New coach hits ground running

Mark Chamberlin heard the rumblings last fall: the heralded Placer High track and field program was without a coach and the 2012 season was in jeopardy. He also heard a rumor that he and his wife Katie were taking the reins."I don't know where it started," Chamberlin said. In December, Chamberlin reluctantly volunteered to step in as head coach of the Placer track and field program, which has been one of the top sports on the Auburn campus over the past 15 years."Both my wife and I feel very strongly about track and field and we didn't want to see it go down," Chamberlin said. "I was completely happy where I was. I didn't really want to do this, but now that I'm here it feels like home. It feels great."Chamberlin is very familiar with the Hillmen. He previously coached the throwers and pole vaulters at Placer. Katie Chamberlin was the head coach at Placer from 1995-99 and met Mark at a track meet when he was an assistant coach at Del Oro. Mark also guided the Sierra College program for four years in the 1990s and most recently served as an assistant coach at Colfax.A former decathlete at Humboldt State, Chamberlin said he has high expectations for his athletes."I don't pull punches. I have rigid standards," said Chamberlin, who owns and operates Titan Tree Service. "If you don't call for a missed practice, you miss a meet. If you don't call for a second missed practice, you're off the team. I tell them that's what they're going to face in the working world."The Hillmen started practice earlier this month under their new coach, who welcomed back several assistant coaches who worked with former coach Rick Foley. They helped guide the Hillmen to four Sac-Joaquin Section Division III team titles since 2007.Several of Chamberlin's assistants are longtime colleagues and friends, including Kent Rhodes, who coaches the pole vaulters with help from former Placer vaulter Adam Fry.Longtime Placer coach Don Brewer is back to coach the hurdlers and Peter Niegmann returns to coach the long jump and triple jump. Former Del Oro coaches Rich and LeAnn Kleefield joined the staff to coach the sprinters, along with Placer history teacher Brett Belanger. Tara McCullough volunteered to coach the high jump, much to the delight of Chamberlin."She's a former Division I high jumper and she's been asked repeatedly by Rocklin to coach the jumps," Chamberlin said. "She chose to be our high jump coach, volunteered out of the blue, and we're lucky to have her."Charles Miles is back to coach the throwers, along with volunteer parent Cindy Krause. And former Placer standout Bruno Gotzmer returns to help out with the sprinters.Placer's season is right around the corner. The Hillmen will visit Del Oro for the Steve March Relays on March 2 to open the year.Chamberlin likes what he's seen so far in a short time with the Placer team this spring. The team's numbers are down, with about 70 athletes on the team right now, but there is talent and experience along with a strong work ethic."We need to bring it on a daily basis," Chamberlin said. "I don't view success as a set height or speed, but improvement. Success will take care of itself."