TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Knights' Garcia listens, learns and improves

ADVERTISEMENT

By BILL WARD | TBO.com

Published: October 13, 2009

When Bryan Garcia was competing as a sophomore for the Robinson cross country team, Knights coach Mark Altimari just didn't see him becoming one of the state's top runners.

But Altimari says there were two things Garcia was always able to do that gave him a chance to excel one day: listen and understand what he was trying to teach him about distance running.

Two years later, Garcia has risen to the No. 12 spot in the Class 2A state individual rankings, and Saturday he earned his third title of the season by winning the Millard Shumate Invitational at Picnic Island. Looking ahead, Garcia is taking aim at a top-10 finish in next month's state finals and hoping to continue his running career in college.

Garcia says the key was following the advice of his coach and remaining injury-free so he could log more than 600 miles of training during the summer months.

"As a sophomore, I guess you could say I was lazy about my running and my junior year of cross country, I was injured so much I just couldn't put in enough miles to get better," Garcia said. "Since last winter, I've finally been able to run injury-free, have a good track season and run a complete summer."

Another key to Garcia's improvement has been a rise in self-confidence. In years past, he says he would have something akin to a panic attack at the starting line of races. Now he believes in his ability to execute the race exactly how Altimari mapped it out because of all the work he has done in training and practice.

After getting cut from the Knights' junior varsity football team trying out as a freshman kicker, Garcia says things have worked out for the best.

"I feel like I'm just getting the hang of this sport and know what I'm doing," Garcia said. "It's encouraging to know I'm finally starting to run up to my potential and that I can keep improving through college."

PRE-STATE AWAITS: There's been some big meets this season, but none loom larger than Saturday's Pre-State Invitational at Little Everglades Ranch in Dade City.

This is the site of the state championships in November and just about everyone wants to test their motor on this challenging course held primarily on a horse steeplechase track.

Arguably the most daunting part of the course is the deceptively difficult hill - aka "The Green Monster" - as runners head to the finish line. It might not look like much, but there has been more than one occasion when even the best runners have found themselves literally crawling up that slight rise in the final 300 meters.

Local boys teams that made the cut for Saturday's "elite" race include Berkeley Prep, Chamberlain, Countryside, Jesuit, Land O' Lakes, Plant and Robinson. The local girls teams running elite are Land O'Lakes, Newsome and Plant.

There are multiple divisions taking place, with action beginning Friday afternoon with varsity and junior varsity races. Saturday's elite races are 7:30 a.m. (girls) and 7:50 (boys).

LOOKING AHEAD: For area teams looking for a more low-key race, the W.D. Johnson Invitational will be staged Saturday morning at E.G. Simmons Park in Ruskin. Next Tuesday at Tampa's Al Lopez Park, the Hillsborough County Freshman/Sophomore Championships will be held. This meet is open to both public and private schools.

Reporter Bill Ward can be reached at (813) 259-7456.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT