 It was another great showing by the Delta Hawks! In Modesto this weekend, we had nine Hawks representing the team at the USATF Region 16 National Qualifying Meet with 2,600 other athletes from Central and Northern California as well as Nevada. It was hot, but our intrepid athletes did their best to compete with the best in the West. And we ended up with FOUR National Qualifiers in SIX races! This is the first year we have ever qualified a Hawk for Nationals - way to go!
We had a number of amazing performances this weekend, including:
For those of you Hawks who are in town the weekend of July 30th and 31st, you might consider coming over to Sac State and cheering on your teammates as they compete in the Junior Olympics against the best in the country! You can find out more information here, or reach out to me and I'm happy to tell you the details. Once again, congratulations Delta Hawks on a great season and let's get ready for more success as we roll into XC beginning August 22nd. Geaux Hawks! Coach Eric
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 Sorry Hawks, for the late blog post. I got home late on Sunday, and of course we had our team party tonight, but in the afterglow of that time together I wanted to say one last time how proud I am of every Hawk this season. We came together and worked as one team and achieved some great things!
This past weekend, the Hawks who participated in the PAC Championships represented the Delta Hawks with pride and honor. So many great performances, including Mackenna's big PR, Adeleine and Natalie rocking the 3k, and Elias' triple crown (winning the 3k, 1500m, and 800m). The coaches are proud of every single one of our athletes! Going forward, we will have practice at the Boathouse this Thursday, River City HS next Monday, followed by our final team practice Thursday June 23rd at the Boathouse again. Everyone is welcome to join these workouts, even if you've already run your last race of the season, but you're not obligated to attend. If your Hawk wants to move into the off-season, that is totally ok. If you're interested in an off-season practice schedule please let me know and I am happy to build something that works for you. The next two weeks of practice are as follows: Tuesday: On your own 10 min warm up, 20 min tempo, 10 min cool down Wednesday: Gray and Black - 4 mile run on your own Thursday: 5:30pm at the Boathouse 10 min warm up, drills Fartlek 2x5:30mins with 2 min rest 6-8x200m, 200m jog 10 min cool down, strength Friday: rest and stretch Saturday or Sunday: Long run on your own Black: 6-7 miles Gray: 4-5 miles Yellow/White: 3-4 miles Monday: 5:30pm at River City High School Track 10 min warm up, drills 6-8x400m, 400m jog 10 min cool down, strength Tuesday: rest and stretch Wednesday: Gray and Black - 4 mile run on your own Thursday: 5:30pm at the Boathouse 10 min warm up, drills 8x200m, 200m jog 10 min cool down, strength Friday: rest and stretch As always, if you have any questions please let me know. Run with Heart, Coach Eric  The Co-Coach Duo When Dusty Robinson and I started the Delta Hawks in January of 2019, we had a clear mission that remains today – Develop the next generation of confident and competitive distance runners in the Sacramento region. This year we have seen that mission fulfilled more completely than any season we’ve had since our beginning. One of our unique advantages has been our focus on community – not just PRs.
When Coach Dusty moved to Redding in Spring of 2020, it was my turn to take the lead. The first thing I did was build a team of coaches to help manage the team. I focused on the practices and we had a team of coaches all pitching in to ensure the success of the team and of our community. In 2021, Eric Thronson reached out to me about having Elias join our team. One of the specific things Eric shared with me for the reason they were so attracted to the Hawks was our spirit of community. I am so proud of that! Eric and Tara with Elias and Josie have seamlessly entered into our Delta Hawks community. Our Parent Community received Eric and Tara with open arms. This Delta Hawks Parent Community is one of the greatest strengths of this team. When I see parents attending and even participating in practice, and developing those new friendships, it makes me so proud. Learning more of Eric’s journey, his experience as a top tier Division 1 distance runner, and his sharp mind, I quickly saw a future partner in coaching. His skill set compliments mine so well – as in, he’s got the goods I don’t have! We spent the first track season learning more about each other. Then in Cross Country we hit our “Co-Coach” stride and things got really fun! And, Eric was our fearless leader flying our Hawks into the wet and stormy USATF Junior Olympics Cross Country National Championships in Kentucky. This season, with my son Matthew needing a break, Eric stepped up to even more of a leadership role, giving me the confidence to miss a few practices and meets for other family obligations. I’ve said it before, this is the best coached season we’ve had yet. The Personal Records and improvements we are seeing in each athlete is a direct result of Eric's leadership and training expertise. Eric is a true coach who understands both the art and science of training distance runners. With Eric’s experience, his success in delivering results for our athletes, and with a new generation of parents in our Delta Hawks community, I believe this is the best time for me to step down as a coach for the Delta Hawks. As hard as this will be, I am excited to join and engage more with our Parent Community that has been one of our greatest strengths. I am so confident in our community, our coaching staff, and our future. I will not disappear! I will be attending practice as a dad excited to watch my son practice and race. I will be cheering on the sidelines with the rest of our Parent Community. And, most importantly, I will be lifting up coach Eric and the rest of the coaching team as they lead our young Athletes. I will also be working on developing the future leadership of our team by building out a Delta Hawks Team Board. Our mission will remain: To develop the next generation of confident and competitive distance runners in the Sacramento region. Because of the success of Eric and our coaching team, my participation in that mission will change, but my dedication to that mission remains as strong as ever. Fear not, the public will still hear me cheering for our Delta Hawks a mile away. #WhoFlysWeDo Coach Phil  Another great day for the Delta Hawks! Of the 26 Hawks who participated in the Golden West Invitational, 20 ran a personal best for the season! That is just crazy, and continues to support our 3-Ts: Talent (everyone has it), Training (everyone is getting it) and Toughness (everyone is showing it)!
Too many Hawks ran awesome races to highlight them all, but the biggest gains were as follows:
It was particularly great to see so many Hawks finish strong, as this was the last meet for many teammates. But remember, anyone can still come to practice the rest of June as our Comp team hones their speed and prepares for Championship season. Speaking of Championship season, next weekend is the USATF Pacific Association Championships in Rancho Cordova. Refer to the previous post for more information and reach out to me if you want to participate. REMINDER: Next Monday, June 13th, is the Team Party! We won't meet for team practice that day (there will be a workout to do on your own); we will instead celebrate our successful season at Jack Rabbit Brewing from 6-8pm. Please let us know if you have any questions. This week, we begin ramping down at practice. This means a little less quantity and increased quality. Hawks need to come to practice rested, hydrated, and ready to work hard. This is what we've all been working toward. See below for the schedule: Monday: 5:30pm at River City High School Track 10 min warm up, drills 600m, 400m jog/2x400m, 400m jog/4x200m, 200m jog 10 min cool down, strength Tuesday: rest and stretch Wednesday: Gray and Black - 4 mile run on your own Thursday: 5:30pm at the Boathouse 10 min warm up, drills 4x200m, 200m jog/4x400m, 400m jog 10 min cool down, strength Friday: rest and stretch Saturday and Sunday: USATF Pacific Association Championship Meet Cordova High School, Rancho Cordova CA Again, if you have any questions, please let us know. Hawks Fly! Coach Eric Just a quick update before we roll into the Golden West Invitational tomorrow.
Next weekend (June 11-12) the USATF Pacific Association is hosting our Championship Meet at Cordova High School. I have to register athletes by Monday evening, and they are charging by the event. Please let me know as soon as you are able what events your Hawk is planning to participate in at that meet. The 3k is first up Saturday morning (the 11th) at 8:30am. The 800m will be sometime later that day, I am guessing around noon. The 1500m will be on Sunday (June 12th), my guess is around noon as well. More information can be found here. Again, please contact me with any questions and with your athlete's availability so I can be sure and register everyone for the events they can make. Thanks! Coach Eric |
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