AOW: Tomlinson fighting through pain to lead DNHS

When Cameron Tomlinson wrapped up track season last spring, he was itching to start training for cross country. The Del Norte High senior had his eye on shattering school records and leading his team to state.

But the excitement quickly turned to agony during the summer when he developed plantar fasciitis — inflamed tissue in the bottom of the foot — in his right foot. Tomlinson powered through at first, but a few weeks into the season he had to take time off.

“It affected how I competed,” said Tomlinson, who qualified for the state meet last year with an 11th-place finish in the San Diego Section Division III championships. “I had to take a week and a half off and since then I have been trying to get back in shape. It has been a slow uphill climb to get back.”

Tomlinson was forced to wear a boot on his right foot, which helped stretch the foot out. He has a routine he goes through to take care of his foot which allows him to continue to run.

“I roll my foot with a tennis ball, then I run and stretch it out and then roll it again,” said Tomlinson, who pondered taking the rest of the cross country season off to rest for track, but decided he wanted to be there for the team. “Then I get a frozen water bottle and roll it more and then I wear a boot at night. It is kind of annoying, but it has become routine. I do it pretty much every day.”

It helps, but it doesn’t eliminate the pain.

“I still feel it,” he said. “It is not as bad as it used to be, but there is a sharp pain every time I put my foot down and run on it.”

Tomlinson’s original individual goals for the season were to win every race (he was 2-0 before the injury) and break former Nighthawks standout Evan Jameson’s school record in the state meet (15 minutes, 33 seconds set last year).

Tomlinson still hopes to do the latter, but with the injury he has learned to have a new outlook.

“It is disappointing knowing what I could have done,” he said. “But I have had some successful races and I am doing all that I can. I feel like now I am just focusing on what I have to do for the team. It is a big change in mental thought, because I used to just want to go after records.”

Tomlinson finished in third place at the Avocado East League championships last week. He completed the 2.95-mile course at Kit Karson Park in 15:57.5. It helped lift Del Norte to a one-point victory over San Pasqual and a co-league championship.

“This hasn’t been the easiest season for him,” Nighthawks coach Chris Jacobs said. “But he is taking it in stride and trying to lead this team to state. He looked good at the league meet. He wasn’t happy with his time. He wants to run faster.”

Del Norte will be looking to get a top-five finish out of Tomlinson at Saturday’s CIF San Diego Section Division III championships at Balboa Park’s Morley Field. The Nighthawks will likely be in a battle with La Costa Canyon, Cathedral Catholic, University City and Ramona for the three qualifying spots to state.

“I am definitely going to go out with that first group and try to hold on with them and see if I can pull out a fast time,” a determined-sounding Tomlinson said. “If I do that, then a good place will follow.”

Tomlinson knows it will likely be a painful race. But he said with this being his senior season there will be no holding back down the stretch.

“I know it is going to hurt when I kick at the end,” he said. “But sometimes you just have to go for it.”