Leaders of the Pak

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Wearing dark sunglasses, cross-training shoes, stop watches,black-and-white speedsuits and no smiles, the imposing SouthValley-based team Wolfpak had the look you'd associate withtriathletes - a cross between poker champion and pit boss.

With little expression, the muscle-bound teenagers jogged and bikedthrough Morgan Hill's Community Park on Tuesday, trotting singlefile and pedaling four wide.

In team and in bloodline, the Wolfpak's Youth Elite and JuniorElite triathletes are family. The ties extend from coach DaveWolfsmith to his son Lance Wolfsmith, 16, and nephews-in-law Kyleand Dustin Benton, ages 18 and 13. Although unrelated, theWolfpak's other youth/junior team members Matthew Sosa, 16, KooperKnutson, 14, and Coto de Caza's Tyler Rogers, 16, are just asclose.

"We might as well be brothers," Lance said. "We're all really tightwith each other. It comes from training so hard together. We workout every day."

Added Sosa, who's known as "Chewy" to his teammates: "It's probablythe most intense sport out there, and when you have guys trainingas hard we do for it, you develop a bond with each other. We'realways training. Like yesterday, I worked out four times."

With its solid work ethic and results, plus unflinchingcamaraderie, Wolfpak is widely considered the best outfits in theUSA Triathlon Junior Elite Cup Series, the proving ground forfuture Olympic hopefuls and international-level triathletes.

"A lot of people don't know what Elite racing is," Dave Wolfsmithsaid. "This is redlining the whole way. This is swimming, bikingand running at your absolute fastest level. You don't paceyourself. You can't."

Think of the Wolfpak as one of the toughest teams in the toughestsport's toughest series. This week, the Wolfpak traveled to Iowafor one of the toughest competitions, the USAT Des Moines YouthElite/Junior Elite Cup-Hy-Vee Triathlon.

The event starts Saturday afternoon in muggy 90-plus degree weatherand features a 400-meter swim, 10-kilometer bike ride and2.5-kilometer run for youths (ages 13-15); and a 750-meter swim,20-kilometer bike ride and 5-kilometer run for juniors (16-19).

"It should be a fun weekend," Dave Wolfsmith said almost jokingly."The guys can't wait to get out there."

The Hy-Vee Triathlon is the first of three events in theteam-competitive Junior Elite Cup Series. Aggregate results fromeach competition determine the top team. The other two triathlonsare the USAT Youth Elite/Junior Elite Cup, held July 20 in Oxnard,and the USAT Youth Elite/Junior Elite National Championships inColorado Springs, Colo., Aug. 9. The top-10 non-independentfinishers in each division score points for their teams.

"Wolfpak is certainly going to be in the running," said USATAthlete Development Coordinator Steve Kelley. "Their team isstrong. One of the things that's challenging is developing a cadreof athletes who are willing to commit to the big races. Dave hasdone a good job building a team that competes and is ready to takeon national competition."

One of the favorites to place first in the 80-man Junior Elitefield this weekend is Lance, the Wolfpak's frontman, who's enjoyeda storied three-year career running cross country and track for hisfather at Sobrato High School. The senior placed seventh at JuniorElite nationals last year and is a former Youth Elite nationalchampion. He said he has much to prove after a hard-luck first yearin Junior Elite. Lance made a big stride by winning the Uvas SouthBay Triathlon in May, finishing first in his age group (14-19) andsecond overall at one hour, 29 minutes, 50.7 seconds. Uvas was theWolfpak's last triathlon.

"Lance is definitely further along in his cycling and running thanmost kids," Kelley said. "He knows swimming is where he needs toput in his most extra effort to get to the national level."

Dave Wolfsmith felt the same Tuesday when saying, "He wants toclose the gap this year. To do that, he needed to work on swimming- that's his weakest event. Every guy has his strengths andweaknesses."

Kyle, who also had a strong running career at Sobrato, is one ofthe Wolfpak's best bikers. He finished third (1:36:54.8) in the14-19 age group at Uvas.

"Kyle's really improved this year," Dave Wolfsmith said. "His bikeis great."

Sosa also is a prep track standout. He clocked a sub-55 second timein the 400 meters this year for Gilroy High School and placedfourth in the 2006 Youth Elite national championship triathlon inBridgeport, Conn., the same meet Lance won. Sosa and Lance are theonly two Wolfpak members left from the 2006 Youth Elite team thatplaced second in the nation.

"It's still the most exciting sport to me," said Sosa, who placedfifth (1:41:50.6) in his age group at Uvas. "Triathlon is like noother sport. You can pull basketball players just off the street,or baseball players. You can't just throw someone into one of theseand expect them to do good."

The secret to success in triathlon is training "pure and simple,"Sosa said.

"You have to get out here and do your hardest at least three timesa day."

As with most sports, competition is the best form of training fortriathlon. Knutson and Dustin, who attended Gilroy's SolarsanoMiddle School this past year, have started earlier. Knutson hastwice done the famed Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon, and Dustinrecently placed third in a non-Elite triathlon in Wisconsin.

At Uvas, Knutson placed seventh (1:51:12.3) in the 14-19 age groupand Dustin took second (21:44.1) as a relay swimmer. They willcompete Saturday in the Youth Elite division.

"Those guys are coming along," Dave Wolfsmith said. "They're young,but they're on their way."