Robertson leads new pack of Jesuit runners

By Mike Fitts

Last year, varsity cross-country head coach, Mr. Walt Lange, knew his team was outstanding, and he knew they would be a front-runner for the state championship. This year, things are a little unclear.

Jesuit lost five of its top seven runners from last year's Division II state championship squad, including standouts Mike Altieri and Kaakpema Yelpaala, to graduation. Senior Chris Robertson and junior Nate DeFelice are the only two returning runners from the top seven, and DeFelice missed most of last season with an injury.

This leaves a few question marks surrounding the team. Mr. Lange's primary concern is lack of experience. "We only have a few runners who made a big impact last season, and that makes things more difficult," Lange said. "This means that we need some runners to really step up for us."

One runner who seems to be doing just that is senior Nino Mancuso. Although he joined the team late, and thus missed the first race of the year, Mancuso has looked good so far. "I'm very excited about Nino," Lange said. "He's really showed some great potential."

Junior Eric Morse has displayed some promise as well. He has shown the ability to be a top-five runner in his first year running cross-country.

The Marauders have had two races. In the Oakmont Invitational on September 5, the Marauders finished second to powerhouse Nevada Union, who Mr. Lange says are "on another planet." Robertson was Jesuit's best runner, and that was good enough for fourth overall. DeFelice finished in tenth place, followed by Morse in28th place.

The Marauders next traveled to Danville to participate in the Monte Vista Invitational on September 11. Jesuit finished third in a close race, losing by only nine points to Redwood and seven to DeLasalle. Robertson and DeFelice once again turned in strong performances, finishing second and ninth, respectively. Junior Ben Knox finished 16th, and Mancuso took 18'h place. Morse and seniors Michael Santarosa and Justin Goodkind all ran well, finishing in the top 30

Although the Marauders did not win either race, Lange is pleased with their early -season performance. "We were right there and we were competitive," he said. He also realizes it is going to take some time for his young team to peak.

Lange is looking forward to the Stanford Invitational on October3, which should give him a good idea of the progress his team has made. A few week slater on Oct. 24, the Marauders make their annual trek to L.A. on Oct.24 for the prestigious Mt. Sac Invitational. Because many state teams will compete, Lange expects to have a clearer picture of whether his team is good enough to challenge for the state title.