Banquet Time

The Nighthawk Cross Country Banquet will be on Monday, December 7th 2009. It will be at the Bear Creek Country Club at 6pm. Each person in attendance is $10.00. The price is to cover food charges, as there will be a meal for each person in attendance. The award ceremony will follow.

If you have any questions please see Coach Hilton. Please provide the money to Coach Hilton no later than Friday for each person that will be attending with you.

CIF FINALS HERE WE COME!

CONGRATULATIONS GIRLS!! YOU MADE IT TO CIF FINALS!!



The girls took 3rd place in their heat this past Saturday, securing a spot in the CIF Finals competition next Saturday at Mt. Sac. The top 16 teams in division 1 will be competing for a coveted spot of 7 for the State Meet the following weekend. We are currently ranked 12th, but anything can happen next Saturday!



Come cheer on your girls on the Mt. Sac course! They need your support!

CIF Prelims

The information for CIF prelims has been posted on Dyestatcal.com. The girls will race at 10:50am, heat #4 for Division 1. Race number 14 for the day... more details to follow. Click the title, "CIF Prelims" for more info.

League Finals

My appologies to the parents that were given incorrect information on the blog regarding the league finals schedule. In my defense, the kids were given a slip on Wedneday at practice that they were supposed to bring home, and I was not at practice on Wednesday to copy the schedule from it.

Congratulations to the JV and Varsity Girls teams! Third place each in League!

The Varsity girls will go on to compete at the CIF prelims next Saturday the 14th.

The link below has information for the prelims race. The heats will be announced on Saturday after 3pm according to the sheet.
The division 1 girls races are the 4th set of races. Racing starts at 7:45 am, but it does not list a specific time for our race (yet).

http://images.dyestat.com/dyestatcal/images/2009/October/28%20So%20Section/09SSCCPlayoffBulletin.pdf

More information to follow as the day approaches.

League Finals- Thursday Nov. 5th

Tomorrow's Meet will be at Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet, CA. (Click title above for link to map)

Hilton has mentioned to the kids several times that we have purchased a bus to transport us to and from the meet due to the distance from the school. :)

The kids will check out of class between 1 and 1:15 pm. And head to the bus. The meet schedule is as follows:

This is league finals and we are sharing the course with the Sunbelt League Cross Country Teams. There will be 8 races instead of 4, but we will only be in the usual 4.

2:00- JV Girls Sunbelt

2:30- JV Girls Southwestern

3:00- JV Boys Sunbelt

3:30- JV Boys Southwestern

4:00- Varsity Girls Sunbelt

4:30- Varsity Girls Southwestern

5:00- Varsity Boys Sunbelt

5:30- Varsity Boys Southwestern

(Hilton- Please correct me if anything is off)

The athletes will have permission to leave with their parents at the end of the meet only (there is an awards ceremony) or they may take the bus back to the school. If you have any questions please email me or Coach Hilton...

Mt. Sac Invite

If you click on the title above, it will take you to the schedule for Saturdays races. I am not sure which "color" our bibs will be, but they will all be the same. All our races are on Saturday division 1.
The last race will be the Freshman Girls race, depending on our bib colors, the latest time would be 11:25am. All athletes need to be at the school no later than 4:45am. The bus will leave at 5am sharp!

Friday's Team dinner will be at the Matta's home in Bear Creek at 6pm, gate check-in information was emailed to everyone Friday morning. EVERYONE needs to come to the dinner if possible!! We are going to take a few team pictures!! You will miss out if you are not there. Also, it is not required for you to dress up, but it would be nice to have you dress nicer than you work out clothes!

Directions and Mt. Sac information is on the website. The link is to the right.

Senior Scholarship Opportunity

Seniors, if you are interested in applying for this scholarship please read below. Free money for college is always a good thing, and it doesn't usually come this easy. I recommend ALL seniors apply for this scholarship!

BigSun Scholarship

The BigSun Organization is proud to be able to continue to help young athletes succeed in their academic pursuits. We are offering an annual scholarship to a deserving student. All student athletes are eligible for this award, regardless of which sport they are participating in.

Deadline - June 24, 2010

Amount of Award - $500.00

Requirements: The successful applicant will be a high school senior or be attending a post secondary institute and currently involved in some sport at that institution or in the community.

Please visit our website at http://www.bigsunathletics.com to learn how to apply.

This scholarship has been listed with FastWeb

We recognize that each school will have the responsibility for scholarships assigned to different staff positions so we are giving this notice a wide distribution to ensure that each school receives fair notice. Please note that at no time will any student or other individual be asked for a fee of any description for any service.

League Meet #2

Well, it is already here, our second league meet. Pending the weather, it will be at Temecula Valley High School on Thursday, October 15th at 3 pm. Just like our first meet, you will be responsible for finding a ride to the meet. All athletes must be at TVHS NO LATER than 2:30 pm. You will be released during 6th period PE at 1:30 pm.

The first race is set to begin at 3:15 pm. The order will be the same as the first meet, JV Girls, JV Boys, Varsity Girls, Varsity Boys, every 30 to 45 minutes.

Here is a map of the race course:


If you have never been to Temecula Valley, here are directions to the meet.

View Larger Map

ALL ATHLETES ARE REQUIRED TO STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE MEET. YOU MUCH CHECK OUT WITH COACH G BEFORE YOU LEAVE.

Inland Empire Results

Congratulations to all our athletes at Inland Empire! Almost every single one of you ran a personal best. We are very proud of you. Below are a few photos from the meet:



Some of our Freshman Girls





Our JV Girls, Inland Empire JV Champions


Our Varsity Girls, 2nd in Inland Empire. Bethany Bilton, Inland Empire Champion!


Varsity boys, 9th place in sweepstakes

Inland Empire Championships- Location Change

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The various Fire Agencies are using Glen Helen Park as a staging area for the Sheep Fire. The location has been changed to the Prodo Regional Park in Chino. Below is a map with directions from MVHS to the new location. Please print this for your convenience.


View Larger Map

The bus will leave promptly at 5am on Saturday the 10th. The athletes were given meet information today, and everything on it is correct except the location. If you have any questions please contact Coach Gilliland and Coach Hilton.

League Meet #1

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARENTS THAT HELPED AT THE MEET! IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A SUCCESS WITHOUT YOU! AGAIN, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Great race guys!! Time to get ready for the Inland Empire Championships!
Below are a few photos from the meet...JV Girls heading to the start line.
Breanna Maltby

Emily Allen and Mandy Neverman

Leah Santos

Kiana Smith

Congratulations to Carrie Withers and Brandon "Teddy" Scott. They were the Athletes of the Meet.

Some Changes

Well, take two... The league meet was cancelled due to the inability to determine safety of the drive for the buses to the plateau because of the Bear Creek Fire.

The meet has been rescheduled for this coming Thursday October 1st, at 3:30pm. The good news is that the weather is supposed to be nicer. The bad news is that Coach Hilton, the helping parents and I have to set up all over again. :-(

This Thursday is a B day, you will check out at 1:30pm and head up to the plateau and arrive no later than 2:30pm. Again, you do not have permission to leave until the end of the meet, after all trash is picked up and you check out with Coach Gililand. If you have questions, email or call.

League Meet #1

We will be hosting our first league meet of the season at the Santa Rosa Plateau. The tentative schedule is as follows.

4:30pm- JV Girls (possibly 2 heats)

5:00pm- JV Boys (possibly 2 heats)

5:30pm- Varsity Girls

6:00pm- Varsity Boys

The main entrance to the Sylvan Meadows will be blocked off. Only the coaches and the snack bar trailer will be allowed to park in this area. Parking is VERY limited and it is suggested that you CAR POOL!! Parking is provided along the street and across the street. Please do not block any exits as this is a fire hazard.

There will be a snack bar providing water and gatorades. All empty bottles will be recylced and funds will go to the MVHS cross country team. Remember to throw away all your trash. There will also be additional raffle tickets sold to win the moutain bike and Bar B Q. They are $5.00 each. If you are still selling tickets, you may attempt to sell them at the meet. Remember they are due Oct. 2nd!!

Parent volunteers are helping with the finish line, crowd control on the course, snack bar, set up and tear down.

Release time for all XC athletes is 2:30pm, they will need to check in with Coach G at the front of the school and then they have an hour to get to the Plateau.. There will be sections provided for each team to set up their EZ up tents within the Slyvan Meadows parking lot. All MVHS athletes MUST remain at the plateau until the final race and you are dismissed by your coaches. You are required to help with tear down, and trash clean up. You MUST check out with Coach Gilliland, she will have a sign-out sheet. More information to follow as needed.

Woodbridge Results

Woodbridge has come and gone yet again. There were over 13,000 athletes racing over the course of the day. Nighthawks represented with pride rising to the challenge of a course that included even more changes!! Coach Hilton and I are very proud of all of you. Here are some pictures from the events provided by some of the athletes.

And they're off! The crazy start that proved to be no problem for the Nighthawks!

Our freshman gals getting ready for their first competition at Woodbridge! Way to race ladies!!

Carrie Withers taking the challenge on with courage! 14th place out of 154 runners!
To see more results, click on the title to this post. Next up, League Meet #1!! Thursday, the 24th! Races will begin at 4:30pm.

ATHLETES OF THE MEET: Congratulations to Sara Rubi and Scott Gamble. Once again our athletes of the meet. They are working hard consistently at practice and it is showing in their race results. Great job guys!

Fastback Photos

Alright, I told you I would post pictures from each race if you SEND THEM TO ME!! Matta sent me photos from the big event, so here they are. First, some of our junior girls taking a minute to smile for the camera. From left to right, Amanda, Jenna, Nikki, Christina, Bethany and Kaylene.
Christina, we are glad you are recovering quickly from your appendectomy! You are one tough chick!

Mike Matta, I must say, your form is great in this picture. You look like a serious runner! Well, you raced like a serious runner on Saturday too! Keep up the good work!


Can you spot Emily in this mob? Can you believe this is her first race? She looks like a pro!

This picture is of Emily, Shelby and Eden, our new Freshman! Way to race guys!

ATHLETES of the MEET: Congratulations to Scott Gamble and Sara Rubi for being our athletes of the meet. Scott PR'd by almost 2 minutes from last year, showing he has what it takes to perform at the next level. His hard work this summer is showing. This is Sara's first competition and she ran a sub 13 minute race and took 2nd among the junior girls. She is itching for a spot on varsity! Keep up the good work guys!!

Woodbridge Invitational

Just a few things for Saturdays big event.

We will leave MVHS at 1:45pm. Please make sure you are there no later than 1:35pm!! We will meet in the front of the school like always. Be dressed in your uniform, team t-shirt and team sweats. Bring your backpack with water, healthy snacks, and anything else you may need.

Please click on the link to the right that says, "Woodbridge," if you need directions to Woodbridge High School or race times. Our final race is at 8:45pm, we should be home around 11pm. Our school is in the "Blue" races.

Our team dinner will be this Friday at the Griffin's house. Jenna will pass out directions at practice on Friday if you have never been there. It will begin at 6pm.

Here's to a great weekend with more PR's and exciting races!!
MVHS Nighthawks, Desire! Work!! Run, Fight, WIN!

Fundraiser

I know you are all super excited to sell raffle tickets as this years first fundraiser. (Sorry for the thick sarcasm). However, this should be a rather simple task. You will each receive 20 tickets to sell to friends, family, neighbors etc. They are $5.00 each. There are 2 different possible prizes. The first is a Bike, below is a link to check it out:

http://www.globebikes.com/us/en/globe/GlobeBike.jsp?pid=10CAR3

The second item is a BBQ, this thing is AMAZING! Check it out:

http://www.bbqgalore.com/gas_grills/turbo_sts/

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE FAMILIES THAT DONATED THE PRIZES!!!

You have until the 2nd of October (Friday) to sell your tickets. All the tickets will go into a large box and we will pull out the 2 winners during practice on Friday the 2nd. If you need more tickets please see Coach Hilton, we can print out some more. All tickets need to be returned to Coach Gilliland as soon as you are finished.

***THERE WILL BE A PRIZE FOR THE PERSON THAT SELLS THE MOST TICKETS!!!!!***

Fastback Shootout

Alright, racing season is FINALLY here... our first meet will be on Saturday at Mt. Sac for the Fastback Shootout. The list on the right side of the screen has a link that will take you to the website for racing heat schedules.

ALL ATHLETES! You need to be at the school by 5:05 am. You MUST be wearing your uniform, team t-shirt and team sweats to get onto the bus. If you are late, you will still be required to attend the meet, and you will not race, you will also not race next weekend at Woodbridge. Needless to say, BE ON TIME!!

The first race (junior girls) is at 7:30am, please eat and hydrate accordingly. Get a good night sleep, and be ready to race! Those of you that are not racing are still required to attend and help out. You will help with all equipment (tents, first aid kit) and possibly recording splits. Bring a healthy sack lunch. From years past, that I recall, there has not been a snack bar and they are usually filled with junk any way. I just found out that Robek's will have a booth there, bring money if you like, but also remember to bring a sandwich, water, fruit, and healthy crackers. If you race early, have it for when you are done. If you race late, bring small items (banana and peanut butter, other fruit, string cheese etc.) Don't stuff yourself right before your race (TEDDY!)

Once everyone has cooled down and is ready to leave, we will possibly get lunch in our usual shopping center near the Rubios. It is not required, but you may bring money to get food if you like. We should return to the school by around 2:30 or 3 pm.

Our first team dinner will be this Friday at the Calhoun's residence. You will receive directions on Friday during class if you have never been there. Time TBA, it is really fun, plus you get free food!! If you have any questions please call or email.

Choices

INTEGRITY-
–noun
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

I'm sure this is nothing new to you, but in life we have MANY choices. With each choice we make, our character is shaped and our lives changed. Sometimes the change is small, other times it can be massive.

You only get four years of high school, four years to shape who you want to be when you leave and attempt life in the "real world." No one can choose for you what you will become, choose wisely and live without regrets. One of our past team motto's was, "Excellence Everyday," I think I would like to add to this... "Live life on Purpose." Don't waste your time complaining, or just getting by. You will look back and regret your choices if you do.

With all that said, our first meet is in less than 2 weeks. You have a total of 4 invites and 3 league meets this year, that is only 7 races! Unless, you choose to push yourself and do your best, (every day on purpose) you will look back on this year and wish you would have done better.

I speak from experience. My senior year I had a minor injury, hamstring, and I let it get the best of me and didn't achieve much that track season. I finished high school and left for college with the same mindset and only competed for one year. At first I thought maybe I was burnt out from running and needed a break. Later I realized I was more or less just being lazy and wanting more free time. When I stopped running I started working (there went the free time). I look back and wish that I would have given my all, I wished that I would have stayed focused. I don't want any of you to regret your choices.

So here is your free advice, learn from other peoples mistakes, live life on purpose and do your best every day. Then you can look back without any regrets...

Practice Requirements

Just a quick reminder about practice requirements. You are required to show up to each practice and complete the full work out. Any athlete that does not do the entire work out assigned to them each and every day will be removed from competition. Be at practice and be ready to work hard each day! Remember your goals you made at camp! You can't achieve them if you don't push yourself every day!!

Injuries are creeping up and it is to be expected. You are putting a lot of strain on your body. Please make sure to communicate with us daily and we will alternate your activity if needed. Remember to ice, stretch, tiger balm etc. Take care of your body! Plenty of rest, nutritious meals, and water!

For those of you that did the bear crawls and plyos Tuesday, we didn't mean to give you blisters. We will relocate them to another spot in the future. (Sorry). The turf gets pretty hot, something we are still getting used to, we've always had grass in the past.

Schedule Change

Please note a change in the schedule for the night practices. Mondays and Thursdays we will have practice at 5pm. The schedule states 6pm, but we decided to bring it down to 5pm so people aren't running in the dark! We will meet you at the track tomorrow night, and every Monday and Thursday until further notice. Questions please see Hilton or Gilliland.

Attitude

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearances, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is plan on the one strength we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that list is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes."

--Charles Swindoll

Camp Photos

If you have any photos from camp, I would like to post some of them onto this blog. If you could send me one or two in an email that would be great. You all should have my email address as I have been sending you information all summer. :) I will be adding the Killer Peak Times to the right of the screen within the next few days.

~Coach G & kellen (MVHS XC's Biggest Fan)

MVHS 2009 Cross Country Schedule

Nighthawk Cross Country
2009 Schedule

9/12 Fastback Shootout @ Mt SAC 8:00 am
9/19 Woodbridge Invite @ Woodbridge HS 5:00 pm
9/24 League Meet #1 @Santa Rosa Plateau 3:15 pm
10/10 Inland Empire Championships @Glen Helen 8:00 am
10/15 League Meet #2 Great Oak Site TBA 3:15 pm
10/24 Mt SAC Invitational @Mt SAC 7:30 am
11/5 League Finals @ Chaparral Site TBA 2:30 pm
11/14 CIF Prelims @Mt Sac TBA
11/21 CIF Finals @Mt. SAC TBA
11/28 CIF State Finals @Woodward Park--Fresno TBA


“Some race to see who’s the fastest, I race to see who has the most guts.”
-Steve Prefontaine

MVHS CC!!

Welcome to the MVHS Cross Country Blog. Please check back regularly for updates and information regarding practices, races, and other items!