Daniel Tapia!!! 9th!!!

The 4:41/10:04 is correct.. He also ran 16:29 for 3 miles.. Don't believe everything you read on the web or you'll live a sad/miserable existence along with all the other trolls on these sites... haters and critics will always exist, it doesn't take away from what Danny has done... Congrats to him!

Coach Ibarra

NMC

Thanks for the info, Coach. What a run for Danny!

Coach,

You should know that younger people (most guys) only believe results if they can find them on the interwebs. When I internet search for my personal running records --set years ago-- they are no where to be found. Here on LRC it means my PR times do not exist, according to the kids here on LRC.

Maybe coach didn't do a good job of coaching him in H.S in high school? . Who knows? Sure got Way better in J.C. Remember what message board your on. Not much love here! Dude ran a great race at Boston give him his props for that. Proping your own kid on here will get you bashed you should know that if you read this board! Hell, anything will get you bashed ask Alan Webb.

Actually I take full responsibility for every kid that ran 10:04 for us in high school! I guess that's a bad thing???

Good times. I'm just excited to tell my next 10:00 2 miler that he too can take top 10 in Boston someday ;)

Take care...

Coach Ibarra

NMC

Coach I find your taking FULL responsibility for your runners and interesting topic. When does the athlete have to take responsibilities for his or herself?

Sarcasm folks... most high school boys would love to run 10:04... if Danny running 10:04 is a bad thing I take full responsibility... if its a good thing it was all him... joking again folks... peace out...

Congratulations on the great run!

(And man, the weird negativity here never fails to surprise me.)

Coach Ibarra,

Realize that those posting negative comments never ran as 10:04. They dream about finishing a marathon and winning. Their problem is, it is only a dream.

The Animal Within wrote:

2:07 for 800 / 10:39 for 3200 in HS

At the risk of identifying myself, I started this sport relatively late in life and those are basically my PRs (set this year at 31).

If I fully dedicate myself to the effort, could I be

Coach Ibarra wrote:

Wow! I'm speechless!! A kid from a small town that couldn't break 10:00 for 2 miles for us is now 9th at Boston!!!!!! Dream big kids, it can be done!!!!!!!!!

So proud of you Danny!!!!

Coach Ibarra

North Monterey County HS

I wonder how fast he could run if he had deer shoes?

Go away wrote:

Coach didn't say 2:07 and 10:39 were his PRs.

Coach knows Danny's high school PRs of 4:41 and 10:04.

2:07 projects well to that 4:41 and 10:04, although with a 16:29 three-mile he was falling of a little bit at distance (back then).

At almost twice his age when he ran these times and running about the same, I am newly inspired and will now change my handle from Young Master to Old Danial Tapia.

Thanks Coach. Sounds like he was probably a frustrating kid to coach. Not tough or willing to reach beyond mediocrity. But it also sounds like he later looked back at what you taught him and decided it WAS worthy and then changed his attitude.

Where are you reading between the lines that he didn't want to reach beyond mediocrity? So, the kid was a late bloomer...so, he loved soccer first.

BTW Coach, I remember those teams you had in the early part of the 2000s. I am surprised that Danny didn't run faster than 10:04 on the track. He seemed like an animal in cross. Do his parents run that fried artichoke serving restaraunt? I remember him posting about starting a job there on the old dyestatcal boards (I think it was the earlybird invitational thread you started that had like, 2,000 posts or something) way back when.

Speakking of early bird, are you ever going to bring it back to NMC? Used to love that meet, making a beach trip afterward.....Not a huge fan of Toro Park, though.

Zepeda at Hartnell needs to get some love. He has always done great work with all the kids he has coached myself included.

Coach B... the previous poster obviously doesn't know Danny for him to mention that he didn't want to reach beyond mediocrity... anyone that knows anything about coaching runners knows that some kids blossom while others do not at certain times regardless of what they or we do... Danny was a great kid in HS and he did his best... I'm not sure if he could have gone much faster than 10:04 on the track... in fact, his mid 16:30 cross times equate to right about that... Danny is not a speed demon.. Zepeda at Hartnell did a great job trying to get that speed developed although he always struggled in shorter races... watching him run an 800 is quite fun... he is built for marathon racing and he obviously has found his event...

As far as the Earlybird, I would love to bring it back to NMC but it looks like it will not happen... our district was going to build a middle school on the hills we had and after removing most of the hills they put a halt to the project due to litigation... long story short, now there are salamanders that have migrated into the area and the environmentalists have jumped on it and have made the area off limits to us... fun fun! The area is fenced off and gone probably forever!

Joy...

Coach Ibarra

Regardless of what Danny ran, or should have ran, in high school, I think it's obvious that his coaches--Ibarra and Chris Zepeda--both helped him recognize a love for running. The love of and dedication to the sport, along with great coaching, helped him develop with a long-term goal in mind and led him to top-10 at the freakin' Boston Marathon! I ran against the North County teams led by Coach White back in the day, and the work ethic and camaraderie the Condors had was bar none (150 kids on the track team!?). I'm sure it was no different when Danny ran there, or now. I know Coach Zepeda preaches the same thing. As with Brian Sell, Danny has natural talent and the focus, work ethic, and love for running that can take him beyond what anyone could have ever imagined for a 10-flat soccer player in high school. Think about all of the high school phenoms, Foot Locker finalists, DI All-Americans, and sponsored athletes who "should" be running 2:14:30 or faster. Makes what he's done even that more impressive.

NoMoCo was such a scary team to compete against back in the day. Incredible talent and very dedicated coaching was the key to their success. I remember meeting up with Nate the Great, Kelly, Pelon, and Jose Tapia for training runs in Nisene Marks or the Tri County Area. Those guys were absolutely dedicated to the sport, to building a great program and to each other.

Coach Ibarra is an inspiration to anyone who wants to coach HS XC and track. He helped kids from neighboring rival schools in the summer and took them to training camps. 10 years later, I'm still friends with some of those guys and they are the same hardworking dudes.

Coach Ibarra, thank you for bringing out the best in people.

Soquel HS Alumni