Where Are They Now? Carrie Verdon and Thomas Joyce
To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.
Steve Prefontaine
Today’s post is a “Where Are They Now” feature on former Campolindo High School cross country/track stars Carrie Verdon and Thomas Joyce, whose athletic prowess graced numerous “Views From the Cheap Seats” from 2010-2012
Carrie Verdon— A two-time state high school cross country champion, Carrie took her talents to the U. of Colorado. She made an immediate impact during her freshman year and was CU’s No. 2 scorer in four of five races. She later placed 16th at the Pac-12 Championships, seventh at the West Regional and 136th place at nationals. Carrie later earned a spot on the U.S. national team to compete in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Poland, where she was the top American, finishing 20th overall.
Carrie had another outstanding season as a sophomore, helping to lead CU to a runner-up Pac-12 finish, a West Regional title, and place seventh at the NCAAs. She placed 10th at the Pac-12 championship, fourth at Regionals, and 132nd at nationals after falling twice due to extremely muddy conditions.
Thomas Joyce—Thomas graduated from Campolindo owning the school’s 1600 meter record with a time of 4:10.35. A freshman walk-on for the track team at the University of California at Berkeley, Thomas made the team and finished 22nd in the 1500 meters with a time of 3:50.88 at the Pac-12 Championships.
But that was just the appetizer. Joyce had an outstanding sophomore season, winning several races and qualifying for the NCAA championships in Eugene, OR. Thomas earned a spot in the finals of the 1500 meters, where he finished 11th with a personal best time of 3:41:08, which translates roughly to a time of 3:58.7 for the mile.
The winner of that race? A fifth-year senior from the University of Oregon named Mac Fleet. (If you haven’t read my book, you won’t get it.)