Hartnell cross country

 Take a close look at what Hartnell College cross country coach Chris Zepeda has done over the last five years.
 It's not just the winning that gets your attention.
 It's the improvement of time over the course of a season that has you saying "wow."
 Zepeda has taken local runners, most of whom weren't elite names in high school, and turned them into collegiate champions.
 He had seven runners in the men's division earn all-conference honors two weeks ago. His women's squad just won the Northern California team title behind Salinas High grad Malena Grover and North Salinas product Brandi Hobson.
 And Diego Leon, an unknown from Anzar, went out and became just the fifth Hartnell runner to win a Nor Cal men's title.
 Lost in all this is Zepeda is helping kids earn scholarships to run beyond Hartnell with their rapid improvement.
 He's created a loose and relaxed environment, yet has gotten athletes to push themselves beyond their own beliefs. The atmosphere gets contagious. The results are evident.