Congratulations  to the Girls XC team for a hard-fought 12th place at the CIF State Championships in Fresno's Woodward Park on November 29th. It was awesome to see so many parents and athletes show up to support the girls and was especially kind of the boys and their parents(the Philipps, Kobrines, Cole, Andy) to come cheer on the team. I know that it meant a lot to the girls!

The race was run under ideal conditions and the pace was blistering, after an initial false start. Because we ran 4 girls who had never raced on the course, we just had to get out there and battle, and they certainly did! Natsuki once again led the group, getting out quickly and working hard to stay in her 4th straight race at State! She was truly inspirational, fighting for every place and leading the team in her final high school race. Andrea was our second girl and she showed the tenacity and determination that have helped her develop into one of our elite runners. Andrea had her eyes up the entire race, battling to gain position and passing as many girls as possible. It has been great to see her emerge as such a strong part of the team. Hailey worked incredibly hard to keep Andrea in sight, just 16 places behind, providing the tough racing skills she has showed all year. Ashley finished 1 spot behind Hailey, giving us 4 girls in the top 77, in a race with nearly 200 girls. Ashley utilized her great leg speed and 3 years of State experience to stay close to our lead girls and keep us in the race. Kerenna and Jazmin also were very strong in their first State races, staying focused throughout the race and working to stay in that top half of runners. Both girls showed their championship heart and gained valuable experience for next year, as we plan to back! Melissa also provided wisdom and support for the girls, showing the work ethic that enabled her to once again race at State. What a great way to end her high school career!  There is no better way to end one's cross country season (or career) than to qualify for the pinnacle of our sport--State. Getting a team to State is a collaborative effort that requires incredible dedication from athletes, parents and coaches. Thank you.

I cannot say enough about this group of girls, as they could have folded many times this season, facing injuries and illnesses that posed significant challenges, yet they stayed focused and resilient and never lost sight of our goal to fight our way back to State for an unprecedented 6th straight time! The coaches are very proud of you!

Woodward Park 5K (3.1 miles)   11-29-14

PLACE (out of 189)                    Time

40. Eguchi                                    19:13

60. Loyola-Barajas                     19:33

76. Villaflor                                 19:52

77. Larson                                    19:53

101. Samynathan                        20:14

106. Esparza                                20:18

125. Rosborough                        20:41