The Loyola-Blakefield boys not only have a shot at winning their 7th straight MIAA cross country title this fall, but they has have a real opportunity to be the best cross country team in the entire state of Maryland. Only graduating one runner from their top seven a year ago, this squad has big goals of finishing high at the NXN Southeast Regional at season's end. Head coach Jose Albornoz enters his 30th year at the school with one of his best lineups ever in cross country that includes four returnees who ran under 16:30 for 5K last fall led by Frankie Legambi. We caught up with Coach Albornoz prior to the start of his team's cross country season to fill us in on the inner workings of his program and insights on this year's squad as part of our XC team scouting report series.
| Loyola-Blakefield (MD) | ||||
| 1) Frankie Legambi | 15:59.00 | |||
| 2) Kenny Rowe | 16:18.00 | |||
| 3) Kevin Wegner | 16:24.00 | |||
| 4) Max Barbour | 16:24.10 | |||
| 5) Dan Vinton | 17:27.00 | |||
| Average Time: 16:30.42 Total Time: 1:22:32.10 1-5 Split: 1:28.00 | ||||
| 6) Devon Maranto | 18:48.00 | |||
| 7) Ben Sullivan | 18:52.00 | |||
Interview with Loyola-Blakefield XC head coach Jose Albornoz
1. How many years have you been coaching high school cross country (and at your current school)?
30 years (28 on the varsity level in cross), 30 years (29 varsity - outdoor) and 20 years indoor varsity assistant; all at Loyola Blakefield H.S.
2. What do you attribute as the main reasons for the success of your program?
We train very hard. We put in a lot of miles throughout the year. Most of our runners are committed year-round runners. We work on avoiding injuries and try to make the practices fun and short as possible ( I like to have them on their way home before 5 pm). Indoor season is a lot of speed and a minimal time commitment so that the athletes don't feel constantly overwhelmed. It also helps a lot that I have an assistant (who is also the varsity indoor head coach), Chris Cucuzzella, who splits time with me coaching the same group of athletes. They get two different approaches that are complementary and it gives both of us, a chance to get away from the intensity of the training for about half the year.
3. What would be the best way to describe your style and philosophy of coaching and working with high school runners?
I set a fairly demanding expectation in June. Varsity candidates are expected to be ready to run 50+ miles per week in early August. Once they buy in to the running load, I really try to let the seniors and top runners lead by example. It does me no good to tell a group that we are going to run 6 x mile repeats at 5- 5:10 with decreasing rest, if the top group does not expect that type of practice. I typically underestimate how hard they are willing to go, so most practices the team surpasses expectation. I also keep a big varsity ( as many as 20 kids in previous years) so that on some days, a bottom runner who is feeling it will pass a better runner. It keeps everyone sharp.
3. What would be the best way to describe your style and philosophy of coaching and working with high school runners?
I set a fairly demanding expectation in June. Varsity candidates are expected to be ready to run 50+ miles per week in early August. Once they buy in to the running load, I really try to let the seniors and top runners lead by example. It does me no good to tell a group that we are going to run 6 x mile repeats at 5- 5:10 with decreasing rest, if the top group does not expect that type of practice. I typically underestimate how hard they are willing to go, so most practices the team surpasses expectation. I also keep a big varsity ( as many as 20 kids in previous years) so that on some days, a bottom runner who is feeling it will pass a better runner. It keeps everyone sharp.
4. What are your core beliefs in your training plan and workouts for your cross country squads?
Number one is avoid injury. We run only 6 days a week. I demand that everyone take Sunday off. I have had some really good runners that simply could not do that, but most are happy to have a day off. I never hesitate to amend a workout. Some days when I want to do a very long run we will go with 40 -30 -20 min segmented run on, say a Weds after school.
But sometimes after the first segment I can see that the group is just flat, so I don't think twice to knock out the middle segment and turn the last segment into something fast and fun....say a half a dozen quarter miles at race pace on the course. If training is not fun and the kids don't feel good after they finish, I don't think I've done my job.
5. How many runners do you return from your top 7 from a year ago?
This year we have almost everyone back. We graduated Mike Wegner (our top runner last year) but return seniors Frankie Legambi, Kenny Rowe, Kevin Wegner, and Junior Max Barbour. We also have about 8 other runners from last year's team and a number of top jv runners from last year looking to fill the next 3 places.
6. Who is your projected top 7 heading into the cross country season?The four named above and then next could be Dan Vinton (senior) Dan Quets (Junior) and 7 could be anyone of 8 names including possibly two freshman.
It is still too soon to tell.
7. Who are your team captains or leaders and what stands out about them as examples for the rest of their teammates?
I generally assign captain status to all seniors in the top 7 as well as any seniors who have run varsity for more than two years. It means that I have a lot of leadership on the team.
Anyone in this program, regardless of ability, who has completed a year of varsity is a serious runner. They all train hard and push and cheer each other along.
Of the top group, the resume's are impressive and varied. Frankie and Kevin are four year varsity runners who have never lost a league championship. Kenny is a speedster on the track (1:52 800m, 49 400m) who also is 16:30 5k. Max is also a very solid quiet hard worker who never complains and trains as hard as any athlete I have ever coached. While at this point Frankie is our number one, any of the top 4 could run number one on a number of teams.
Of the rest of the seniors I have a 1:56 800m runner and a group of mid 18 5k runners who have improved greatly over the past year in both cross and track.
8. Who have you been most impressed or surprised with their improvement and/or fitness from their summer training?
Dan Quets looks to be in great shape and has been training very hard. Max Barbour also looks in really good strong shape and could make a fairly big leap to be able to run with the top area runners.
9. Any impactful freshmen or transfers to join the team this season?
Two. Camden Gilmore and Ronan Sullivan (brother to one of our seniors -Ben Sullivan) are possible varsity runners. With so much depth this season, I may start them on jv, but at this point both can hold sustained tempo runs of 6 - 6:10 per mile.
10. What are the top invitational meets that your team will be attending this season?
Everything we do is focused around the MIAA championship. However, we will be looking to run well in the elite sections at Bull Run, Georgetown Prep, and Paul Short.
11. What will be the biggest obstacle or challenge facing your team this season?
As every season, it is injury. We train very hard. I ask my athletes to keep me informed of every ache and pain, but frequently, they are very tough and try to run through some things that should sideline them for a few days. Each of the past few years, I have had a top runner go down for an extended period of time. Last year Mike Wegner did not recover until the weeks before the MIAA championship. It is a fine balance between pushing the group hard and hurting them. I find it the toughest challenge in coaching.
12. What will be the biggest reason why your team is successful this season?
We are just talented this year. Everyone in our top group can run sub 10 two miles. The next group can go sub (10:30-11). It comes from the year-round running, but nothing can beat a talented runner who trains.
13. What is a favorite annual or common pre-season workout or run for your team?
It's the same every season. Kids love speed. There is none of that in the early season. So closest thing to it is 20 min tempo run.
14. What is a favorite annual or common mid-season workout for your team?
Ladder at faster than 5k pace with minimal rest. The favorite part is the "surprise"- although they have now come to expect it so it's not such a surprise anymore- after the 400m (usually 65-75 second pace) they have one minute for a full out 300m sprint
15. What is a favorite annual or common championship season or end-of-season workout for your team?
During the end of season taper, we do very fast short runs - maybe 3 x 400m fast. 10 min warm up and cool down. Practice is over and they are dressed to go home in less than an hour.
16. What are your top 3 goals for this year's squad?
Repeat 7th consecutive MIAA title- with non top 7 varsity finishing top 10 in the MIAA open race
Final Area Ranking (Baltimore Sun #1)
Top 5 NXN Southeast - while we'd love to go to Oregon- that would require us to perform well above where we are right now. All top 5 sub 16:20 5k would be an achievement.