Thanks For Your Support
December 15th, 2004 The West Valley Cross Country teams would like to thank all the friends, family, and alumni for their support throughout the season. In total, the Vikings finished the season with 7 All-Conference and 3 All-NorCal individual performances, as well as bringing both teams to the California State Championships. Things can only get better.
Stay tuned and get excited for the Spring as we prepare to do damage on the oval as well. For more information about the Track team, please go to our Track & Field page.
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WVC All-Time Lists Updated
November 24th, 2004
With the season all wrapped up, check out how this year's teams compare to past West Valley harriers at some of the different courses.
Visit the All-Time List to see how they stack up!
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West Valley Places 12th at State Meet 
November 20th, 2004 The Lady Vikings of West Valley College ended their cross country season with a 12th place finish at the California State Championships held at Woodward Park in Fresno. The men's team would finish in 19th overall. Orange Coast College successfully defended their men's and women's team titles.
Freshman Heather Laptalo (seen at right) led the Vikings with her 19:59 performance on the 5000 meter course, good enough for 52nd place. Ashley Harris (20:08, 59th) and Shelby Burrus (20:20, 71st) would soon follow. Freshmen Amanda Schwabe (21:05, 118th) and Christine Nguyen (22:01, 147th) both recorded solid personal bests to help round out the scoring five. Jessica Camargo (23:48, 169th) and Carolyn Ewers (26:32, 178th) completed the team.
All the Viking men would run course bests on this day. Sophomore Lenin Zapata led the group with his 41st place finish as he stopped the clock at 21:22. Fellow sophomore Taff Dirks (85th) would also run very well with his 21:49. Freshmen Kyle Kurani (22:24, 133rd) and Kendon Nebeker (22:29, 135th) both finished together with Mitch Robeck (24:14, 175th) and Adrian Arcelona (24:19, 176th) completing the team.
For
complete results go to our 2004
XC Schedule.
* * *
Vikings Head to State Championships
November 19th, 2004 The West Valley cross country teams prepare for the California State Championships to be held tomorrow (Nov. 20th) at the storied Woodward Park in Fresno. Start times are 10:00 am for the women's 5k race and 11:00 am for the men's 4.0 mile. Come out and support your Viking harriers.
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West Valley Finishes 4th and 6th at NorCal
November 6th, 2004
Both West Valley squads qualify for the California State Championships after this weekends NorCal meet. The Lady Vikings tied for fourth place with Diablo Valley at 137 points. West Valley's men finished in 6th place with their 156 points. De Anza's women upset Hartnell College for the team title, and American River won the men's title with ease collecting a mere 20 points.
Freshman, Ashley Harris' fifth place finish helped lead the women to their tie for fourth place. With a best of 19:28, Harris earned her first All-NorCal honor. Heather Laptalo was also All-NorCal with her 13th place finish (19:52). Sophomore Shelby Burrus was the next Viking across the line in 23rd at 20:24. Freshmen Amanda Schwabe (43rd, 21:13) and Christine Nguyen (64th, 22:32) ran course bests and completed our scoring five. Jessica Camargo (80th, 23:58) and Carolyn Ewers (90th, 26:08) would also soon finish.
The
Viking men were led by sophomore Lenin Zapata's
8th place finish (22:17). Freshman Kendon
Nebeker (24th, 22:51) and sophomore Taff
Dirks (27th, 22:55) soon followed with Kyle
Kurani (32nd, 23:12) close in tow. Freshmen
Adrian Arcelona
(66th, 24:55) and Mitch
Robeck (73rd, 25:27) would finish off our Viking
squad on this day. For complete results, visit our
2004 schedule.
West Valley will now compete at the State Championships in Fresno on Novemeber 20th at the well-known Woodward Park.
* * *
Vikings Gear Up for NorCal Championships
November 2nd, 2004 After a pair of 3rd place finishes at last weeks Coast Conference Championships, the West Valley Vikings are geared up and ready for NorCals this Saturday. This year's Northern California Championships, hosted by College of San Mateo, will be contested on the famed Crystal Springs XC Course in Belmont.
The excitement begins at 11:00 am with the women's 2.95 mile race, the men follow at 12:00 pm with the 4.2 mile course. Come out to the races this Saturday and show your support.
* * *
West Valley Squads Place 3rd at Conference
October 28th, 2004
Salinas - Both the men's and women's cross country teams walked away with third place team finishes at the 2004 Coast Conference Championships. Hartnell College hosted this year's event and successfully defended their team titles from '03 on their home course at Toro Park. The West Valley Vikings were able to bring home 7 All-Conference recipients as well as 13 personal course bests.
The top Viking finisher of the day was soph Lenin Zapata (21:28) with his third place effort. Freshmen Kendon Nebeker (21:52) and Kyle Kurani (21:53, seen at right) each earned their first All-Conference Award for their 10th and 11th place finishes, respectively. Sophomore Taff Dirks (21:54) collected his third All-Conference honor on this day. Freshman Michael Sosa's 20th place finish (22:16) would close off the men's scoring, giving West Valley 56 points to Hartnell's 48 and CCSF's 49. Freshmen Mitch Robeck (32nd, 23:50) and Adrian Arcelona (35th, 24:21) would record solid course bests in their first conference appearance.
Ashley Harris led the Lady Vikes with her 5th place showing, clocking a new personal best of 19:45. The freshman earned her first of what will surely be many All-Conference honors. Also collecting her fourth All-Conference Award was soph Shelby Burrus (19:57, 8th). Freshman Heather Laptalo would also take home All-Conference honors as she finished 13th overall (20:30). Having a huge race and big PR was Amanda Schwabe. The freshman finished the day in 20th place with a time of 21:24. Rounding out our scoring five was Christine Nguyen (34th, 23:23) who has continued to improve this season. Jessica Camargo (35th, 23:26) and Carolyn Ewers (40th, 24:24) also walked away with new course bests. The ladies rallied 80 points for third place with Hartnell defending their title with 60 points to De Anza's 62.
The Vikings travel back to Belmont on November 6th for the Northern California Championships to be contested on the famed Crystal Springs course. Race starts times are 11am for the women and 12noon for the men. Come out and support your West Valley harriers.
* * *
Vikings Bring Home 2nd and 4th Place Finishes
October 17th, 2004
 Belmont - The West Valley women's cross country team finished 2nd with 89 points at the annual Crystal Springs Invitational early Saturday evening. The Viking men finished fourth with 126 points. Sophomores, Shelby Burrus and Lenin Zapata were West Valley's top runners for the fifth consecutive meet.
Burrus finished 4th overall with a huge personal best time of 19:30. Ashley Harris also knocked a minute off her previous best with her 8th place finish in 19:49. Newcomer Heather Laptalo, in only her second race ever, would record a very respectable time of 20:01 on the tough 2.95 mile course. Also finishing well for the Vikes to help secure their second place team title was Amanda Schwabe (44th, 22:15), Christine Nguyen (50th, 23:08), Carolyn Ewers (55th, 23:23), and Jessica Camargo (62nd, 23:38).
On the men's side, running with only 4 of our top 5 the men would finish 4th overall, with Zapata leading the charge. The sophomore's 3rd place finish (21:51) was only 13 seconds back from the winner, Jose Pepe Ramirez (ARC). Another Viking to finish big was freshman Kendon Nebeker (seen above).The former Milpitas Trojan has continued to improve as the season goes on. Nebeker finished 14th overall with a time of 22:36. Taff Dirks (18th, 22:48) and Kyle Kurani (29th, 23:02) would soon follow. Adrian Arcelona (69th, 25:06) and Mitch Robeck (70th, 25:08) would complete the team and help the men place 4th in team competition.
West Valley returns to action on October 27th with the Coast Conference Championships hosted by Hartnell College at Toro Park.
* * *
West Valley Runs Well at Beaver Invite
October 10th, 2004
Folsom - The Vikings bring home two top four team finishes from the 2nd Annual Beaver Invitational. This year's event took place at the newly designed cross country course at Folsom High School. The West Valley women's and men's squads would take home 3rd and 4th place team honors, respectively.
The Vikings' Shelby Burrus would once again lead the women's team with a seventh place finish (20:54) over the very challenging course. A few ticks back was freshman Ashley Harris (seen at right). Harris would record a solid showing (9th, 21:02) as she continues to narrow the gap between herself and Burrus. Heather Laptalo, another new Viking, would join the field this week with an equally impressive performance (12th, 21:14). Also finishing for West Valley were freshmen Amanda Schwabe (30th, 23:00), Carolyn Ewers (45th, 24:48), Jessica Camargo (51st, 25:33), and Christine Nguyen (52nd, 25:50).
The ladies finished the day with 82 points, which was good enough for 3rd place behind conference rival Hartnell College (54 points) and Sac City (76 points).
The men's team would put in a good fight with Lenin Zapata, once again, leading the charge. Zapata took third with his 22:47 finish. Taff Dirks (11th, 23:24) and Kendon Nebeker (13th, 23:27) would also end the day with top 15 finishes. Other Vikings accross the line were Michael Sosa (30th, 24:15), Kyle Kurani (32nd, 24:21), Adrian Arcelona (44th, 26:15), and Mitch Robeck (47th, 26:35).
Their combined efforts helped the men place 4th with 85 points. Defending NorCal Champs and hosting team, ARC won the meet with 26 points, and Modesto narrowly took 2nd with their 71 points to Hartnell's 73.
For
complete results, please visit our 2004
Schedule.
New action shots from our races are up in the Photo
Gallery.
Next up for the Vikings is the Crystal Springs Invitational this Saturday, October 16th. Start times are 4:00pm for Women and 5:00pm for Men.
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Help the Wolfpack Family
October 4th, 2004
Help the West Valley College Cross Country programs and receive benefits for the entire year. Whether you are an alumni, family member, or just a fan you can help the program become even bigger and better than it already is. Click here to learn more about how to help the Wolfpack Family.
* * * Men Place 4th at Lou Vasquez Invite, Women 11th
September 30, 2004
 San Francisco - At this year's Lou Vasquez Invitiational in San Francisco, the West Valley Vikings were able to field two complete teams for the first time this season. In team scores, the men would have a solid showing as they finished in fourth place behind defending NorCal Champs American River College, defending Coast Conference Champs Hartnell College, and the always strong LA Trade Tech. An impressive showing in a very stacked field. The women would also put a complete team on the line and finish in 11th place.
The Viking men were spearheaded by sophomore standout Lenin Zapata's 2nd place finish. Zapata ran neck and neck with American River's Jose Pepe Ramirez over the final mile, but lost the battle in the closing meters finishing with a new personal best of 20:44 to Ramirez's 20:33.
Another top finisher for West Valley was sophomore Taff Dirks (seen above). The Los Altos grad ('03) ran conservative for the initial miles and made up major ground to place him 12th overall (21:13). Also running new season bests were freshmen Kendon Nebeker (27th, 21:34), Michael Sosa (43rd, 21:58), and Kyle Kurani (51st, 22:13).
Shelby Burrus would again lead the Viking women on this day with her 18th place finish with a time of 20:15. She would soon be followed by Ashley Harris (30th, 21:01). Dropping their times dramatically were freshmen Amanda Schwabe (42nd, 21:27) and Carolyn Ewers (80th, 23:47). The newest Viking, Christine Nguyen (94th, 25:40), would also have a solid showing for her first cross country race in two years.
For
complete results of the Lou Vasquez Invite and previous
races, please view our 2004
XC Schedule.
The Vikings will travel to Sacramento next weekend for the Beaver Invite in Folsom. This race will be in conjunction with the Folsom Challenge, which is open to all competitors. Start times are 9:00am for Women and 9:45am for Men on Saturday, October 9th.
* * *
New Photo Galleries Posted
September 28, 2004
Visit
our Pictures
section for action photos from our races and from
XC Camp. Also, new profile
pictures have been uploaded on the athlete's
bio pages. Check it out and see your current Viking
squad.
* * *
Zapata and Burrus Top Vikings at Toro Park Invite
September 24, 2004
Salinas - The West Valley Viking harriers continued their season today after a long weekend of camping. Both squads competed at the Toro Park Invitational in Salinas, but neither were able to get a complete team across the line. However, as individuals, West Valley had some standout performances.
Sophomore, Lenin Zapata (at right) collected runner-up honors in the Men's race with an impressive time of 21:19. The breakthrough race of the day came from freshman Kendon Nebeker. The recent Milpitas grad was the second Viking finisher as he placed 12th overall with his time of 22:07. Freshman, Michael Sosa was our final Viking on this day with his 23:39 effort (37th place). Unfortunately Adrian Arcelona and Mitch Robeck were unable to finish the race due to injuries.
On the women's side, our four ladies had a good showing today as well. Similar to last week, Shelby Burrus led the charge with her 4th place finish as she stopped the clock in 20:09. Freshman Ashley Harris also stepped up and would finish 13th overall in a time of 20:44. Fellow freshmen Amanda Schwabe (30th, 22:59) and Carolyn Ewers (42nd, 25:46) rounded out the Viking squad.
Next up for the Vikings is the Lou Vasquez Invitational held at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Competition begins at 3:30pm (women) and 4:30pm (men) on Thursday, Sept. 30th.
* * * Burrus and Zapata Medal at Fresno Invite
September 11, 2004
 Fresno - The West Valley men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2004 season with some solid results Saturday at the Fresno Invitational in Woodward Park. The Vikings finished 7th in the men's division with 232 points, but were incomplete on the women's side with only 4 runners in attendance.
The lady Vikings were led by Sophomore Shelby Burrus' 11th place finish over the 5,000 meter course (seen at left). The 3-time All-Conference performer would better her previous best on this course by over 2 minutes with her 20:06 effort. Freshman Ashley Harris also recorded a personal best with her time of 20:46, good enough for 25th place. Freshmen Amanda Schwabe (62nd, 22:17) and Carolyn Ewers (97th, 23:58) would also put up impressive early season marks.
On the men's side, sophomore Lenin Zapata (NorCal 5k Champ on the Track in '04) would be the top West Valley finisher of the day with his 10th place performance. Zapata, in his final season as a Viking, would record a solid time of 21:48 over the 4-mile course. Fellow sophomore, Taff Dirks finished the day with a new best on the course as he placed 34th with a time of 22:27. Freshmen Kendon Nebeker (70th, 23:16), Kyle Kurani (74th, 23:21), Michael Sosa (89th, 23:36), and Adrian Arcelona (125th, 25:08) would round out the team scoring while getting a taste of the longer course. A good first effort for our young squad.
For
complete results, please visit our 2004
Schedule.
For
2004 Fresno Invite pictures, please go to our Pictures
page.
The Vikings' next competition will be at the Toro Park Invitational in Salinas Friday, Sept. 24th. * * * Welcome Back to Cross
August 1, 2004
Your West Valley Vikings have been hard at work over the summer months.
Their first race is September 11th in Fresno at the infamous Woodward Park.
In the meantime, check out this newly designed Cross Country internet site. Navigate through the new features which includes our 2004 team roster with individual bios, team history, and our All-Time lists from various courses.
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