Picture a school’s most successful sports team. Now picture this team with no coach.
That is exactly what happened when Carlmont Cross-Country athletes showed up to practice in mid-August, but thankfully, a solution has been put in place.
In 2010, both boys and girls varsity teams swept through PALs. The teams then moved on to CCS Championships, where the boys placed second and the girls were crowned champions.
The 2010 team set the bar high for the 2011 team, but they rose to the challenge. Both boys and girls varsity teams were PAL and CCS champions. To set the bar even higher for this year’s team, the 2011 running Scots took it to the state level. Boys placed 10th in state championships, and girls placed 17th.
Safe to say, the stakes are pretty high for this 2012 team. Needless to say, when all 57 runners showed up to practice the first day, they were in shock.
“Not having a coach in Cross-Country makes it harder to push yourself. Having a coach gives me motivation to push myself to the limit,” said Co-Team Captain, Shawn Geronimo.
Jenn Randazzo had been the Carlmont Cross-Country coach for four years. Not one runner on the team has had a different coach than Randazzo at Carlmont.
“It’s always hard to make a transition like this, especially when you lose someone who knows the kids so well. But fortunately we have a lot of leaders on our team who are a great positive influence on the younger kids,” said four-year runner Zach Levin.
With their leader absent, the routine success of the team could be in jeopardy.
Athletic Director Patrick Smith took notice of the situation immediately. He decided to take the reins himself, while at the same time, searching for a permanent replacement. About one and a half weeks into the season, an assistant coach was hired.
Four weeks ago, Kevin Abbey was working for the San Francisco Police Department. Now, Abbey doubles as Police Officer and part-time Cross-Country Coach. The newly acquired coach is quite the runner himself. In high school, Abbey won the State Championship and ran in the Junior National Olympics. Because of the conflicts with his job, Abbey is not a full-time solution but he will be coaching about three days a week.
“He really knows what he’s doing and I like that he’s very hard-nosed. He wants us to be the best runners we can be,” said Tim Layten, a senior who many college coaches will be watching this fall.
Despite the important acquisition of Abbey, Smith was very persistent in his search for a head coach, and Laura Brasfield jumped on the opportunity.
Brasfield found out about the job opening at Carlmont over Craigslist. She was actually hired immediately after Randazzo left the team, but there is an extensive process to become a coach at Carlmont.
The process requires a series of tests including medical shots and fingerprint screening. She assumed her position on Sept. 6, and since then has lead the team in daily workouts and weekly meets.
When Randazzo visited the team early in the season, tears were shed. It’s tough for these athletes to lose someone who played such an important role in their running careers, but it is now the dawning of a new era. Under the leadership of Brasfield and Abbey, Carlmont Cross-Country looks to run away with multiple championship titles.
