Former state champion Stuart Eastman to be inducted into Placer Hall of Fame

A cross-country race is a mental game of toughness, and only a passion for running, the dedication to work out in any kind of weather and the perseverance to envision the final outcome will result in success. That's what propelled Stuart Eastman (Placer Class of 2001) to a California state championship as a senior. For his exploits on the track and cross-country teams at Placer and beyond, he will be inducted into the PHS Athletic Hall of Fame on April 30. Eastman found that setting goals helped ensure success. During his freshman season, the youngster set a goal to qualify for the state cross-country meet as a sophomore and to win it as a junior. As it turned out, a mere 2 seconds initially kept him from each goal. An impressive sophomore season ended at the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section meet, where he missed out on qualifying for state by 2 seconds. The next year, he qualified for the state meet at Fresno's Woodward Park. A self-proclaimed student of the sport of racing, he had a game plan for the race, a strategy he and coach Ron Hyatt thought would work. But before the meet, "I was nervous — out of my mind nervous," he admitted. "I didn't know what to expect." Eastman credits Hyatt for calming him down and keeping him focused. "He was a fantastic coach. His energy level was nice and mellow, and I found it very helpful." Hyatt called Eastman "an amazing kid to coach. He was driven and focused to be the best. My job was just to help him improve, to reach his potential." Once Eastman started the race, everything kicked in. In the final mile, he was one of five runners out in front. Steadily, he began to pass the others. In the final 200 meters, he was catching up to Augie Escobar, the No. 5-ranked runner in the country, before losing to the standout racer by 2 seconds. Disappointed in finishing second, the result taught Eastman what he needed to do to win the coveted title as a senior. Hyatt said on the drive home, Eastman was determined he wasn't going to settle for being second. "He vowed that he would win the state next season." Eastman pushed himself in training. "Everything I did was about training myself to be tougher than whatever conditions a race might throw at me," he said, "I ran in the hottest weather and in the worst weather conditions the following spring and summer. I did lots of double-day workouts — 70 to 80 miles a week." He also trained with weights, swimming and cycling. Once a week he ran the rugged Stagecoach Trail from the Foresthill Bridge to Russell Road. "By August, I'd do three repeats of Stagecoach at 80 percent effort once a week through November." He holds the school record for the run. He also ran Cardiac Hill, a steep uphill trail from Oregon Bar on the American River through a series of switchbacks to the Shirland Canal near Maidu Drive. Any racer who completed the run in less than 9 minutes got a special patch to wear on their varsity jacket. Eastman still holds the record of 7:25. All the training paid off as he qualified for the state meet again, winning every race in the Sierra Foothill League, the CIF sub-sections, and the section. This time, he was determined to win the state title. Near the last mile mark on Woodland Hill, Eastman was cruising as one of three runners in the lead. All of a sudden, he found himself slowing down and watched disheartened as runner after runner passed him until he was in ninth place. "That was really discouraging," he admitted. "I was confused because running hills was my strongest asset, and I began to wonder if this was it. Was I going to lose my last race?" But his training and perseverance kicked in. He dug deeper. "I told myself, 'Hell no,' and found another gear. I started to catch the other runners, and by the top of the hill, I was in first place." But in that last mile the top four runners, including Eastman, played leap-frog, inching ahead, then falling back, competing head to head. In the final stretch, "I dug down deeper and found an even higher gear." When he looked out of the corner of his eyes, he couldn't see the others. "I was running scared then and decided I was going to win or die trying." His final sprint to the finish line made his dream come true, as he pulled ahead to win by nearly 4 seconds and capture the final prize — a state championship. After high school, Eastman spent two seasons running for UC Davis and was in the best shape of his life. He pursued another goal while in college — to qualify for the 2004 Olympic trials in either the 1,500- or 3,000-meter steeplechase. His times were dropping as he trained, but a pulmonary embolism ended his competitive running career. He graduated from UC Davis and remains active outdoors doing high alpine running. He also skis and enjoys stand-up paddle boarding. Eastman lives in Auburn and works as a self-employed web designer. The Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in the Placer High School Auditorium. A pre-ceremony reception will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 7. Tickets for the reception cost $25 until April 15 and $35 after, and are available online at placerathletichof.bpt.me. The ceremony is free of charge to the public.