Boys’ Cross Country Preview 2011

Coach: Dan Ambrico, entering second season as head coach

2010 record: placed 5th at CCS, captain Kyle Fukui qualified for state

2010 recap: “Last year we did not have many wins to be honest, but we did send Kyle Fukui to state which was cool. Our varsity was weakened because Sam Guy broke his ankle and I strained my Achilles so we were kind of crippled last year ” junior David Zarrin said.

Star Players: Freshman Stevie Sum, sophomores Sam and Will Guy, juniors David Zarrin and Kabir Chandrasekher and seniors Eren Veziroglu and Peter An.

Key Departures: Kyle Fukui, Garrick Chan

Key Additions: Stevie Sum

Keys to success: The team needs “consistency at practice and peaking at the right time,” coach Ambrico said. The key, junior David Zarrin said, is consistently training but avoiding injury, which would give everyone the best season possible. They also have a freshman superstar in Steven Sum, who may become the fastest freshman miler in the country this year, and is currently the fastest runner on the team. The team has a lot of young talent, and seems poised to greater successes than before.

On cuts: “We decided to transition to a cut sport to ensure the runners who are committed to cross country have quality practices and to keep the size of the team manageable,” coach Ambrico said.

Magic number: 60. The team went over the limit of 60 runners this year, and Ambrico was forced to make cuts to bring the number back down to 60. Last year, the final roster was 53 runners.