“Santiago Strong”
That was the theme for the 2013 version of the running and fitness camp held by Charlie Santiago this summer at the Central Georgia Soccer Association Complex. It was the fourth time that the cross country coach held such a camp in Houston County, and he said this year it involved more core work that he can remember.
There’s good reason for that. Santiago wanted this year’s focus to be on fitness for the entire family. Though most of this year’s turnout was his usual collection of aspiring runners, he still marveled at the weight these youngsters dropped, not just their times.
It was those chosen few he dubbed, “Santiago Strong,” and it says so on the back of the annual “I survived” t-shirts.
Santiago also vows to keep going, not matter how long it takes, until a state champion runner emerges from his camp. He has his eye on a rising Perry High School freshman, Tiffany Mountin, as a frontrunner for that honor.
“I was interested in track in middle school,” said Mountin, who will turn 14 in August. “The reason why I came here was coach Charlie. We were at our eighth grade (championships) and he went to my mom saying ‘I’m interested in your daughter. She would have fun at this camp.’”
As a first-time Santiago camper, Mountin doesn’t regret the decision at all.
“It’s made me more confident,” she said. “And determined to run. He’s been pushing me every day. I couldn’t make two laps, but he kept pushing me thinking I could do it. I did more than two laps … actually went nine one time.”
Mountin has another fairly good mentor is rising Perry senior Abby Booth, who has placed in the top five individually in the GHSA cross country meet.
“She’s pushing me farther,” said Mountin. “If you are confident, you can do it. By saying you can’t do it, you can’t do it, then you actually really won’t. She pushed me to run further than I would have imagined.
“Being with all the people in this camp, (the core work’s) been fun.”
Santiago took his campers to the final race of the Middle Georgia Summer Series at the Children’s Home course in Macon on July 18. It wasn’t Mountin’s first 5K experience, for she took part in the races staged at Mossy Creek Middle School and the Dogwood Festival (where she meet Booth). Her best time is 21:46 at the hilly course in Macon, and she wants to get below 21 minutes during the fall high school season.
“She has more experience than me; I’m just a freshman,” said Mountin if she also has the goal of topping her own teammate Booth. She said a more realistic goal would to be close behind her. That would be good for Perry’s overall team scores.
Addie Lee is a middle grades runner for Westfield, where she attends with her younger sister, 10-year-old Claire. The sisters are also first-time campers with Santiago.
“They have a great cross country team,” said Addie, who will be in the seventh grade. She said the team for the middle schoolers is mainly for fun, but they still take a competitive approach. “We have great teammates and a really good coach.”
One of her coaches last year was Valerie McLure, a GISA region champion runner.
“She’s an amazing runner,” said Addie. “She was telling us good tips for running … how to keep good form.
“I learned a lot (at coach Charlie’s camp). I loved it. He helps us with our forms, quickens our pace. And he’s a lot of fun … not really boring, not strict at all.
“(The core work) is not too hard, and it’s not too easy.”
Addie can run between 23 and 24 minutes in a 5K, but she completed the hard course in Macon in roughly 26 minutes. Her goal for the fall is to be a top 10 runner and keep bringing her times down.
“(Claire’s) really good,” said Addie about her sister. “She’s only a minute behind me, and I bet she’s going to get even better. I’m going to have very good competition.”
“They get out there on their own,” said Anne Lee, the sisters’ mother. “I don’t have to push them at all.
“I just heard through the grapevine about the camp. They wanted to do it. He really cares about each and every one of these children. He’s not doing it for money. That makes it more important for the kids because they know he doesn’t have to be here.
“(My girls) improved tremendously since the beginning of camp.”
Jennifer Jackson has her young boy and girl working with Santiago for a second year. Daily, she said the children, ages 10 and 8, ask when the next camp will start.
“They are more productive in soccer and just about everything they do,” she said. “They have the focus and endurance to keep going. They didn’t have that before. Drew wrote a report this summer about a hero, and it was about coach Charlie. He’s given us the gift of running as a family.”
Santiago had help this summer from Warner Robins High coach David Erpelding, Houston County High’s 2012 valedictorian Forrest Mercier and a former high school and college cross country runner from Tampa, Courtney Hagaman. She moved to Houston County with her husband last year, and her connection with Santiago began with her desire to assist high school runners.
Hagaman also ran a marathon nearly two years ago in Savannah (time of three hours, 55 minutes). She attended Nova Southeastern.
“It’s my passion,” said Hagaman. “I enjoy seeing people like this, especially younger ones, improve. They are impressed with how they improve throughout the camp. I enjoy teaching exercises and motivating them.”
HHJ News
