean Lee

If I were a man of greater wealth, there's a gift I would love to give Sean Lee on the eve of his high school graduation. What is it you ask?

Well, we're both avid baseball fans; he a devotee of the Yankees, my allegiance is closer to home and the Boys in Blue have elated and saddened me for 30 years now. So the perfect gift would be for me to fly the two of us out to New York for a Yankee game in their new $1 Billion stadium. It would be epic.

You may wonder what we'd talk about ... I don't. Sean's the kindof guy I could easily spend an afternoon with and the conversation would probably never slow.

The first inning we'd probably both just sit in awe of the stadium. The single most expensive stadium ever built would deserve an inning of finger pointing and "hey Sean, check that out!"

By the second inning the conversation would move to me playfully mocking his Yankees' absurd spending habits on players. I mean, come on, are these guys really worth all that cash? I might ask. His retort would be - quick wit he, "and how many World Series have your Dodgers won?" Ouch. Good point. Laughter would steal the injury, Sean has made me laugh a lot over the years. The guy is funny.

The third and fourth innings would be consumed with discussion of history and politics. Sean is bright, very perceptive, and was a great US History student for me last year and has sharpened his political observations and perspective. He's a passionate liberal, me a conservative ... you telling me this conversation wouldn't be interesting? Trust me, we've had some good, intellectual discussions which neither side wins. I like that. The banter might drag into the fifth inning.

As we munch on $10 hotdogs, recognizing the junk we're putting in our bellies, the talk would turn to memories of his four years of running. Good memories would consume us, memories of overcoming adversity and injuries and marking a career by one word: Improvement. Or maybe success. Or passion. You choose.

In the sixth and seventh innings, we reminisce about 8 years of Lee kids and parents involved in cross country. First his older brother David ('03), and now Sean, I got the pleasure of coaching the cleanup hitters of the Lee team. David and Sean are the 4th and 5th of five tight-knit siblings well-parented by Dave and Jackie whom I've enjoyed getting to know. A touch of personal sadness would be interrupted by a raucous singing of "Take me out to the ball game".

The game is all knotted up 5-5 by the 8th, and so we just sit back and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a good baseball game. If you don't like baseball, you wouldn't understand.

Still tied in the ninth, Derek Jeter steps to the plate and "goes yard" to win the game with a walk off. Sean leaps to his feet, spilling his coke. I cheer as well, as Jeter is a Yankee even a Dodger fan can love.

Especially when his hit beats the Angels.

(Last year I wrote about Sean's running accomplishments here)

Going the Distance ... Kelsi Tippets

Her list of accomplishments is impressive:

2009 King High Athlete of the Year
2-time King XC MVP
2008 County Runner of the Year
3 time First Team All County honors
3 time All State Honors
State finalist in 2008
Record holder
League MVP 2006, 2007, 2008
Record older at several distances and levels
She's being actively recruited by a number of universities, including BYU, UC Davis, Santa Barbara among about 20 others who have contacted her.
Oh, and she's kept a GPA above 4.0 the entire way.

Such a resume would leave many boasting loudly and often of it. Frank Sinatra's famous song, I Did it My Way becomes their refrain.

But that's not Kelsi. Kelsi's greatest accomplishment has been:

Humilty.

Her letter jacket weighs considerly more than it did when she bought it, burdened by some 20 patches. Yet she's equally adorned with a deferring and humble nature that belies the achievements. Slow to blow her own horn, she's handled the acclaim and honors that she's earned without lording them over others or doing anything to promote her already famous name on campus.

And for that we're grateful. Not only has she fashioned herself into a fantastic runner, but she's done it in the always fashionable style of grace and quiet dignity.

Well done.

Going The Distance ... Derek Nelson

Derek Nelson is one of the most impressive young people I know. He has truly been a blessing to a team that four years ago needed some folks just like him.

His start in running wasn't what one would call an "explosion." His talent wasn't clearly on display, but what was obvious was his willingness to be coached, ability to listen and desire to work hard and do his best.

That equation has resulted in what has become a truly glorious career of running over the last three years, and this season is shaping up to be a grand culmination on that theme. He's been a "rags to riches" story of sorts, reminiscent of those 19th Century stories penned by Horatio Alger who wrote of young boys who rose to great heights of success through "luck, pluck and virtue." I'm not sure how much luck Derek has received, but I do know how hard he has worked and how deep is his character.

Derek is the consumate worker. Both in the classroom and on the roads, no one could ever accuse Derek of slacking or taking short cuts. The guy gets the reality that nothing good ever comes easily. He has literally "lost his lunch" a time or two in the effort to achieve even more.

But even bigger than Derek's work ethic is the class and dignity in which he wraps that drive. He is not given to putting others down who fail to reach his level of commitment. He's kind and sensitive; honest and forthright. He understands and practices teamwork in an old fashioned way, making the guys around him better by his self-depracating and humble spirit. His character is as deep as the pacific and our team is TRULY better because Derek dons the uniform.

From very humble beginnings, to one of the cornerstones of our current varsity squad, Derek has littered his career with successes and valuable lessons learned in the valleys of adversity. The result is a glittering example of a young man that makes us all quite proud to say, "I run with Derek Nelson."