San Jose Mercury News - Mohamed Abdalla, Willow Glen

Mohamed Abdalla, Willow Glen

Sport: Cross-country

Class: Senior

Accomplishment: Abdalla shattered his own course record at Montgomery Hill on Thursday, covering the 2.73-mile course in 14 minutes, 1 second, to better his previous mark by 40 seconds. Earlier this season, while aiming to break the course record at Salinas' Toro Park, Abdalla fell short by just one second - despite a stumble during the downhill portion of the race. Coach Victor Santamaria said the record-setting performance was even more impressive because Abdalla fasted for a month during Ramadan. "Mohamed is ready to make a big breakthrough," Santamaria said. "He is a student of the sport who prepares diligently. He has speed, endurance, and he does everything right, from his diet to the way he plans out a race strategy."