Opportunity knocked for Fairview's Hatch; Former Fairview track star now coaching Knights

View Original Article

By Tom Dixon For the Camera
Tuesday, March 17, 2009

BOULDER, Colo. — There's a familiar face on the Fairview track field this spring, but he's in a very unfamiliar position. Instead of winning state championships on the track, former star James Hatch is trying to win them as a coach.

"I know a lot about this sport and I wanted to share that with these kids," Hatch said. "I loved my high school coaches -- all of them -- so I'm hoping eventually they'll feel the same way about me."

Fairview and its first-year coach competed in the first meet of the year March 7 at Boulder High. The girls placed second behind Lyons, last year's 4A champions, and the boys took fifth, just ahead of Boulder High.

Hatch, who graduated from Fairview in 2001, was a state champ in the 800 and the mile. He also set the all-Colorado record in the 800 with a time of 1 minute, 51.23 seconds. He also placed third in state with the state champion Fairview cross country team, running the 5K in 16:33.5.

Two years ago, Hatch set out to qualify for the Beijing Olympics and enlisted the help of one of his high school running coaches, Joanne Ernst.

"She did such a good job with me in high school," Hatch said. "I ran my fastest times and was probably the fittest I'd ever been when I was competing with her."

Hatch suffered a long road to get to the time trials in June 2008.

"I did everything I could possibly do to make that Olympic team," Hatch said. "Just the wear and tear of training, I had trained solidly ... I started in July and I didn't take time off until August 2008."

After a long year that left him sore and hurting, he still hadn't been able to find a training sponsor.

Then after Hatch placed 21st overall in the 800-meter quarterfinals and 26th overall in 1,500-meter semifinals at the trials, he decided to retire from professional running and return home to Boulder.

Hatch, however, was too competitive to stay away for long and he called about coming on as an assistant coach for the Fairview track team. As it turned out, former coach Kim O'Malley resigned about the same time.

"They said, 'Well, would you be willing to take over the program?'," Hatch said. "I thought about it and I figured I'd want to eventually, so when opportunity knocks."

When it comes to coaching, Hatch said he takes a little bit from all of his former coaches including the mantra of his Arkansas coach, John McDonnell: Hard work, done intelligently.

As a three-time All-American at Arkansas and a big part of Arkansas' 40th national championship, Hatch took those words to heart.

His runners are happy with his strategy, too.

"I like his workouts, he makes them hard, but really fun," senior Haley O'Connor, one of 130 athletes on this season's track and field team, said. "It's always different; we don't always run on the track, at least for long distances. We do workouts up in the trails."

Hatch's challenge is to get everybody competing for him to believe in him.

"Having that confidence in your coach is actually a really big step in succeeding," Hatch said. "If you believe in what your coach is doing, it's going to work. Sort of that placebo effect, I guess."

Nina Picher Allan may be a good indication of how he's doing.

"I'm running a lot faster than I ever thought I could," the sophomore says.

Kitayama's focus helps Knights get in synch

View Original Article

By Tom Dixon For the Camera
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

BOULDER, Colo. — When 5A state swimming preliminaries begin Friday, third-ranked Fairview will take aim at top-seed Cherry Creek, and helping lead the way will be deceptively-fast backstroker junior Taylor Kitayama.

"Cherry Creek has a lot of incredible backstroke swimmers and I just want to try and get in there and place higher than I did last year," Kitayama said. "I was fourth."

Thanks to some new, high-tech swimsuits Kitayama is hoping to break some new records along the way.

"It's going to be a really fast meet because of the new suits that came out," she explained. "From what I understand it makes you more buoyant in the water. I swam in mine the other day and I dropped about a second per 50."

Even though Fairview coach Bob Smartt said Cherry Creek "is a lock to win state," he's hoping that Fairview has a mental edge that can carry it past Regis, and he thinks Kitayama can provide it.

"Taylor is our backstroke swimmer on the 200 medley relay (the first event) so she sets the tone for our team at all the big meets," Smartt said of Kitayama, who is ranked fifth in 100 backstroke and 10th in 100 fly.

And racing isn't even her first priority.

Kitayama has competed in synchronized swimming for eight years and last year placed ninth with her solo team at Age Group Synchro Nationals in New York.

"I think of racing as my fallback if I get injured and can't do synchro anymore, or if speed swimming can get me into an academic college I want to get into," Kitayama said.

Kitayama became interested in speed swimming only three years ago when she attended a camp run by Smartt.

"Just the way he trains, and the sets that we do, really improves our swimming," Kitayama said of why the camp convinced her to join the team. "And my brother swam for him in high school."

Due to her rigorous academic schedule and first love, synchronized swimming, Kitayama can't come to all the Fairview practices and usually has to leave early.

"I actually try to go to every practice, at least for a little while," Kitayama said. "In January I try to really pick up my workouts to try and get in the best shape I can for state."

Usually missing practices is a surefire way to get cut from any team, but Smartt understands.

"We would love to have Taylor more hours per week. But she is borderline All-American this year in her 100 backstroke, so we can't complain," Smartt said.

Kitayama's success in backstroke is even more impressive because she is only 5'2", a disadvantage against her much taller competition.

"I always lose about a foot off the wall," Kitayama said. "I just work on my underwater kicking off the walls and I can usually make up that extra foot."

Her coach said that her synchronized swimming skills are a huge asset in races.

"Synchro has taught her great feel for the water that enables her to swim with distance per stroke," Smartt said. "The flexibility and the breath control developed in synchro are very helpful with her underwater kick outs off each wall."

Kitayama hopes that between her abilities as a synchronized and speed swimmer she'll be going to either Stanford or Ohio State, two of the top swim teams in the nation.

In the meantime, her favorite thing about racing is the camaraderie.

"The relay runs are so much fun, especially the last race," Kitayama said. "We have this special cheer we do: We spell out psyched really loud.

"It's worked well in the past."

That intensity and team unity is tangible in the pool.

"She brings great intensity and focus to her training and makes the others in her lane faster," Smartt said. "For example, eight of her training partners, none of whom are club swimmers, were able to make the state qualifying standard in the 100 backstroke."

Still, in the end, many swimming races are individual efforts and, even in synchronized swimming, that's where Kitayama shines.

"When you watch her synchro solo routine, it is a joy to see her combine beauty, power and flexibility," Smartt said. "She has synchro moves that you didn't know were possible."

Fairview's hoping that if Kitayama can bring all that beauty, power and flexibility to her events at state this weekend maybe they can also do a few things no one thought possible.

Biette tops All-Region team; Holy Family standout led team to district, regional titles

View Original Article

By Tom Dixon For the Camera
Monday, December 8, 2008

As captain of her team, Daily Camera volleyball player of the year Kelly Biette led Holy Family to the Metro district and 3A regional title for the first time in school history.

Not bad for what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

"At the beginning of the season no one was expecting much of us and I think we proved them wrong," the senior middle blocker said.

After losing three key blockers last year, coach Trisha Kroll knew the Tigers needed someone to step into the leadership role. Biette spent the summer playing at the Front Range Volleyball Club becoming that someone.

"Front Range helped not just with my physical volleyball skills but the mental skills, too," Biette said.

The extra effort paid off.

"I think it taught her the language and how to compete," Kroll said. "Her leadership grew in leaps and bounds. She was a coach out on the floor, which was awesome."

Biette led the team with words and actions. She led the team with 38 aces, 242 kills and 48 blocks. She was second on the team in passing and digs.

"I just never wanted to take her out of the game," Kroll said. "She was a big, huge factor in getting us to state again."

Apparently, Biette never wanted to take herself out of the game either.

After winning a tough four-game match, Kroll noticed Biette holding her hand gingerly, "She said, 'I think I broke it,'" Kroll said. When her coach asked why she didn't say anything, Biette replied, "Because I knew you'd take me out and I wanted to win."

That fierce competitiveness comes out when Biette remembers handing rival Faith Christian their first loss of the season to win the regional title in what she called "one of my favorite games of high school."

"That game was huge," Biette said. "We had been playing well all day ... We had two matches off so we watched Miracle. We were so excited and we had so much energy going into it. It was such a great way to show everybody how good we were."

Despite the momentum of winning nine straight sets in the regionals, Holy Family struggled in the Colorado State 3A championships, finishing seventh.

Now, Biette looks forward to playing for the Seattle University Redhawks under a full scholarship.

Her coach is looking for another player to fill her shoes. "My hope is that she taught the girls how to win and how to communicate," Kroll said. "She's one of those captains you dream of having."