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53 °F 5 Day Forecast Saturday, November 29, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend September 19, 2003 Going it alone Phoenix High cross country runner Kyle Gillette is ready to step in for departed standouts Nathan May and Lalo Flores By KEVIN GOFF Mail Tribune The Big 3 transformed into a solo act this fall. Graduation came last spring and with it came the departure of Phoenix High cross country standouts Nathan May and Lalo Flores. Kyle Gillette was left behind for his senior season, but he’s not ready to buy into the go-it-alone act. Advertisement "Those guys will be missed," says Gillette of his two former running mates. "I definitely feel that we have a couple of guys that have been around that can help us. "I’m just trying to do what I can to help." Gillette not only loses two of the state’s top runners, but a pair of competitors who pushed him through the years. Despite being the youngest of the three, Gillette didn’t play the part of third wheel too well. "He (Gillette) was right there with them," says Phoenix coach Bruce Timmerman. "He was mixing it up with them all along." Gillette, now 17, was runner-up at the Class 3A state championships last fall. The only person to beat him? May. Now running for Pacific University of Forest Grove, May took a 10-second victory over Gillette with a time of 16 minutes, 3 seconds. Add in Flores’ third-place finish, and the Pirates formed a very formidable trio. "I had some mixed feeling about (taking second)," says Gillette, whose Pirates finished fourth as a team despite the 1-2-3 individual placing. "I was hoping to go after it and take state, but I knew Nathan wanted it as much as I did. "Because it was Nate, I wanted to support him." It’s Gillette’s show now. He gave an indication of what’s to come with a victory in the pre-Skyline Conference meet. Offseason training, which included an appearance in the Tough As Nails run this summer, hampered Gillette a little in his first race, resulting in a time of 16:37. It’s the leadership and big-race experience, however, that puts Gillette ahead of the competition in the early stages of the season. "He’s taken over that role of leader very well," says Timmerman. "He’s been taking guys under his wing. "He’s the No. 1 guy now." Gillette may have lost two of his biggest competitors, but his family won’t let him rest on his laurels. "I’ve been running since I was about five," says Gillette, whose older brother, Allen, also ran for the Pirates. "My dad (Clayton) has been incredibly supportive this whole time. "Every day at 5 a.m., he used to wake me and say, ‘Let’s go for a run.’" That fatherly push helped propel Gillette into one of the Rogue Valley’s top runners. A third-place finish at state as a sophomore and last year’s second didn’t result in the ultimate prize of a state title for Phoenix as a team. "It was a little disappointing," says Gillette of Phoenix’s close-but-no-cigar experiences. "It’s nice to have individual success, but ultimately, I wanted the team to do well." This year may be a different story. With the return of Gillette and fourth-year competitor Adam Chizek, who was fourth at district last year, and first-year runner Dino Rossi — a senior who ran a 17:03 in his debut — the Pirates may have a newer version of the Three Amigos. "Adam’s been improving as a runner and Dino was very impressive in his first race," says Gillette. "Overall, I like our chances." Reach reporter Kevin Goff at 776-4480 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times