High School Male Athlete of the Week: Will DeBassio won’t back down for Newport Harbor cross-country

Cross-country requires a unique level of discipline.

Achievement in the sport rarely comes immediately, necessitating both a commitment to training and time to make personal gains.

Newport Harbor High’s Will DeBassio acknowledged that he started his running career without adhering to those essentials. He did not know exactly why he had come out to run cross-country, and it halted progress in his freshman year.

“I remember my freshman year, they didn’t like me because I was really inconsistent with going to practice,� DeBassio said. “I would blow off races and stuff. I would have one really good race, and then I would be like, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to show up anymore.’�

When he came back for cross-country his sophomore year, DeBassio had found his reason for running. He enjoyed the team aspect of the sport, especially the opportunity to do something together with close friends Elliott Harrington and Miles Mikkelsen.

Sailors coach Nowell Kay noticed a change in DeBassio’s work ethic and buy-in. Kay thought that the newly dedicated DeBassio had learned to put some bad experiences on the track behind him.

“He would run the mile at the track meets, and then he would always throw up,� Kay said. “Nobody likes to throw up. Your body doesn’t want to do that, so you look for ways to avoid that. He was kind of trying to avoid that, but then he realized that he didn’t have to throw up if he actually trained.

“Once he started doing the training, he stopped throwing up. It’s been much more of a pleasant experience for him going forward.�

Newport Harbor had a clear front-runner for the past three seasons. Alexis Garcia, who now runs for Cal State Fullerton, won three consecutive individual league titles.

The Sailors do not possess an ace in the hole that rivals the three-time state qualifier that Garcia was, but there is a strong sense of team with the starting five running closely together.

While Kay recognizes DeBassio as his team’s top runner, the team’s times are close enough that teammates can run with each other in sight.

“All of the sudden, you’re the seniors, and you realize that it’s your team,� Kay said. “It’s your time to kind of set the table for the younger guys and get stuff done and get the recognition for yourself because it’s your grade, your class.

“All of those guys have kind of done a really good job of doing what they’re supposed to do and being leaders. They have a good time, but they work really hard, so I’ve been really happy the last few years with the work ethic of the teams.�

DeBassio said he was poised to have a big senior year before he suffered an IT band injury on Aug. 12. In a further display of his maturity, the senior has taken to performing exercises given to him by a physical therapist so that he can continue to run.

“It has to do a lot with weaknesses in the hips and stuff,� DeBassio said of the injury. “I found [that with] getting on a schedule, stretching and doing certain exercises that I’m able to negate any pain from the IT band, and it has subsided substantially.

“I think the injury wasn’t all bad. It’s given me a new appreciation for running and all it encompasses. I think I’ve actually become a better runner because of it. I have made sure to stretch better and do some exercises that will strengthen my legs, rest my body, and make me more complete.�

At the Orange County Championships on Oct. 19, DeBassio placed second in the Division 2 varsity race with a time of 15 minutes 26.4 seconds. He feels strong going into the Sunset Conference finals, where Newport Harbor hopes to upend Los Alamitos for the Surf League crown on Nov. 2 at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

Last year, the Griffins edged the Sailors 42-44 for the league championship on the boys’ side.

DeBassio, who broke into the top 25 on Newport Harbor’s performance list with his lifetime-best effort in the county championship at Oak Canyon Park, hopes to take this cross-country season as far as he can.

“The end goal, it is a crazy goal, but it is to make state [in Division II],� DeBassio said. “I definitely think if my training goes well for the next four or five weeks, I could be in that position.�

Will DeBassio moved into 25th place on Newport Harbor performance list by running a personal-best time of 15:26.4 in the Orange County Championships on Oct. 19.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Will DeBassio

Born: Sept. 7, 2001

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 6 feet

Weight: 140 pounds

Sport: Cross-country

Year: Senior

Coach: Nowell Kay

Favorite food: McDonald’s (Two six-piece Chicken McNuggets, large fries and a Coke)

Favorite movie: “DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story�

Favorite athletic moment: At the Mt. SAC Relays in April, DeBassio helped the Sailors set a school record in the mile relay. He teamed up with Luke Downing, Michael Davey and Alexis Garcia to post a time of 17:49.67.

Week in review: DeBassio set a personal record with a time of 15:26.4 in the Orange County Championships at Oak Canyon Park on Oct. 19. The senior was the runner-up in the Division 2 varsity race.

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