The athlete: Mike returns for his fourth season at Vanguard, as the only senior on the Men’s roster…VU's Male Champion of Character selection for 2008...four-year athlete and two-time team captain…ran a personal best time of 26:17 in the 8K at the UC Riverside Invite in 2008…finished an impressive 22nd (out of 117) at the CSU Fullerton Invitational as a junior…was named a 2008 NAIA Academic All-American…has run in every race since 2006 for the Lions…graduated from Mount Spokane High in Mead, Washington in 2006…carried a 3.78 GPA in high school…was named his team’s MVP as a senior…given the team Leadership Award…also played soccer for MSHS…has been running for eight years…gifted leader and runner…has potential to be an All-GSAC runner.

The person: Michael Thomas Hartanov was born on December 3, 1987 in Spokane, Washington to his parents Tom and Claudia…has three brothers …majoring in business…nickname is "Goldberg"…likes to eat at Panera Bread…favorite actor is Johnny Depp…loves the television show "Lost" and the movie "Grease"…likes the color thunder blue and the number nine…cheers for the Chicago Cubs…hobbies include art and scuba…most respects Ellie Hartanov for her perseverance through injury…running has taught him that you need obedience in order to succeed…hopes to be a stay-at-home dad and a young life leader…learned in life that progress is important.

His thoughts: What I like most about VU is the location and my friends.

Coach Bryan’s comments: "Mike is an outstanding student, devoted Christ-follower and leader. He has multiple gifts and talents and is a true humanitarian. He plays a significant role in his non-profit organization "Krochet Kids", employing impoverished women in Uganda and generating much-needed financial resources for their community."

The athlete: Christian is back for his third season as a Lion, after a superb sophomore season…earned All-GSAC recognition in 2008, after finishing 13th in the conference championships…set a PR at the UC Riverside Invite in the 8K with a time of 25:40…in 2009, set a sophomore track and field record in the 10,000m with a time of 31:26…named team’s Most Inspirational Athlete award as a sophomore…ran at Del Oro High School in Loomis, California, for Head Coach Kevin Ostenberg…was All-Metro and team’s Most Outstanding runner in the Sierra Foothill League…gifted athlete…has improved each season, and had a fantastic offseason…could qualify for nationals if he runs to his potential…has been running for seven years…also played basketball.

The person: Christian Charles Richard de Glymes de Hollebecque was born to parents Richard and Nancy…has three brothers…major is Sociology…favorite Bible verses are Acts 4:32-36…enjoys eating Mexican food…likes the color green and the number 24…roots for the Oakland Raiders and Vanguard Lions, specifically Billy Thompson…favorite actress is Queen Latifa…favorite holiday is Christmas…hobbies are washing his hair and clothes…most respects Ben Simonson for his professional theories…learned discipline from being a runner…career goal is fulfillment.

His thoughts: What I like most about VU is the café.

Coach Bryan’s comments: "Christian will help lead the team in their quest for a National’s berth this fall. Christian is passionate about the great sport of distance running. He also brings charisma and creativity to practice every day. There are never any dull moments around Christian. He is also an outstanding student, possesses strong character and is a loyal teammate."

The athlete: Chris joins the Lions Cross Country squad as a junior, after transferring from nearby Orange Coast College…has not run at the collegiate level for a couple years, but looks to provide a boost for Vanguard in 2009…personal bests include a 21:20 mark in the four-mile, as well as 1:59 in the 800 meter and 4:17 in the 1600 meter race…once he regains his form, could be a solid contributor for VUSC…has only been running cross country for two years…could be a nice surprise in 2009.

The person: Chris was born on February 1, 1982, in Bellflower, California, to parents Thomas Ponce and Sandra Mulford…plans on majoring in Communications at Vanguard…likes to eat fast food…favorite color is black and number is 4…enjoys the movie "Hurt Locker"…roots for the Los Angeles Lakers…Friday is his favorite day of the week…hobbies include skydiving, bungee jumping, and playing soccer…believes respect for others is the most important characteristic for a person to have…most respects his mother for being a great person and role model…running has taught him mental toughness…career goal is to be a delta operator with the special forces.

His thoughts: I chose Vanguard because of the good people.

Coach Bryan’s Comments: "Chris is yet another great athlete from the Orange Coast College pipeline. We are pleased Chris chose VU for his next collegiate phase. Chris is a hard worker and a loyal teammate."

The athlete: Nick comes to VU after two years at Orange Coast College and coach Marco Ochoa…had a solid season for OCC last year, finishing as the conference runner-up in the 5K…personal best in the 8K is 27:20…ran for local high school Newport Harbor, where he graduated in 2005…was the school’s MVP for Track and Field as a senior…four-year letter winner in both track and cross country at NHHS…has run cross country for six years…will add depth to the Men’s program…also provides experience…nice addition to the VUSC squad.

The person: Nicholas was born on June 6, 1987 in Newport Beach, California, to parents Mike and Lisa…has one sister…will major in English at Vanguard…favorite food is Mexican…enjoys watching the TV show "Always Sunny In Philadelphia"…favorite number is 8…most respects teammate Chris Ponce…running has taught him that dedication and perseverance pay off…career goal is to become a firefighter or English teacher.

His thoughts: What I like most about Vanguard are the good people and good environment.

Coach Bryan’s Comments: "Nick has worked hard this summer to get to a high level of fitness. He will add much needed depth to the Men’s team and could contribute in the top-5 scoring unit."

The athlete: Matt is back for his second year as a Lion, after an impressive cross debut as a freshman last season…earned All-GSAC recognition after finishing 14th at the 2008 GSAC Championships…set a PR in the 8K by running 25:51, a time he posted at the UC Riverside Invite…won the team’s Newcomer of the Year award…was an NAIA Qualifier for Outdoor Track and Field, running a 31:45 as a freshman at nationals last spring…came to Vanguard from El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California…ran for Head Coach Rick Hagin where he racked up All-League, All-County and All-CIF honors…also wrestled and played lacrosse…has run for four years…has a great shot at an individual berth at NAIA Nationals…should continue to show excellent improvement…should be a major contributor for years to come.

The person: Matthew James Johnson was born on November 4, 1989 in Redlands, California to parents Michael and Alice…has two older brothers and one older sister…major is Business Administration…loves eating pizza and going to "Panera Bread"…likes the color blue and the number three…favorite movie is "Sister Act 2" and TV Show is "24"…favorite Bible verse is Phil. 4:13…roots for The Avengers and Nick Fetner …hobbies include rollerblading down dirt hills…most respects his dad because he is such a good example…learned in life that you get out of it what you put into it…running has taught him about discipline…career goal is to own his own business.

His thoughts: The things I like most about Vanguard are the fun, the friends, and Coach Kelly.

Coach Bryan’s comments: "Matt is a very dedicated and hard-working athlete. He is devoted to his Christian walk, actively serves at his local church, and is an excellent student. We are blessed to have Matt in out program and looking forward to several more great years with him."

The athlete: Chad returns to the program for his sophomore season…ran a career-best 27:26 mark at the GSAC Championships to finish the 2008 campaign on a high note…came to VUSC following a successful career at Huntington Beach High School in Huntington Beach, California…competed for Head Coach Rick Glenn…was the Captain’s Award winner in 2006 and 2007…top varsity runner in 2006 and 2007…also played football and a year of travel baseball…team was first place in Division 3...has run for five years…improved his time nearly every race of 2008…on the verge of a breakthrough season in 2009…will surprise a lot of people this fall.

The person: Chad Smith was born in Santa Ana, California on December 18, 1989…parents are Mike and Lori…has an older brother…majoring in Accounting…loves eating queso enchiladas at "Pacos" in Marina Del Rey…likes the color red and the number six…loves reading the book of Revelation in the Bible…favorite TV show is "Viva La Bam"…roots for the LA Angels and Tori Hunter…favorite actor is Matt Damon…hobbies include playing football and basketball…most respects his dad because he has accomplished a lot…learned from life that you only get one opportunity for greatness…running has taught him to be dedicated…would like to one day work become a CPA.

His thoughts: I chose Vanguard because of its great opportunity to meet people and to prepare me to succeed.

Coach Bryan’s comments: "Chad is a very dedicated and hard working athlete. He is a loyal teammate, great student, and one of the most responsible student athletes I have ever known. He is early to practice every day, motivated and ready to go. I love having Chad in our program."

The athlete: Fernando joins the blue and gold from Estancia High School in Costa Mesa, California…ran for Coach Charlie Apell in the Orange Coast League…was named all-league after taking home top honors as the league champion in Cross Country and the one-mile race…was named the MVP and the Athlete of the Year for Estancia High…qualified for CIF in each of his four seasons…led his team to the league championship as a senior…carried a 3.0 GPA in High School…talented runner …just scratching the surface of his potential…should be an outstanding performer for four seasons in a Lion uniform.

The person: Fernando Orozco was born on April 19, 1991, in Guadalajara, Mexico…parents are Juan and Elpidia…is undecided on his major, but leaning toward Biology…enjoys eating a double-double at "In-N-Out"…liked watching his favorite movie "The Ugly Truth" and TV show "Family Guy"…favorite color is green and number is 3…favorite actor is Anthony Hopkins…hobbies include running, eating, sleeping, and watching TV…believes a good attitude is the most important characteristic a person can have…most respects his mom because she takes care of him…running has taught him to watch his step and not to judge people..career goal is to work with medicine.

His thoughts: I chose Vanguard because it’s close to home.

Coach Bryan’s Comments: "Fernando has a very fun, friendly, and outgoing personality. He is loved by all who know him and will be a tremendous fit in our program."