Late Races Put Kubler Over the Top

A cross-country runner must excel in the major championships at the end of the season to be selected The Times’ region runner of the year.

That is why junior Tom Kubler of Viewpoint School, and not senior Josh Spiker of Ventura High, is the 1999 boys’ runner of the year.

Spiker, who has committed to Wisconsin, established himself as the top runner in the state and among the best in the nation by winning six of seven races by an average margin of 47 seconds in the first two months of the season. A stress fracture in his lower right leg prevented him from racing after he set a course record in the Ventura County championships at Lake Casitas in Ventura on Oct. 29.

Spiker’s 14:42 clocking in the individual sweepstakes race of the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational on Oct. 23 was 50 seconds faster than what Kubler ran over the 2.95-mile course in the Division V race the previous day. But the fact remains that Kubler won Division V titles in the Southern Section and state meets and placed 12th in the West region championships in the final month of the season while Spiker was sidelined.

Kubler’s effort in the West regional at Mt. SAC was particularly satisfying. The victory came a week after he’d won the state Division V title at Woodward Park in Fresno in a time that was 25 seconds slower than he expected.

“I guess you could say it left me hungry,” Kubler said of the state final. “When you know you had the slowest winning time of the day, it’s not a good feeling.”

Kubler, whose 15:51 clocking over the 5,000-meter course at Woodward Park tied him for 30th overall, was the fifth Californian and the second non-senior in the West regional.

His time of 16:20 over Mt. SAC’s 5,000-meter course was slower than he wanted, but dry, dusty and warm conditions were not conducive to fast times.

The West regional capped a season in which Kubler won 14 of 17 races, including the large schools division of the Ojai Invitational at Lake Casitas on Sept. 18.

Not bad for someone who started running as a freshman only because Viewpoint requires its students to compete in two sports each school year.

“I had never run before,” Kubler said. “I had played soccer. I was good at running to the ball, but I couldn’t do anything else.”

Kubler, whose twin brother Robert runs for Crespi, quickly established himself.

He finished eighth in the state Division V final in 1997 and was second last year.

He ran 4:25.19 in the 1,600 and 9:17.78 in the 3,200 as a sophomore in track. He’s aiming to break 4:20 in the 1,600 and approach nine minutes in the 3,200 during the upcoming season.

“I want to run some 800s too,” he said. “I want to try and break 1/8two minutes 3/8 in the 800 and carry that speed over to the 1,600 and the 3,200.”