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Boys cross country coach of the year: Jeremy Mattern, Brea Olinda
Boys cross country coach of the year: Jeremy Mattern, Brea Olinda
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Brea Olinda coach Jeremy Mattern was confident before this season started that it could be a highly successful one for the Wildcats.

With his steady leadership and positive approach, the Wildcats produced a season that exceeded Mattern’s lofty expectations.

For his role in leading Brea Olinda to a CIF-SS championship and many other successes, Mattern has been selected the Register’s boys cross country Coach of the Year.

“I’m extremely honored to win this award and proud of what we have built at Brea Olinda,” said Mattern, who also won the award in 2010. “I give credit to my athletes and to the coaches that I work with.”

Brea Olinda’s accomplishments were many and noteworthy. The Wildcats won the Orange County Championships sweepstakes team title for the first time and they claimed the Century League title for the fifth consecutive season.

The best example of the team’s drive to excel came at the CIF-SS Divisional Preliminaries. The Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in Division 3 and were expected to advance out of the prelims without much difficulty.

Mattern’s group turned in a stunning performance: an overall team time of 76 minutes, 14 seconds. That bettered the county record they established at the Mt. SAC Invitational and it was third-best time ever on the challenging course.

The Wildcats went on to win their second CIF-SS Division 3 title in four years and closed the season by finishing second in their division at the CIF State Championships, their highest finish in school history.

Brea Olinda had two of the top runners in the county, Austin Tamagno and Brennon Koryta, but it also received solid performances from DiMaggio Orozco, Angel Escobar and Austin Shellito.

“All of our guys worked together and were happy for one another,” Mattern said. “This season was a culmination of the team’s hard work and a huge stepping stone for our program.”