For O’Dea, cross country talent runs in the family

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Sept. 30, 1999 | 10:33 a.m.

With a name like his, you could say Bonanza High's James Ryan O'Dea was born to run.

Not only was the Bengals senior named after Jim Ryun -- the first American high schooler to run a sub-4 minute mile -- O'Dea also shares his last name with two of the state's most successful track and cross country coaches: his grandfather William "Bud" O'Dea and his father Mike O'Dea.

Nevertheless, the youngest O'Dea, who goes by Jimmy, nearly missed out on his chance to make good on his famous name and his renowned lineage.

A soccer player by trade, O'Dea only decided to take up distance running when he failed to make Bonanza's varsity soccer team as a junior last year. Knowing his family history, he figured he'd give cross country a try.

"I didn't make the varsity (cross country) team, but I was one of the better JV runners," O'Dea said. "I was out there for fun. I knew if I worked at it, it could turn into something."

Just one year later, O'Dea's new sport has indeed turned into something -- a chance for the 17-year-old to be an integral part of a strong Bonanza varsity squad with state championship potential.

O'Dea, who has consistently been among his team's top five runners, credits much of his improvement to a summer workout that had him on the move by 6 a.m.

"He came out and ran all summer, and it was obvious he stepped it up," Bonanza coach Phil Lawton said. "His times are two minutes better than last year."

The rest of the credit goes to father Mike, who has passed on the tricks of the trade learned during his years as a high school runner and coach here in Las Vegas.

"(Taking up running) was completely his decision, and I was happily surprised," Mike O'Dea said. "We talk about strategies and things to do, and we try to go over his races when he's done."

Of course, Mike O'Dea certainly has his fair share of wisdom to impart, having coached Eldorado to five state track titles in the late '80s and early '90s. He has also taken his current school, Durango, to great heights since starting the school's program in 1994, coaching the Trailblazers to recent state championships in both cross county and track.

And as Mike O'Dea will be the first to point out, much of his running expertise comes from his grandfather, Bud. The head coach at Rancho for more than 25 years, Bud O'Dea's name has become synonymous with cross country in Southern Nevada.

Along with Western's Cordell Brown, Bud O'Dea helped found prep cross country in 1963, nine years before it became a sanctioned sport. The eldest O'Dea won a pair of state track titles during his tenure, and is now a member of the Nevada Coaches Hall of Fame.

Now 75 years old, Bud O'Dea recently got the unusual opportunity to see his son and grandson square off, when Bonanza traveled to Durango for a Sept. 8 race. With three generations of O'Deas in attendance, Jimmy's Bengals beat Mike's Blazers, just as Mike's Eldorado team had beaten Bud's Rancho squad years earlier.

"I'm glad my dad was there to enjoy it," Mike O'Dea said. "It was very special for me. He's real proud of his grandson, and not just because he runs cross country."

With the win over Durango, Bonanza continued to serve notice that it could be the state's top club -- a statement echoed in this week's area and state-wide coaches polls, both of which have the Bengals ranked first.

Though much of the spotlight for Bonanza's future accomplishments will go to senior Cory Jeffers, the defending 4A individual state champion and a clear favorite to repeat this year, the Bengals' team success could ultimately be decided by the contributions of runners farther back in the pack.

That could mean that come postseason time, Mike O'Dea may very well find his son standing between him and another state title.

"I'd hate to have to trip my own son," Mike O'Dea joked. "But Bonanza is the team to beat on paper, and they've beaten us already this season. And even I though I want to win, you always want your son to do the best he can."

And though Jimmy O'Dea is still cautious about his chances in his "new" sport, he said he'd welcome the opportunity to be the difference-maker.

"There are a lot of good teams in town, so it should be close. But if it comes down to me, that would be great. I'd love to do it."