All NorCal - 1976
There seems to be a question on who is on the All NorCal 1st team and who isn't. There are 20 names
on the Citizen's Savings Certificate (link above) with one name, Greg Mandanis, being listed as All NorCal,
2nd Team (see Original Listing link above) and the following three names (Stan Ross, Steve Strangio &
Rich Vasquez) not being listed on the Certificate at all but being listed as 1st Team in the published
results. Greg Mandanis (Carlmont) contacted me to see if this could be rectified and his name added to
1st Team All NorCal of the published list. The following is how we both perceive a change should be handled.
I will leave it to the reader to decide who is on 1st Team, 2nd Team and Honorable mention.
March 22, 2024
Thanks so much Hank, my mom has this in her basement somewhere.
You must have read my mind, as there was mistake when they failed to add me to the 1st team all Nor Cal and put me on 2nd team.
Any way to correct this on web?
The back story was that Plato promised to vote me on 1st team if I placed 7th or better at CCS which I did. Rich Pincome yelled at
me at last heartache hill at Coyote Park when I was in 20th place "you're not going to make all nor cal doing that!" is when I passed
14 guys and was nipped by Ken Holiday at finish with same time 14:44.
Poncolm said Yanicks voted him on 1st team when he placed 6th at '75 CCS.
Here's the posting that needs to be corrected
https://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/1976/allnorca.htm
Any way you could add my name to this 1st team list?
Here's my stats:
SPAL - 2nd
Region 1 - 1st
CCS - 7th
3M Postal - 14:49
2M Postal - 9:40
Thanks so much!!!!
And remove me from 2nd team list.
Sorry Greg, no can do. Without Plato to verify your story, I have to go with the official results.
Plato sent me the same certificate which is proof, right?
Or ask Doug Avrit or anyone else on list to share their certificate to corroborate in a court of law. LOL
Clearly there was an error on your published list and in Nor Cal Review.
The cert says 2nd team (Ed. Error, actually the Cert just says All NorCal Team), same as the original NorCal list, all on my site.
I'm still sticking to my guns (Doug is not Plato).
Wait, check the members on certificate against your published list. All members on certificate are 1st team except me. None of the 2nd team members are on certificate.
I swear on holy Bible that Plato voted and confirmed I made 1st team.
He agreed there was a mistake and corrected it when he sent certificate however the published list sent to Nor Cal Running Review was not revised.
For example Tim Holmes and Rod Berry were runners of the year and had to be on 1st team.
The interesting thing is the cert lists only 20 names with yours also on the list. The NorCal list has 22 names on 1st team so the cert is really missing 3 names.
I'll need to go to Plato's all NorCal notes to see what's going on but won't be able to do till next week - stay tuned.
Understood. What's really a sore point here is that my mom framed this certificate on the wall in her Belmont law office since '76 why would we lie about this?
It's a real sore point for me that I was cheated out of credit earned in my own right.
Really sorry to bother you with this mess -- it meant so much to have the record cleared up after all these years now that we have the Internet to report the truth.
Hank you do all this work pro bono and we all really appreciate your hard work and dedication. Thanks so much for sharing this and all the other data -- really
sorry to be such a pest here.
... and now you need to start at the bottom of this next section and read UP to see how the conversation continued via email (the top section was text) ...
Hank, My sincere apologies for the lawyer reference, which was only intended to keep me "honest," using the same evidentiary rules, not a threat.
You have done an amazing detective work here in pulling together the pieces of the puzzle.
Appreciate your adding the certificate and all of the notes to tell the many spinoff storylines.
I cherish our friendship and your exemplary pro bono effort in tracking all of these stats as a "thankless job" for the benefit of all.
Your verdict stands.
Kindest regards,
Greg
On Mar 30, 2024, at 7:24 AM, Hank Lawson wrote:
Greg, the hand written info that you refer to was my handwriting that I did just days ago when I was trying to figure out who was on the
Citizen Savings certificate and who wasn't. This "mistake" has also been out there for 47 years, if it was me, I would have corrected it
back then vs now. I do not have the power to change results, history is history. Feel free to take the pdf and add your name to it and post
on FB, but I get to choose what I want to do with my site. Throwing out that lawyer comment was not a wise strategy, my verdict stands.
Hank
On Sat, Mar 30, 2024, 6:06 AM Gregory Mandanis wrote:
Hank - For these 5 reasons with supporting evidence provided in the .PDF file, I am requesting you to kindly add my name to the top list that
is showing first in the .PDF file:
First, since my name is handwritten in on one of the below 1st Team lists;
second, my name is on the 1st Team certificate;
third, the letter from the Savings Bank addressed to Plato states a list of 22 names on the final list of which I must be 1 of final 22 since
I received an officially signed certificate;
fourth, Plato Yanicks has final say on final 1st Team list as Chairman, all other lists are preliminary and unofficial; and,
fifth, Plato Yanicks agreed to me verbally that there was an error in the originally published 1st Team list that my name was omitted in error
and promised me that I would be added back on, since I had already received a 1st Team cerfificate;
Therefore, one can reasonably conclude you to kindly add my name to the top list that is showing first in the .PDF file.
P.S. Being a trained lawyer, this would be how I would argue this in a court of law.
Thank you for all your effort to pull all of this together to set the record straight after 47 years.
Greg Mandanis
On Mar 30, 2024, at 5:01 AM, Gregory Mandanis wrote:
Plato flat out promised me that I had made the 1st team, that: "I will correct the error by adding your name to the 1st team list."
The fact that 19 others and I received a certificate corroborates my claim in a court of law if I had to testify, especially if even 1 other
witness testified that the list is in error. If you poll Doug Avrit, Rod Berry, Bob Love, et al. you will find they received the same certificate.
I remember as a fact that Coach Loren Lansberry handed both Bob Love and I the certificate. This is like giving a medal or trophy and then taking
it back. -- would never happen unless I cheated or was found to violate some Interscholastic CIF rules.
Greg Mandanis
On Mar 29, 2024, at 9:38 PM, hank lawson wrote:
?
Make sure you click on the pdf link I sent you and refresh your browser. The link is a 33 page pdf file now.
hank
----- Original Message -----
From: Gregory Mandanis
To: Hank Lawson
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2024 7:45 PM
Subject: Re: Fun stuff from 1976
Can you at least add the certificate to the pdf file to provide the fully picture, especially given the discrepancies of multiple lists/ notes?
Also, for the record I beat Stan Ross at CCS who was 12th to my 7th place, which according to Plato was the tie breaker. So, why did Stan make
the list and not me, whereas I was on the certificate and he was not.
Otherwise, the pdf file doesn't provide any additional info. from the .htm file.
Appreciate your work on this...
Greg Mandanis
On Mar 29, 2024, at 5:58 PM, Hank Lawson wrote:
I will be changing the allnorca link from an HTM file to the PDF file link I sent you in my email.
Hank
On Fri, Mar 29, 2024, 4:29 PM Gregory Mandanis wrote:
sounds complicated. what link are you pointing to then?
has anything changed from your research?
THANKS for all your trouble!!!
Greg Mandanis
On Mar 29, 2024, at 3:55 PM, hank lawson wrote:
?
In terms of the All Nor Cal 1st Team issue. At this link is 33 pages of anything I was able to find on the selection process and the voting:
http://lynbrooksports.prepcaltrack.com/ATHLETICS/XC/1976/allnorca.pdf
There's the original list, the Citizens Savings Certificate, then the original list that shows the 3 athletes on 1st team that aren't on the
Certificate and yourself that is on the certificate. Page 7 states there were to be 22 athletes selected for both teams (no idea why only 20
were listed on the certificate). Then a slew of letters from coaches that were campaigning for their Section's athletes. And a letter from
Keith Conning who actually came to the voting with mostly other CCS coaches (voters listed on page 1) that were also in attendance. Page 26
has an article where it says you're 2nd team and page 27 has one where it says your 1st team. It's pages 28-30 you need to look at. This was
the voting sheet for 1st team that Plato puts together every year with data on all the top athletes. This is also how Plato ranked everyone
in his mind. There is an "X" on the left of an athletes number that was voted on 1st team by the coaches. Runners 1-16 were voted as first
team along with #s 18, 19, 24, 41, 42 & 90 (a total of 22 athletes). These were the runners that the coaches who were present at the selection
meeting had decided were the 1st Team.
I'm not going to re-write history. I believe Plato told you that if you were top 7 he'd put you on 1st team. Plato is also only one vote,
who knows what "horse trading" went on at the meeting. Strangio getting on 1st Team at 90th (in Plato's mind)... seems odd, but this is what
they came away with. I will be changing my link to point to this 33 page compilation, I can't re-write history based on what I've uncovered.
Page 33 shows that Citizens Savings sent Plato 22 certificates and they wanted him to distribute them. Plato was their only contact for these
certificates. Why Plato chose to only put 20 names on the certificates and not 22 as he said was what they were voting on, and how he chose the
3 names to leave off and then to add your name is anybody's guess (I even talked to his widow Marilyn about this and she had no idea). So yes,
your name is on the Certificate, Plato had you ranked as 21st out of the 22 that they were going to choose - there is no doubt about that.
hank
Boys
THE 1976 ALL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (re-type of the original list)
CROSS COUNTRY TEAM
FIRST TEAM: (listed alphabetically) 2.0 3.0
Sec Reg Lg Postal Postal Invites
Aguilar, Gonzalo Manteca Sr 6 2
Avrit, Doug Chico Sr 1 -- 1 4-2-1-1
Berry, Rod Redwood Jr 1 1 1 9:04.0 14:00.0 1-1
Biando, Mike Piner Jr 8 7 -- 9:29.0 14:48.8 7-9-2
Borland, Glen Del Norte Sr 3 3 2
Brewer, Nick Mira Loma Sr 3 1 1 4
Brewer, Paul Leigh Jr 4 3 1 9:14.7 14:39.8 5-3
Carrasco, Carlos Mt Pleasant So 1 1 1 9:09.6 1-1
Collier, Aaron Tamalpias Sr 2 2 2-1
Cross, Greg Mt Diablo Sr 4 2 1 2
Holladay, Ken Gilroy Jr 6 11 2 9:26.7 8
Hitchcock, Greg S Tahoe Sr 2 1 1
Holmes, Tim Downey Sr 1 1 1 13:59.9 1-1-1-1-3
Love, Bob Carlmont Jr 3 27 1 9:13.7 14:21.4 2-2-1-1-1
Navarro, Dan Oakmont Sr 4 1 1
O'Neil, Tom Jesuit Sr 5 2 1 2
Ross, Stan Serra Sr 12 1 1 9:27.6 4-6-7
Sechrist, Rich Piedmont Hills Sr 5 5 9:29.0 1
Smith, Dan Eureka Sr 6 5 1
Stillman, Mark Willow Glen Sr 2 2 1 9:42.0 15:19.0 1
Strangio, Steve Mission SJ So 7 1 2 9:39.0 6
Vasquez, Rich Clayton Valley Jr 5 1 3 9:17.2 3
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RUNNER OF THE YEAR Tim Holmes Downey (Modesto)
Outstanding SENIOR Tim Holmes Downey (Modesto)
Outstanding JUNIOR Rod Berry Redwood (Lakspur)
Outstanding SOPHOMORE Carlos Carrasco Mt Pleasant (SJ)
Outstanding FRESHMAN Jack Kurr Gunn (Palo Alto)
SECOND TEAM: (listed alphabetically)
Sec Reg Lg Postal
Avila, Dave Cupertino So 10 4 3 9:36.0
Boynton, Terry Cupertino Sr 9 7 1 15:02.0
Bullano, Dave Piner Sr 14 11 -- 9:38.0
Burke, Paul DeLa Salle Sr 12 2
Castro, Ray Logan Jr 16 4 3 9:24.1
Chapman, Colin Redwood Sr 11 4 9:34.0
Galligan, Mike Marysville Sr 1s
Gaul, Pete Jesuit Sr 8 3 2
Graves, Kurt Chico 3 2
Green, Joe Aragon Sr 13 2 1 9:29.5
Kendall, Ray Alameda Sr 15 5
Mandanis, Greg Carlmont Sr 7 1 2 9:40.0
Maxwell, Malcom El Camino (S) Sr 9 5 4
McInturf, Bruce McClatchy Sr 7 7 1
Moreno, Armando Piner Jr 10 6 -- 9:42.0
Munoz, Gilbert Watsonville Sr 11 1 2 9:43.0
Pearl Jaime Skyline Sr ill
Romiguiere, Ken Canyon Jr 9 3 1 9:39.0
Schneider, Jim Skyline Jr 1 9:32.0
Siqueiros, ArmandoWatsonville Sr 16 2 9:21.6
Sup, John Palma Sr 21 7 9:12.0
Williams, Gael Miramonte Jr 13 4
HONORABLE MENTION (CCS):
Hartman Milpitas
Barragon Campbell
Diaz Silver Creek
Thuston Menlo-Atherton
Dean Jefferson
Sausjord West..
Burns Saratoga
Ritt Leigh
Christiansen Seaside
Sanchez Sunnyvale
Lua Leland
Norris Carlmont
Cordova Watsonville
Cortez St Francis
Kurr, Jack Gunn Fr
Solback Aptos
Rinaldi Serra
Nicklin, Jeff Monta Vista
Flatow Willow Glen
Hannawalt St Ignatius
Grimes, Danny Monta Vista
Eberly Los Gatos
Rohe, Mar Saratoga
Trujillo Gilroy
Reith Fremont
Blouin Willow Glen
HONORABLE MENTION (NCS):
Martin Piner
Baker San Ramon
Ruffing Mission SJ
Balburz North Gate
Conover Miramonte
Mullen North Gate
Van Buskirk Pleasant Hill
Hussey Washington
Behnig Castro Valley
Kruger Piner
Sallaz San Leandro
Harbaugh Piedmont
HONORABLE MENTION (SJ):
Otis Mira Loma
Radicon Mira Loma
Kading Mira Loma
Foster Jesuit
Slater Jesuit
Finn Jesuit
Munoz Franklin
Winkley Hughson
Baker Stagg
Perez Franklin
McKinstry Merced
Garcia Merced
Lee Napa
Crabb Paradise
HONORABLE MENTION (SF, Oakland, North):
Busby Skyline
Cervantes Chico
Gripenberg Lincoln, SF
Millar McAteer
The All Northern California Cross Country Team is sponsored annually by the Northern California
Track & Field Association and by Citizens Savings. Awards ("T" shirts and scrolls) will be
awarded to first team members. The first All Northern California team to be selected was
back in 1962. Unofficial selections have been made retroactive to 1953.
The selection committee for this year's team was composed of: Pato Yanicks (M-A),
Chairman; Ken Thomas (Soquel); Terry Ward (St Ignatius); Bill Thompson (Alameda);
Jim Underhill (Piner); Keith Conning (No Cal Running Review). Other contributors to the
team were: Bill Mensing (Downey); Chuck Cheley (Chico); Dick Meyers (Eureka);
Bob Wall (Lassen); and Bob McGuire (Pleasant Hill).
The area represented by the 1976 All Northern California Team included six sections of the CIF:
North, North Coast, Central Coast, San Joaquin, SF & Oakland. The geographical boundaries
of these sections went as far as the Oregon border (North) to Merced (South).
COMMENTS: There were repeaters from last year's first team selections: (Berry, Carrasco &
Holmes). Cross, Love, O'Neill, Smith and Ross all moved up to first team selections from
their second team spot a year ago. Tim Holmes (Downey), was selected as Runner of the Year again,
joining Ron Larrieu of Palo Alto and Mike Ryan of Wilcox as the only double repeater in the
history of the selections. (Ryan was number one selection in 1961-62-63).
The break-down of selectees by section was very close. NCS 8, CCS 7, SJ 6, N 1.
S Tahoe, Gilroy, Eureka, Manteca, Oakmont, Piner and Del Norte had their first
All Nor-Cal selections ever.
NEW LOOK: 1976 marks our first ever GIRLS ALL NOR-CAL TEAM.
RELEASE TIME: Friday, Dec 17, 1976
THE 1976 ALL NORTHERN CALIF BOYS
CROSS COUNTRY TEAM
Ranked by KEITH CONNING
FIRST TEAM: (listed by RANK)
Name School (Gr)
Tim Holmes Downey 1sts @ Livermore, Cntr Meet, Nev Union, Matador Rel,
Conference, S-J D4, SJS, 3-mi Postal, PA-AAU Jr 10K (top prep);
3rd @ MSAC
Rod Berry Redwood (11) 1sts @ San Ramon, Soquel, Pleasant Hill, NCS Redwood Empire,
NCS; 2nds @ Marin County AL, 3-mi Postal
Aran Collier Tamalpais 1sts @ San Ramon, Pleasant Hill, Marin County AL;
2nds @ Soquel, NCS Redwood Empire, NCS
Carlos Carrasco Mt Pleasant (10)1sts @ Alum Rock, Stanford, Soquel, Lynbrook, 2-mi Postal,
CCS Reg 3, CCS
Greg Hitchcock S Tahoe 1sts @ Alum Rock, S Tahoe, League, Sub-Section;
2nd @ SJS
Doug Avrit Chico 1sts @ Chico, Rio Linda, League, NS, Jr Oly Meet;
2nd @ San Ramon; 4th @ Nev Union (fell @ start)
Mark Stillman Willow Glen 1sts @ Serra, Del Mar, League, heat @ 3-mi Postal;
2nd @ CCS; 22nd @ 2-mi Postal
Nick Breuer Mira Loma 1sts @ League; 2nds @ Alum Rock, Nev Union;
3rd @ SJS
Glen Borland Del Norte 3rds @ NCS Redwood Empire, NCS
Bob Love Carlmont (11) 1st @ League; 2nd @ Stanford; 3rds @ 2-mi Postal,
CCS, 3-mi Postal, PA Jr 10K; 27th @ CCS Region
TEAMS
There were five boys' teams that were very hard to separate -- Piner, Mira Loma (Sac),
Jesuit (Sac), Redwood and Skyline (Oak). Piner gets the edge based on its decisive
victory over Redwood in the NCS Meet. Piner beat Redwood three times and lost only
once to them. Piner's only other loss was to Jesuit by 9 points early in the season.
Redwood defeated Mira Loma, the Sac-Joaquin champs, at the Soquel Invit by 2 points.
Skyline runds out the top five with its San Ramon victory and its 3rd place at Pleasant Hill.
#1 - Piner (Santa Rosa)
#2 - Mira Loma (Sacramento)
#3 - Jesuit (Sacramento)
#4 - Redwood (Larkspur)
#5 - Skyline (Oakland)
Girls
THE 1976 ALL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
CROSS COUNTRY TEAM
FIRST TEAM: (listed alphabetically)
Allred, J La Sierra
Bain, Karen Rio American
Bardell, Micki Yuba City
Bowers, Pam American
Burleson, Darcy Chico RUNNER OF THE YEAR
Fox, Jean Homestead
Kenney, Diane Novato
Craig, Laura Berkley
(Linn, Rio American - HM) Craig (above) not Linn
Messerchmitt, HiedMontgomery
Moen, Heidi San Mateo
Pearson, Deena San Lorenzo Valley
Robinson, Karey Franklin
Robinson, Linda Pleasant Hill
Rudolph, Debbie Lassen
Stevenson, MichellCastro Valley
Sweeny, Sarah Marin Catholic
Schmidt, Rebecca Half Moon Bay
Taylor, Toni Sunnyvale
Trason, Ann Pacific Grove
Vaughn, Cindy San Carlos
Way, Kathy Alameda
Young, E Oakmont
HONORABLE MENTION:
Stafford Madera
Paulin Camden
Kemp Saratoga
Blevins Campolindo
Mallet Branham
Daley Granada
Gerdsen Miramonte
Behrbaum Amador
Broderick Tamalpaias
Williams Livermore
Bacjand Berkeley
Park Chico
Salisbury NorthGate
Lyons Granada
Bubanjo Piedmont
Maxworthy Miramonte
Greg Chico
Cotte Cupertino
Himenes St Francis
Brown Mt View
Craig Berkeley
Lavelle Mercy
M Taylor Sunnyvale
Cunncer Mercy
Meehan Mercy
Schneider Santa Cruz
Guelich Soquel
Munoz Watsonville
Hardy Aptos
Mungai Santa Cruz
Linn Rio American
THE 1976 ALL NORTHERN CALIF GIRLS
CROSS COUNTRY TEAM
Ranked by KEITH CONNING
FIRST TEAM: (listed by RANK)
Name School (Gr)
Darcy Burleson Chico (10) 1sts @ Chico, Nev Union, San Ramon, Rio Linda,
League, NS; 3rd @ AAU XC Champs
Linda Robinson Pleasant Hill 1sts @ Antioch, League, NCS; 2nds @ College Park,
Pleasant Hill, NCS Central Reg; 4th @ San Ramon
Michelle Stevenson Castro Valley (1sts @ Hayward Area Inv, Pleasant Hill, League, NCS South Reg;
2nds @ San Ramon, NCS
Sarah Sweeny Marin Catholic 1sts @ Sonoma St, League, NCS Redwood Empire;
3rds @ Pleasant Hill, NCS
Debbie Rudolph Lassen (11) 1st @ Walnut Festival; 2nd @ NS; 3rd @ Nev Union;
5th @ State AAU (14-18 div) Champs
Karen Bain Rio Americano 1sts @ Nev XC Carnival, League, SJS;
2nd @ Rio Linda; 14th @ State Women's AAU Champs
Ann Trason Pacific Grove 1st @ Aptos Inv; No CCS Meet for girls, saw limited action
Micky Vardell Yuba City 1sts @ Bella Vista, League, SJS Sub;
2nds @ Nev Union, SJS;
16th @ State Women's AAU XC Champs
Rebecca Schmidt Half Moon Bay (1sts @ Soquel, 2-mi Postal; No CCS Meet for girls
TEAMS
Chico's girls defeated Granada (Livermore), the NCS champs, by 20 points at the San Ramon
Invite. They were undefeated in prep competition and won the Northern Section with a
phenominal score of 24 points. Rio Americano won the Sac-Joaquin Section. Pleasant Hill
placed third to Chico and Granada at the San Ramon Invite, and finished second in the North
Coast Meet. Miramonte took third at the North Coast Section.
#1 - Chico
#2 - Rio Americano (Sacramento)
#3 - Granada (Livermore)
#4 - Pleasant Hill
#5 - Miramonte (Orinda)