Reservoir High School

38th Annual Dammit Run Saturday, August 13

Temperatures Saturday are supposed to be cool, which will be welcomed by the nearly 1,000 runners expected to make the annual trek from Los Gatos High School up the face of Lexington Dam.

It’s the 38th annual Dammit Run, a grueling race from the Los Gatos High School track up and over the dam at Lexington Reservoir, returning back down the hill and five miles later ending back at the high school.

Last year, over 800 runners braved the course, and another large crowd is expected this year. Race-day registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., with the race starting at 8:30 a.m. Runners can also preregister at http://www.losgatosdammitrun.com . Preregistration entry fee is $15 ($30 with a T-shirt), and the fee is $20 on race day ($40 with a T-shirt).

The Dammit Run course is not for the faint of heart. It is a rugged, challenging course that starts off tamely, but progresses into a steep climb up the face of Lexington Dam, and is followed by a steep downhill before a flat finish.

Runners will head down the trail next to Los Gatos High School’s lower field, past the Old Mill onto the Los Gatos Creek Trail and make the climb up to Lexington. Runners continue up Saint Josephs Hill (Jones Trail), loop around and head back down the hill to College Avenue. They then reenter the trail and finish on the track at Los Gatos High School.

Richard Ho was the overall winner at last August at 28:33, just ahead of brothers Weston (28:42) and Nathan Strum (29:25).

But you don’t have to be lightening fast to win a prize, or even just participate. There are 24 separate divisions, with prizes awarded in each.

Awards are given to the top 10 male and female finishers in the Open division (18-29), 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 and 45-49. The top five male and female finishers in the 13-and-under, high school (ages 14-17), 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-and-over and heavyweight divisions also receive awards. All finishers receive ribbons, and the West Valley Track Club will provide computerized results.

One of the reasons for the popularity of this annual race is the beauty of the course, which travels along the creek trail and through the wooded hills. After the race, runners enjoy various vendor booths, a post race raffle (prizes are donated by generous local merchants), refreshments, music and down-right fun.

Sponsors for this year’s event are Athletic Performance, Los Gatos Athletic Association, Belgian Diamonds, INB Insurance, ASICS, and the Runner’s Factory. Proceeds will benefit Los Gatos High School.

InsideEd: Reservoir High Student Wins National Award - Education ...

Kamal Browne was 7 years old when he picked up a camera for the first time, and back then the now-17-year-old from Laurel didn’t get a snapshot of how taking pictures would become a passion.

But a photography course last year at Reservoir High School helped the junior develop a knack for photography and earlier this week his efforts paid off as he was named the 7th Congressional District’s winner of An Artistic Discovery, an national art competition for high school students sponsored by the U.S. Congress.

Browne won with a photo collage titled, “Growth,” which depicts human movement. The work will be on display in the U.S. Capitol and Browne will compete for national honors this summer with other winning artists from congressional districts.

“It’s a great honor, and it helps me get recognition by putting me out more,” said Browne, who hopes of becoming a photojournalist.  “I started really getting serious about [photography] last year when I took a photo class.”

He said that last year he knew he was onto something with photography when his teachers were so impressed with his work they had it displayed alongside other students’ work in an exhibit at Columbia Mall. “Then I really took to it,” he said.

Reservoir High School principal Adrianne Kaufman said that the junior should improve his craft more when he enrolls in an advanced placement photography class next school year. “He’s a humble student,” said Kaufman of Browne, “and in his own mind he never thought he would win. It’s always nice with a student that humble receives such an incredible honor.

District of Columbia appropriations

Anthony Pryor, sculpture & drawings, 1974-1991

The Overland monthly

Library journal

The junior high school