Athlete of the Week: El Camino’s Noe Diep

Any chance of toiling in obscurity throughout her sophomore season ended Saturday, though, as Diep — the Daily Journal Athlete of the Week — rose to the occasion at the CCS championships, putting El Camino on the map with the program’s first-ever girls’ cross-country, claiming gold in the Division III race with a time of 18 minutes, 42.6 seconds.

“I felt good,” Diep said. “I hydrated a lot and I think that really showed in my running.”

Hydration, or lack of it, turned into a precarious issue for Diep this season. At the start of the year, hip tendonitis caused her to miss the first two weeks of the season, including PAL No. 1.

Then, in just her third race of the year, Diep took to the three-mile course at the prestigious Mt. SAC XC Invite at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. With temperatures touching 90 degrees, Diep jumped out to an early leap and maintained it until she started experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion.

“And then my body just kind of broke down,” Diep said. “I didn’t fall down or anything. I didn’t lose consciousness. … I still finished second but I lost my lead.”

Diep finished the race with a second-place time of 19:23 — getting passed by senior Brynna McQuillen of Vista Grande-Arizona (18:56) during the final 100 meters — but wasn’t all that concerned when McQuillen went flying past her.

“I kind of, in a way, tunneled,” Diep said. “I was just trying to finish.”

Upon crossing the finish line, Diep was taken to the medical tent, by wheelchair no less, and was nursed with plenty of water and Gatorade. It was a long road back for the sophomore, though, who missed the PAL No. 3 meet Oct. 29, and still didn’t feel right going into the PAL championships.

First-year head coach Cliff Lentz raved about Diep’s offseason work regiment over the summer, though. She split time between cross-country training and her second sport, soccer, and was revving up for the high school season when the initial hip injury struck.

That hard work, though, allowed Diep to find her footing quickly at Saturday’s CCS championships, according to Lentz.

“That base that she built in the summer, she didn’t lose that much of it,” Lentz said. “So, she was able to race really strong.”

After establishing herself as a three-sport varsity athlete at El Camino last year — she also ran track in the spring — Diep continued on with her club soccer team Lowen’83 FC, based in San Bruno, during the summer. She said she won’t be returning to club soccer, though, to focus on running next summer.

“I really wanted to focus on running and becoming a stronger runner,” Diep said. “I enjoy both spots but I like being committed to one thing. … I liked doing both last year but it was just a little tough dealing with meets and games, and all that together.”

Diep said she still intends to play soccer at El Camino in the winter season. She has recently started to generate some NCAA Division I cross-country interest, though. And if Lentz had it his way, she’s be running year-round.

“It’s up to her,” Lentz said. “Personally, I hope she doesn’t (play soccer at El Camino) and I hope she focuses on running. Because she can be a great runner. She can be a [NCAA Division I] runner if she focuses on it.”

Now, Diep has two weeks to ready for the Nov. 30 CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. She finished 31st in the Division III race last year, and was fourth among freshmen.

“This has been a focus for Noe since last year,” Lentz said. “And I do think the adversity she’s experienced this year has made her a better athlete and a more resilient person. And that will help her tremendously when she competes at the state meet in Fresno.”

Diep said she has taken measures to remedy her hydration issues. Focusing on water intake and proper nutrition has fast become a priority for her, she said.

“Yeah, but I think I learned a lot of lessons,” Diep said. “Even though I had some tough races, I just kind of learned from them.”

There will be plenty more lessons to learn, of course. Yet, already, the sophomore is the most decorated girls’ cross-country runner in El Camino history.