Freshman core fuels Gaels

It's not often that a freshman plays a significant role in a varsity cross country team's season.

It's even more rare that a team is comprised primarily of ninth-graders.

But a trio of freshmen, led by twins Josh and Jake Holland, will be crucial for Bishop Gorman's boys team as the Gaels try to nail down a spot at the state meet in Friday's Class 4A Sunset Region meet in Boulder City.

The Sunrise and Sunset region meets begin at 9 a.m. at Veteran's Memorial Park, starting with the Sunset girls race. The top two teams in each region and top five individuals not on those teams qualify for state Nov. 5 in Reno.

Gorman boys coach Nick Savatgy took over the program this fall, and he had little on which to build. The Gaels finished sixth in the Sunset Region in 2010, and his two top returning runners, junior Erik Klein and senior Julian Jalani, finished 19th and 43rd.

Enter the Holland twins and classmate David Severin. The Hollands decided to come out for cross country instead of playing soccer, following in the footsteps of their father, Henry, who ran at Clark in the early 1980s.

"The three freshmen have had a positive impact on the team this year," Savatgy said. "It has allowed us to have a core group that we can rely on and build a team around over the next four years."

At the Freshman-Sophomore Championships last month, the Hollands and Severin took three of the top four spots in the freshman race, with Josh Holland and Jake Holland finishing first and second.

The Hollands appear to be enjoying their switch in sports.

"I like that it takes hard work and determination to excel in cross country," Jake Holland said.

Klein finished first and Josh Holland second at the Southwest League meet, with Jake Holland placing fifth and Severin 13th. Jalani, who was nursing an injury, didn't run but should be available Friday.

With a young team, a heavy leadership burden has fallen on Klein and Jalani.

"Eric and Julian both put the work in this summer, and it clearly shows in the huge (personal records) they have run this year," Savatgy said. "But their real contribution doesn't end in their performances; they set great examples to the underclassmen on smart training and training according to their coach's plan."

Jalani said the team has come quite a ways since his freshman season.

"This is the best team I have ever been on, and I am honored to be the captain," Jalani said. "We are all family, and I would do anything for them. To go from a team of only four guys my freshman year to one competing to make state my senior year is remarkable."

Making state won't be easy, however. Defending state champion Centennial, led by defending individual champion Nick Hartle, is poised to take one of the Sunset's two qualifying spots.

Two other strong Northwest teams, Shadow Ridge and Palo Verde, also stand in Gorman's way. Both had better composite times than Gorman at the league championship meet.

If the Gaels make it to state, the Holland twins will accomplish something their father never did. Henry Holland finished ninth at the Southern Zone championships as a senior in 1982. Clark didn't have a full team, and he missed qualifying for state as an individual by one spot.