His talent seemed other-worldly.
Everywhere he went, he won.
He was the face of his team, the county, and quite possibly, the state.
Brea Olinda’s Austin Tamagno had all eyes on him at every cross country meet, but the junior maintained a laser-like focus on one thing – the Foot Locker Nationals.
He had trained with a tireless drive to finish this season competing against the best distance runners in the country. He had made it his goal since watching Michigan’s Grant Fisher win the race in 2013.
Last weekend, Tamagno fulfilled that dream when he made the trip to Balboa Park in San Diego. The Brea Olinda ace finished fifth overall.
For his superior performance, Tamagno has been selected as the Register’s boys cross country athlete of the year.
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2014 ALL-COUNTY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY:
2014 All-County boys cross country team
Canyon’s Bendzick is boys cross country coach of the year
2014 All-County boys cross country: second, third teams
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Tamagno was so dominant that often winning the race wasn’t enough of a challenge for him. The clock became his greatest adversary.
That was the case when he won the Sweepstakes race at the Orange County Championships at Irvine Regional Park. Tamagno emerged from that contest disappointed with his time, vowing to come back the following week with a much stronger effort at the Mt. SAC Invitational.
He ripped through the hills of Mt. SAC like they weren’t even there. He made history by setting a course record with a time of 14:23. To put that in perspective, the course has remained largely the same over the last 65 years.
Tamagno’s individual accomplishments coincided with what his team was able to achieve. He led the Wildcats to their first state title by taking first place in the Division 3 race in Fresno.
Additionally, the junior helped his team retain team titles at the O.C. Championships and the CIF-SS Finals.
Not surprisingly, Tamagno referred to the state championship as the biggest moment of his season.
“It was the first time that we have won a state title,” he said. “It started a new chapter in the Brea legacy. Now we know what it takes to never give up and to train like champions.”
Tamagno attributed the team’s success to its great depth. Senior Austin Shellito made regular appearances in the top 5 at the most significant races to give Brea Olinda an unmatchable 1-2 punch.
Tamagno also credited the team’s coaches for helping him peak at the right time. He had been battling sickness and back pains going into Foot Locker Nationals, but he had faith that he would put together a great race.
“God was saving a big performance for Foot Locker,” he said of his top-5 finish. “I stayed patient, and my mentality stayed the same throughout the race, which was to go out to compete and win.”
