AMAZIN[G]RACE “Grace abounds and walks around the edges of our everyday existence” - Brennan Manning
2015 King High Cross Country Yearbook - Volume 17 Athletic Director: Dennis Brown. Principal: Mike West Coaches: Brad Peters, Dan Peirce, Jim Griesinger, Kate Kennedy, Martin Stevens Writing, layout and design by Brad Peters 68 Athletes at Season’s End. www.kingcrosscountry.com
We live in a “selfie” culture. With the ubiquity of smart phones and digital photography, the age of self has been exposed in pixelated captures of me, myself and I. The whole world beckons to like me, follow me, friend me and ultimately, “Look at me!” But great teams don’t work that way. For teams to soar, the self must be placed behind the group. The selfie has to be turned into a “you-ie” with the focus flipped from one to the group. That was the theme and the goal for us this season, to find great racing by looking for grace in the journey to November. To demonstrate an “others-centered” team culture that ultimately would create better racing as teammates realized they weren’t ultimately running for themselves but for the betterment of the whole. Grace, teamwork, chemistry ... call it what you will ... they are the parents of great performances. Why is that? Because grace betters relationships. And when relationships are clicking, cool experiences on race day are easier to attain. GRACE: Great Relationships and Cool Experiences. Who wouldn’t want that? It’s hard to do, admittedly. In a culture that promotes a “have it your way” value system, to put others first, to see the common good, to sacrifice self on the altar of teamwork takes a willful decision that isn’t easy. But for teams to work at their fullest potential, that’s what’s required. Our hope is that we got closer to that ideal this season as we pursued Amazin[g]race!
2015 MARTIN LUTHER KING HIGH CROSS COUNTRY
BOYS VARSITY AND JV - BIG VIII LEAGUE CHAMPIONS Agustin Osceguerra, Austyn Wild, Ethan Hammar, Blake Simpson, David Huff, Austin Adams, Andrew Boebinger Mark Werley, Jacob Myers, Daniel Wilbert, Alex Clifford, Tyler Janes, Tyler Hoffman, Roman Bohanek, Tony Lorenz, Austin Hoffman, Connor Sharp, Louis Holguin, Alvin Agatep, Mario Machuca, Isaiah Curtner, Michael Robinson, Isaiah Cunningham, Wyatt Smith, Evan Tinker, Austin Dai, Chris Barba, Andrew Simpson, Aman Rana, Jonathan Moncada, Brendan Belknapp Dennis Kim, Jose Cervantes, Roman Hernandez, Jacob Mitchell, Daniel Gonzalez, Charles Escobar, Jeff Ortiz, Matt Castro, Jesus Martinez, Kele Kent, Steven Parker, Garret Vasta, Joseph Landeros, Dathan Chann, Jacob Haas Brandon Villacres, Valeria Redekosky, Skye Smith, Carissa Avila, Jessica Ferguson, Coach Peirce, Coach Griesinger, Coach Peters, Coach Stevens, Coach Kennedy, Alex Huff, Amanda Sosa, Faith Chick, Lauren Peurifoy, Jacob Call Rebekah Pendleton, Alyssa Haring, Andrea Canseco, Allison Janes, Monica Canseco, Samantha Chapa, Kathryn Hammar, Sydney Grossi, Carolina Avalos, Chloe Morris, Mackenzie Peters
THEY RAN AND RACED, ALL 4 YEARS
2012-2015
Austin Hoffman, Daniel Gonzalez, Blake Simpson, David Huff, Andrew Boebinger, Mark Werley, Michael Robinson, Tyler Janes, Alyssa Haring, Wyatt Smith
VARSITY LETTER EARNERS 4th Year
Alyssa Haring, Mark Werley
3rd Year
Daniel Gonzalez, David Huff, Tyler Janes, Rebekah Pendleton, Wyatt Smith
2nd Year
Andrew Boebinger, Andrea Canseco, Jessica Ferguson, Joelle Ramos, Skye Smith
1st Year
Brandon Villacres, Andrew Simpson, Austin Hoffman, Austin Adams, Isaiah Curtner, Austin Dai, Evan Tinker, Jonathan Moncada, Christopher Barba, Mario Machuca, Michael Robinson, Mackenzie Peters, Alexandra Huff, Carissa Avila, Amanda Sosa, Allison Janes, Lauren Peurifoy
4.0 GPA AND ABOVE
Alvin Agatep, Andrew Boebinger, Jacob Call, Andrea Canseco, Isaiah Curtner, Charles Escobar, Daniel Gonzalez, Kathryn Hammar, David Huff, Anthony Lorenz, Mario Machuca, Jacob Mitchell, Mackenzie Peters, Aman Rana, Valeria Redekosky, Blake Simpson, Mark Werley
3.8-3.99 GPA
Carolina Avalos, Carissa Avila, Matthew Castro, Sydney Grossi, Jacob Haas, Tyler Janes, Kele Kent, Lauren Peurifoy, Joelle Ramos, Skylar Smith, Wyatt Smith, Evan Tinker, Garrett Vasta
3.5 - 3.79 GPA
Austin Adams, Monica Cervantes, Dathan Chann, Austin Dai, Ethan Hammar, Roman Hernandez, Allison Janes, Dennis Kim, Joseph Landeros, Jesus Martinez, Andrew Simpson, Amanda Sosa, Brandon Villacres, Daniel Wilbert
2015 SCHOLAR ATHLETES
MARTIN LUTHER KING SERVANT LEADER AWARD If there ever was a man who exemplified “grace” while running the race of life, it was our school’s namesake, Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King’s philosophy of servant-leadership was rooted in the example of Jesus and it embodied grace like none other. At its root, King’s example sought to put others before himself. It was grace on steriods. Lead by serving. Give and give and give some more. King lived that ideal out and died in it as well, leaving all of a legacy that is inspiring and motivating. In 2007, the King High Cross Country teams traveled to Montgomery and Birmingham Alabama. We saw the Civil Rights sites that King made famous. We saw the bars of the jail cell where he wrote his famous letter, pleading with his fellow ministers of the Gospel to live grace-filled lives, giving of themselves to a higher purpose. We walked the streets where he was bloodied by viscious cops and racists. Leading by example, Dr. King did all of it in the gracious name of love. From that experience we created a new award, named in honor of Dr. King and bestowed on a student-athlete who emulated King’s style of servant-leadership. Due to the incredibly high standard set by King we didn’t feel obligated to award it yearly, especially if we didn’t see a strong example from that year’s team. But, we’ve had some wonderful leaders who have been given the award. The past recipients of this esteemed award have been: REBEKAH FAIRLEY - 2007 CHARLIE ALVAREZ - 2008 DEREK NELSON - 2009 CARRIE SOHOLT - 2010 ETHAN McABEE - 2011 Tonight we will again honor a young person with this high honor. It’s an athlete who modeled in word and deed the nature of leading from behind; of putting team before self and placing the well being of others before thinking of personal concerns. It’s an athlete who, like Martin Luther King, showed the incredible power of grace.
The water may have been freezing cold, but the theme of our week in the Sierras was FIRE! We challenged each other to seek out the elements of great athletes -- what fuels them, what their fuel should be and the oxygen great runners breath. The week was kissed with great weather and fun times. A trip to the Nike Outpost, Coach Kennedy’s amazing story of running an ulta marathon and great food by Coach Peirce made for a wonderful week. Good times.
FIRE: HEAT. FUEL. O2.
SUMMER POOL PARTIES!
THE STORIES OF 2015
SUMMER FRUIT BEGINS TO SHOW AT RIVERSIDE SHOWCASE
After eight weeks of training since the first day of Summer Camp, the time was ripe for something good to happen. The first annual Riverside Showcase was the perfect setting to get that very thing going. The event displayed that the good work the King kids have done all summer was enough to make them competitive among some fields of solid teams and cross country programs. The event was also the genius and effort of Will Jacobsmeyer and his team at La Sierra high school who put in well over 1,000 man-hours to put the course together and draw in 38 large and small schools for the two division race format over a shortened 2.2 mile course. It was a preview of sorts for the CIF Southern Section which will hold its preliminaries on the 5K length of the course come November. But here in early September, the King kids, donned in a new-look uniform of red, rose to the occasion and competed really well. Mario Machuca and Austin Dai were the first two Wolves to cross the line, leading the JV boys to a 4th place finish. Mario was 2nd overall, while Austin was 4th. Closing out the scoring group were Evan Tinker, Isaiah Curtner and Austin Hoffman. Austin Adams was sixth for the team. Andrea Canseco and Carolina Avalos were the only two Lady Wolves to run in the JV race, but both competed well; Canseco was 10th overall. The frosh soph boys team was led by the vastly improved Aman Rana who is light years ahead of where he was last season. 9th grader Garret Vasta kicked off his high school career with a very nice race in 24th place. Steven Parker, who, like Rana is much faster than in 2014 was next across the line for the Wolves and the scoring was completed by sophomore Alvin Agatep and freshman Roman Hernandez. Dathan Chann and Connor Sharp were 6th and 7th respectively for the team which finished 7th of 18 teams. Joelle Ramos hung a “high five� to pace the frosh soph girls who finished 5th overall, matching her individual place. Her time was the 6th fastest on the team overall on the day. Amanda Sosa moved up nicely over the final mile to finish
11th. Skye Smith and Mackenzie Peters were 4th and 5th respectively, scoring for the team and both finishing inside the medal count. Alex Huff and Monica Cervantes finished 6th and 7th for the team with identical times. The Varsity boys entered the weekend ranked 9th in the entire state at the Division 1 level and they showed that potential by racing a composed effort and winning easily by 50 points. Tyler Janes made the definitive move at 2K to gap the field and held it with relative ease to the finish. Impressively, the group of Daniel Gonzalez, Andrew Boebinger, Mark Werley and Michael Robinson hung together to just miss a clean sweep of the race; they went 2-3-4-6. David Huff and much-improved Wyatt Smith rounded out the victorious team. Alyssa Haring started her final campaign in fine form, finishing in 8th overall, but it was Rebekah Pendleton’s 7th place that grabbed some attention as it marked a significant “bump-up” from where she was last year. That 1-2 combo put King in the mix and the girls ended up finishing 4th overall. Allison Janes had a nice debut for her sophomore year running in the 3-spot for the team. Freshman Lauren Peurifoy showed that running varsity isn’t something to be afraid of even if you are a rookie(!) and crossed the line fourth for the Wolves while Jessica Ferguson showed her solid summer of training by finishing just a couple of steps behind her. Carissa Avila -- another huge improvement story -- was 6th for the team and senior-rookie Samantha Chappa was 7th. So it was a day to showcase what we’ve been up to all summer. And while it’s only the first race, with many more races to come -- with several of them much bigger and faster of field -- without doubt this was a good start for the team, as across the board, the Wolves showed the fruit of their labors.
WOODBRIDGE PROVES ELECTRIC
The 35th annual Woodbridge Invitational has grown to become the second-largest invitational in the country. With 15,000 competitors spread over two days and the initiators a few years back of the now popular trend of running XC meets under the lights at night, the setting was electric by the time the final and fastest races of the afternoon and night were contested. For King this was the school’s first trip to the electric setting, and the crowds, buzz and performances did not disappoint. The boys varsity team this season is heavy on seniors and intent ... with a preseason Southern Section D1 ranking in the top 10 and a 9th-spot ranking in the State, the team has been on a mission to prove themselves capable of competing with the very best in California. The Sweepstakes race at Woodbridge is an example of
“saving the best for last” as they fill that field with a host of highly ranked teams from across California and the West, as teams from Colorado, Utah and Arizona were entered. Among them were numerous nationally ranked squads as well. Surrounding the course were literally thousands of spectators. The scene was, well, electric. And the boys from King responded. The lightening fast and flat course produced incredible results. With Tyler Janes helping to set the pace and ultimately coming within one step of winning the race at 14:24, Daniel Gonzalez and Mark Werley also broke 15:00 for three miles, the first time King has ever had three runners under 15:00 in one race. Andrew Boebinger and Michael Robinson also PR’d for the distance and scored in the top third of the large throng bringing the team within 35 points of the winning Great Oak team, which
sits 8th in the entire country! Together, those five runners times took over 5 of the all time best seven 3 mile marks recorded in King’s history, and their team time of 74:45 eclipsed the school record by 3:16. David Huff and Wyatt Smith were 6 and 7 for the team that had many in the crowd buzzing by the apparent “upset” of the predicted finish order and the surprise showing by a team that has historically run under the radar. How they’ll respond now with a bit more of a spotlight on them will be the narrative of the rest of the season. Their sophomore teammates raced just before nightfall and led by a terrific effort by Jonathan Moncada, the scoring group of Aman Rana, Chris Barba, Andrew Simpson and Steven Parker took home a dominating victory, proving that the future is bright for King. The girls varsity competed in one of two varsity division heats prior to the sweeps contests, and they too ran like a team that is starting to click. Behind the aggressive tactics of Rebekah Pendleton who showed what a focused summer of hard work can do running in the low 18:00’s and finishing in the top 10. Alyssa Haring, Jessica Ferguson, Allison Janes and Lauren Peurifoy all combined with low points to finish third overall in their race. The remainder of the meet for King was spent in grade level races run primarily in the afternoon hours on a warm and muggy day. Amanda Sosa had a breakthrough race as she moved up nicely through the freshman race to ultimately finish in the top six places. Sydney Grossi continued to show improvement and greater aggressiveness in her racing to run a seasonbest mark. Kathryn Hammar returned from injury to compete well with our team’s 9th fastest mark of the day. On the boys side, it was exciting to see a group of 9th graders who struggled to run 22:00 in the summer time trials suddenly bust out and drop in the 19 to 17:00 minute range. Jacob Mitchell, Roman Hernandez, Dathan Chann, Joseph Landeros and Jose Cervantes all broke 20:00 by large and smaller margins. Freshman Garrett Vasta was the top 9th grader for King at 17:47. Junior Evan Tinker and senior Isaiah Curtner also had strong individual performances in races where King lacked five scorers. Sophomores Brandon Villacres and Kyle Hoffman also ran great PR’s, as did junior Austin Adams. There were so many wonderful stories on the day and the night. Too many to tell in this space, but the atmosphere of Woodbridge seemed to do as it has been advertised, lighting up the night sky with briliance.
Coming off the high of the Woodbridge Invitational just five days prior, the King teams ran the risk of being complacent or just plain tired as the Big 8 League season kicked off at Butterfield Park in Corona on Thursday. Throw in some hot temperatures which necessitated a later start along with combined JV/Varsity fields, well, there was plenty of reason to wonder what the outcome would be. It didn’t take much of the boys’ three mile course to realize that the concerns were unfounded as King’s varsity immediately formed a group of 4 right at the front of the lead pack. They would hold that together quite nicely over the undulating grass terrain ultimately putting 5 racers across the line in the top five places. Tyler Janes skirted along for the individual win, while David Huff stepped up smartly into the scoring for the first time. The team would go on to win the first league contest with 25 points to Corona’s 58 and Roosevelt’s 59. The JV team was ensconced in the varsity throng, a move made by the league coaches to shove the meet as close to sunset as possible. The Wolves took advantage of the large, fast-moving pack and had quite a day in their own right, even if their numbers were obscured by the varsity teams they intermingled with. Leading the way was Mario Machuca who had one of his best-ever performances, finishing 18th place overall, varsity runners included. (130 runners finished) Right behind him was Jonathan Moncada, then came Chris Barba, Aman Rana and Austin Dai who scored low enough to -- get this -- finish 4th in the entire field, beating two other schools’ varsity teams. That’s some quality depth, showing a bright future for King! A surprise of sorts unfolded in the girls varsity race as the presumed sophomore leaders from Roosevelt and Centennial both ended up with DNF’s. That left the door wide open to all takers, and Rebekah Pendleton was the one that grabbed the opportunity. Racing aggressively from the start, she was in position to capitalize off the misfortune and went on to win, her first-ever varsity victory. Alyssa Haring and Jessica Ferguson both finished in the top 10, while freshman Lauren Peurifoy nailed down a solid 4th spot. Allison Janes passed three runners from Santiago over the last mile, a significant move as both the Sharks and King were dueling by that point for second place. Roosevelt went on
WOODBRIDGE LET DOWN AVOIDED IN FIRST LEAGUE MEET to win the race, but the girls were just 10 points behind them while Santiago was gapped by 15 from King.
Amanda Sosa and Skye Smith led the JV squad running along side the varsity squads, with Amanda notching the seventh fastest King time of the race. The King girls would win their points as well with fine efforts by Andrea Canseco, Samantha Chapa and Alex Huff doing the scoring. Where a let down from the high five days earlier could have been expected or understandable, the King kids would have none of it. Composed, focused and competitive, they got after the league season with the same competitive fire they showed in the big invite. A nice start to what could shape up to be another fine run through league.
LANCER CLASSIC GIVES YOUNGER RUNNERS A CHANCE TO SHINE
In one week’s time, King swung between the extremes of invitationals. From the mega-sized Woodbridge Invitational where some 12,000 runners finished dozens of races to yesterday’s 9-school Lancer Classic, the contrast was noticable. What didn’t change however, was the competitive efforts put forth by King runners that made the small meet sparkle for the Wolves. The setting gave King the opportunity to shuffle the lineups. Most of the normal varsity runners went on a training run, giving younger athletes the chance to step up into those varsity spots. They did so with great poise and with success. The girls varsity saw only two “regulars” toeing the line, Lauren Peurifoy and Joelle Ramos, both of whom led the charge for King. Lauren would ultimately gap the field and go on to win her first ever race! 9th grader Amanda Sosa moved up nicely over the last half of the race to finish second for King, followed by Ramos. Then came Andrea Canseco, Alex Huff, Skye Smith and Mackenzie Peters who all worked to secure the team victory and gain some varsity experience. The same was true for the boys varsity team, except all seven of the regulars didn’t race. The efforts this “second team” put out was outstanding. Jonathan Moncada finished second overall, but a nice scoring pack of Austin Dai, Chris Barba, Aman Rana and Andrew Simpson finished with low points to take the victory. The frosh soph boys team was “emptied” of its normal scorers, as the aforementioned group is made up almost entirely of sophomores. Behind a strong pack from La Sierra, the younger-set of King runners still managed to finish second. Ramon Hernandez and Alvin Agatep were the top finishers for King, both placing in the top 10 overall. Kyle Hoffman improved nicely over last year’s time on the course, while Dathan Chann, Brandon Villacres and Jacob Myers were seen after the race sporting their well-earned medals for top-20 finishes; this the first medal of Myer’s career! The JV boys were a team of “Awesome Austins.” While they lacked the needed five scorers, they made up for it in name. It was Austyn Wild though that won the race -- his first ever victory -- while Austin Hoffman and Austin Adams both ran strong races too. While the meet was small ... much smaller than Woodbridge, what was constant was the King effort, and that made for a very good day.
AN ODD DAY WITH PLEASANT RESULTS AT CENTRAL PARK INVITATIONAL
At the popular Central Park meet in Huntington Beach the King teams were treated to cool ocean breezes and cool outcomes to a set of races that looked a bit odd. There were several factors at play in making a different look to the squad. The SAT test took out quite a few seniors, injuries and illness grabbed another handful and the entire boys varsity team was training through the meet. The girls’ varsity team was split into grade-level races leaving only two regulars to toe the line in the varsity race. The curiousity factor wasn’t enough to steal some pleasant results from King, as those who did race, raced well. The JV boys team finished second behind Huntington Beach’s normal varsity squad, so it was quite a performance. Mario Machuca led the way with yet another fine performance. Fellow junior, Austin Dai was right behind him in the top 10. Evan Tinker also medaled with a scoring effort as did Isaiah Curtner and Austin Hoffman. The freshmen girls had a couple of racers in Lauren Peurifoy and Amanda Sosa who would have been in the varsity race, and they raced like it, finishing 2nd and 3rd overall. Mackenzie Peters had her strongest race of the season in 32nd place to grab a medal and a PR. Garrett Vasta led the way for the freshmen boys with a time of 17:19 which was King’s 7th fastest on the day. Roman Hernandez, Jacob Mitchell, Dathan Chann and Joseph Landeros all helped in the scoring, bringing King a third place finish in the race. The sophomore boys team had three finishers in the top ten, including Chris Barba and Jon Moncada running closely together most of the race and finishing in 3rd and 4th overall, with Aman Rana finishing in 9th overall, improving almost two-and-a-half minutes from his race last year. Along with scorers Steven Parker and Alvin Agatep, the boys came in 2nd place as a team. Also impressive was Brandon Villacres, who continued to show his amazing progress this year by improving 3 minutes over his time from last year. In the sophomore girls race Joelle Ramos ran in 2nd for most of the race, but in the last mile she turned it on to record the lone victory of the day for the Wolves, leading a pack of four runners in the top ten, including Carissa Avila in 3rd (who cut more than 4 minutes from her race last year!), Alex Huff in 5th, and Skye Smith in 10th to lead the girls to a strong 2nd place team result. Rebekah Pendleton and Jessica Ferguson both ran quality races as King’s only varsity girls in the last race of the day. So it was an “odd” day of sorts; with scrambled lineups, missing seniors and an empty box at the start of the boys varsity race how could it be anything but that? What wasn’t odd though, was the success the King runners took home, making the day not that much different from others, save those cool ocean breezes.
CLOVIS CREATES COMPETITIVE AND CLIMATE CHALLENGES
The 35th running of the Clovis (Fresno) Invitational did what it normally does; it drew hundreds of schools from across California and a few other states. Many of those teams are the finest in the land, as the races are run on the famous Woodward Park course that is the stage upon which the California State Championships are held in November. The Sweepstakes race, which is run in the cooler temperatures of the morning hours, is the marquee race of the day, and the boys from King toed the line with numerous Section, State or Nationally ranked teams. In fact, no less than five nationally ranked teams (including King who sat at #14 according to Dyestat.com) were entered in that one race. The race ran to form, as the teams shot off the line and got down to business. Southlake Carrol from Texas led the field by twenty points as they crossed the electronic mats at the mile, but Great Oak of Temecula ran a better last two miles to win the day. Dana Hills and Sacramento-Jesuit followed in 2nd and 3rd. King, despite a less than “perfect” performance, grouped nicely through it’s scorers and finished in 4th ahead of the nationally ranked squads of Carrol and Madera South. Daniel Gonzalez had a stellar performance, going 15:44 and dropping 45 secons from his course-best in 2014 while notching the thirdfastest mark in school history at Woodward Park. The girls varsity waited for two hours after the boys’ race to get to the line, and in that time, the temps rose from 75 to 90 degrees, accompanied by unusual humidity. That climate change would affect the performances for the rest of the day as King’s last race went off at 2:30 pm and runners spent considerable attention to the weather and the competition. Rebekah Pendleton led the way for the ladies who ran valiantly despite the warm weather. Freshmen Lauren Peurifoy and Amanda Sosa both scored for the team, which was a bright spot under the bright sun; Lauren finished as King’s second-runner! Along with scoring efforts by Jessica Ferguson and Alyssa Haring, the girls finished 4th in their race. The Frosh Soph boys were the only other squad that had enough racers to score (five minimum are required). Chris Barba and Jon Moncada both finished in the top 26 places, but there was a large gap to the final three scorers which put King in 10th place. Skye Smith ran a great FS race for the girls, seemingly unaffected by the weather. She finished within 20 seconds of her best Woodward Park time from last year, run under more ideal conditions. The JV teams, both of which lacked the requisite 5 scorers, seemed to really struggle under the sun, but Mario Machuca, Austin Dai, Evan Tinker, Samantha Chapa and Andrea Canseco all ran admirably. Clovis once again posed the challenge that it yearly does, a challenge that draws teams from far and wide. The weather just added more of the same, creating an environment that should make the King kids a bit tougher and ready for the challenges that remain this season.
BIG 8 LEAGUE’S PRICE IS PERSEVERANCE The second installment of the 2015 Big 8 League season was hosted by King High at beautiful Andulka Park in Riverside. The course was in fine condition over 2.9 miles of grass, hills and some concrete. But as the league usually does, a strong competitive spirit filled the air along with abnormally high humidity. Those conditions dictated that success whould be had only at the price of perseverance. The Mustangs of Roosevelt made it clear that they meant business right away as their girls JV squad waged war with Santiago for the win while pushing the King team back into a distant third. Samantha Chapa was the lead girl for King, running in the lead until the final mile where she relinquished it and settled for second. Chris Barba, Jonathan Moncada and Austin Dai were a dominant three-some at the front end of the JV Boys field, and their presence and performances were critical in keeping Corona's boys at bay; the final score showing only 7 points between the two. Evan Tinker had another strong run to score in King's 4th spot, with Aman Rana and Mario Tinker just two seconds apart in the 5-6 spots. The JV boys remained undefeated on the season. By the time the varsity races commenced, the abnormal humidity disappated a little, making the conditions for those two races slighlty better than the muggy blanket that enveloped the JV contests. King's girls had to run with only six as an injury took out one of their members, but they rose to the added challenge by persevering and showing great character and strength. For reference, in the first race three weeks ago, King's girls lost to Roosevelt by 10 points. But on this day, despite
Roosevelt clearly having a strong race, the gap between them and King was still only 13 points, thanks to super performances by all of the remaining King scorers. Alyssa Haring had a tremendous race, finishing third overall for her best outing of the season. Great efforts were shown by the freshmen, Lauren Peurifoy and Amanda Sosa who both scored and raced like seasoned veterans! It was truly a great thing to see! Right there with those two rookies was senior Jessica Ferguson who also had one of her better races this year. So despite being out-numbered the girls showed courage and conviction and persevered nicely. Perseverance was required for the boys varsity team to earn a 9 point margin of victory over the purposeful and aggressive racing of Roosevelt. For the second time in 5 days, the King boys had to earn a high place as several of the seven struggled to find their groove. Michael Robinson was one of the guys that sparkled under the setting sun, pushing a nice pack of Mark Werley and Daniel Gonzalez thru as King's 2-4 scorers in 4th, 5th and 6th place respectively. They were behind Tyler Janes who struggled across the line in 2nd place overall. Wyatt Smith had a standout performance as he moved from his customary 7th spot to score in the number-5 spot after a furious 120 meter kick side-by-side with Roosevelt's fifth. It was a thrilling race for the mild-mannered senior who has silently crafted an excellent final campaign. So the teams came home with splits at both levels and in both gender divisions. The Big 8 has never been a cake-walk, and this run under humid skies in a beautiful park proved no different than any other version of the league races. With the Finals less than three weeks away, perseverance will be the name of that game ... again.
KEEPING IT CLOSE TO HOME, KING RUNS WELL
The first-annual Riverside Invitational was held at the Riverside City Course and given it’s proximity to King High and the fact that it will also host the CIF Preliminary races in mid-November, the teams drove across town to mix it up with some 35 other large and small schools. The boys varsity team trained through the meet, which created an opportunity for a host of runners to step up and get some varsity-race experience before they taste it full time in 2016. Mario Machuca raced wonderfully in that role, leading the way for the Wolves, and was followed by Austin Dai who finished only a few seconds behind Mario. Sophomores Aman Rana, Steven Parker and Andrew Simpson were the next across the line with solid marks in the low-17’s for 3 miles. Evan Tinker and Garret Vasta - who’s only a 9th grader - cross the line almost side-by-side, also with marks well under 17:30. It was a very solid performance by the guys that will inherit the “varsity” mantle next season! King’s girls’ varsity was led by Alyssa Haring who put together her second consecutive quality race after her brilliant race at League a week earlier. She aggressively went out hard and held it to the line, finishing 10th in a season best for 3 miles at 18:27. Rebekah Pendleton who had been gapped somewhat early on, had a strong secondhalf of the race and finished 12th. A large gap formed behind her to the rest of the scorers who seemed to struggle in the warm afternoon Friday sun. Lauren Peurifoy, Allison Janes and Jessica Ferguson rounded out the scoring group with Joelle Ramos finishing seventh for the Wolves.. King’s FS boys have been a pleasant part of the season as there are many newcomers
who are eagerly training hard and improving much this season! Roman Hernandez and muchimproved Jacob Mitchell were the first two across the line for King in their race, both of whom ran some quality times for their first season. Alvin Agatep - a sophomore who has stepped up nicely this year - was third for King, followed by Kyle Hoffman and Connor Sharp. Alexandra Huff who has improved dramatically over the last half of the season was the leader of the girls’ frosh-soph squad with a really fine race. She was followed by Skye Smith, Mackenzie Peters, Carissa Avila and Sydney Grossi, all of whom scored for the team. The JV squads who concluded the meet, also saw some nice performances. Samantha Chapa and Andrea Canseco, both seniors, ran well in the top-10 of their race, but it was nice to see Kathryn Hammar race for the second time all season after battling injuries. Valeria Redekosky, who just joined us last week after an injury forced her from swimming, debuted with a really impressive 22:26 time -- on one week of training! The boys were led by Isaiah Curtner who had a solid performance in the mid 17:00’s.
GRACE FALLS LIKE RAIN AS BOYS WIN TITLE BY LOSING It was a backwards kind of day that actually ended up going forward. After a season of warm weather and drought, the Big 8 League Finals were held under cool temperatures and a brisk wind, and by the time the teams packed up, there was a rain, like grace, falling from the sky. While the precipitation was a welcome respite from the sweat and heat of 2015, an even more "backward" occurrence came in the boys varsity race, as King ended up finishing second, but still won the league crown. Grace rained down as King won by "losing". The league championship is crowned based on a season-long score from all three league races. Back in September, King's boys won the first race, with Corona beating Roosevelt by one point for second place. In the next meet, King won but by a narrower margin. Then yesterday, in the Final, Roosevelt beat King by 11 points, but thanks to that one-point margin between Corona and Roosevelt back in September, King slipped into the league title by the back door. Despite "losing", they ended up winning. Backwards, to go forward. Despite the score, King battled well, though admittedly without it's best group. The normal second-man, Daniel Gonzalez, didn't take the line as he nursed an injured hamstring. But he was supported with terrific efforts by Mark Werley and Michael Robinson who both stepped up big-time into the void. Werley -- one of the most consistent racers this season -- ultimately finished second overall after passing teammate Michael Robinson who laid down his best race of the season and finished third. Tyler Janes fell back to third for King, while Wyatt Smith scored in the 5-spot. David Huff was in the scoring until the last half-mile as he laid it all out there before running out of gas. Chris Barba, brought up from JV, ran well in the 6 spot and AJ Boebinger finished 7th for the Wolves. This one-point separation from their Roosevelt rivals is nothing new for the two programs. Last year, one point gapped the two teams in the last race with Roosevelt taking the win. In 2012, the last time King won the league title, they beat Roosevelt by one point!. So there's a trend here, and while that one-point margin was made in September, the boys will be happy to wear the crown here in November. The girls varsity has run in second all season, as they found themselves 10-15 points behind Roosevelt in all three races. That is not to diminish their season however, as the girls increasingly "found themselves" as competitors, incorporated a couple of freshmen who could score and made each race of the year exciting. The Final was just that, as the seven racers aggressively went after the win. Alyssa Haring had another fine race, finishing fourth overall, with Rebekah Pendleton right on her heels. Allison Janes returned nicely from an ankle sprain a few weeks ago as she and Jessica Ferguson finished with 2nd-team All League patches. Freshman Amanda Sosa scored again for the Wolves and in 21st place, snagged the last of the All-League patches awarded on the day. Lauren Peurifoy gutted out a tremendous effort despite a fever and
flu-symptoms. Joelle Ramos also ran well. Only two of those seven are seniors, which bodes well for the team in 2016. Kathryn Hammar might as well have been varsity all season had not a persistent leg injury kept her out. She returned valiantly with a great effort in the JV race, ultimately taking second place. Alexandra Huff had a race we always have known was in her, crossing the line in 4th place! A large gap from her to the final three scorers, Samantha Chapa, Andrea Canseco and Carissa Avila, caused the score to swell and the ladies finished second. The JV boys were the only race winners for King, and they completed their undefeated season in fine fashion. Led by Mario Machuca who put down an incredible race, placing 2nd. He was shadowed by Jon Moncada and Blake Simpson who both placed in the top 5. Austin Dai was a few steps back to score for the team while Andrew Simpson closed the door on the opposing teams by finishing 9th. While the light rain began to fall, cooling the hot season, the teams concluded another successful campaign. The boys gained the sixth league title since winning King High's first-ever title back in 1999, though the manner in which they raised the crown seemed to be a bit backward. That's how grace works though.
All League Runners Boys First Team 2nd: Mark Werley 3rd: Michael Robinson 4th: Tyler Janes Third Team 16th: Wyatt Smith 18th: David Huff Girls First Team 4th: Alyssa Haring 5th: Rebekah Pendleton Second Team 11th: Jessica Ferguson 13th: Allison Janes Third Team 21st: Amanda Sosa
For the first time in over thirty years, CIF moved part of it's championship rounds to a course other than the famous Mt.SAC layout, and it just happened to be in King's back yard! Across town lies an abandoned golf course that with great inspiration and perspiration, the cross country team at La Sierra High School turned into an XC course. A year later, CIF made the move there for the preliminary rounds. Next week, the Finals will return to Mt.SAC, but the future bodes well for a continued CIF presence right here in King's Home Town.
KING’S BACKYARD TURNS INTO LAUNCH PAD FOR FINALS
It wasn't exactly "home field advantage" for the Wolves, but the boys and girls teams raced well on the day after
a short ten minute ride across town. The preliminary races are the launchpad for teams to land in the esteemed CIF Finals, one week hence. In a two heat format, each squad needed to place in the top 8 in order to advance on to the Finals. The boys took the line for the first race of the day. Still without their number-two runner, Daniel Gonzalez who is nursing a sore hamstring, the team raced intending to prove that 7 is greater than 1 and they did just that, running confidently and quickly. The pack established itself where it belonged, led by Tyler Janes who would finish 5th overall. Michael Robinson raced well, Andrew Boebinger came through with a big race,
and Mark Werley stood tall again (despite a bad stomach) to help the team, while David Huff sealed the deal as the number-five man. The team locked down a 4th place finish and punched their ticket to the CIF Finals for the third time in four years. For the ladies, their path was similar in that they needed to be in 8th place to qualify, but different in that they were not a highly ranked team like their male counterparts and scrapping for every place was going to be essential to grab hold of a top-8 finish. That's exactly what they did with Alyssa Haring and Rebekah Pendleton leading the charge. Alyssa had the fastest time of all Big 8 runners from both races combined and, notably, the third-fastest time of any King senior in our history! A nice pack of Jessica Ferguson, Allison Janes and Lauren Peurifoy were positioned well by the mid-mark where electronic chip records showed the team in 8th place with half the race to go. Unfortunately they lost a little ground in the final 2K and ended up in 9th, out of the qualifying by 25 points. The effort was strong though (#3 team time in school history) and with most of the team returning next year, this young squad gained valuable experience and improved off of last season tremendously. That Riverside (of all places!) gave launch to the CIF Championship was pretty cool as it's always nice to play in your backyard. But next weekend the boys will be off to Mt.SAC to toe the line at the "Sweet 16" ... with the 15 other best teams in the Division. It should be quite a race, with not only the satisfaction of having made it to the Finals but the chance to head to State hanging in the balance
2015 was the sixth time in school history that our boys’ team qualified for CIF Finals. Did you know? Back in 1999, King’s boys were the first team in any sport to qualify for CIF Finals.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS LEAD TO TEAM’S DISAPPOINTMENT AT CIF FINALS It was an abrubt ending to the team's season at Mt.SAC, as the Finals of CIF SS demanded yet again great performances from all who entered, and King came up far short of that basic - yet lofty - requirement. A pre-race ranking of 4th or 5th in the 16 team race was only a prospective; the race itself would determine the outcome. A fallen runner forced a restart of the race, but by the time the real race was underway and the throng had scurried by the 800 meter mark, the King team was already out of contention as several scorers found themselves in the back-30 places of the 117 runner field. Only Tyler Janes positioned himself where he was expected, tucked neatly into the lead group as they went by the mile in roughly 4:50. With an electronic scorepad positioned at 1.5 miles, the team was sitting in 8th, 4 points out of 7th, the final qualifying spot for State. Daniel Gonzalez, who was sidelined a bit over the last month with a hamstring injury was the only one to make any significant move over the last half of the race as he went from 63rd to 33rd. Wyatt Smith, normally King's 6th or 7th man moved up 10 spots to score for the Wolves. Mark Werley - racing with the flu - gained two spots, but collectively those moves were not enough to keep that slim margin of hope alive and the team dropped 17 points over the last 2K and finished 8th. The silver lining to the tough day was Tyler Janes' holding of the 10th spot, as it gave him individual All-CIF honors - the first to do so since Joe Casco earned the same honor in 2012. He was also the third of five individuals to earn a spot at the State meet, and so will travel to Fresno alone next weekend to compete in the D1 State Championship. In a season where the program sought to find both amazing racing and amazing grace along the way, admittedly, this morning's outcome made that difficult to do. But still, even in the shadow, Tyler's individual triumph shined brightly and was the sliver of grace in an otherwise difficult result. Without question, when anyone -- even someone as talented as Tyler is -- earns a State-meet berth, it's a gift of great grace. For the rest of the team, all of whom expected to race in Fresno next week, their grace will be found in later months when the disappointment turns into a furious desire to meet and exceed the lofty requirements of great expectations that await them. Only time will tell, but this much we do know: All is still grace.
TYLER JANES CLOSES SEASON OUT IN FRESNO Thanksgiving weekend in Fresno is a tradition for hundreds of high school cross country teams as the state championship has been held on the Woodward Park course since the 1980’s, always just two days after the annual holiday. Thanks-giving would be appropriate for many a-harrier, as qualifying for the vaunted meet is quite an achievement. With all ten CIF Sections present, the meet is truly a state-wide spectacular and amid the changing colors of Fall, there is quite a bit to be grateful for. Tyler Janes was King’s only runner in the race, which unfortunately for the talented senior, didn’t go quite as planned. Hope for a top-ten finish, disappeared after he went by the mile in 4:40 right with the lead group but then struggled to finish well. He ultimately crossed the line in 46th place, running the 5K in 15:56. Despite the disappointment, there still was much to be thankful for. He had along side him a handful of his teammates and other parents who made the drive to support his efforts. The day was crisp and beautiful. His future college coach was there to wish him well. The cool day was warmed by many who wanted nothing but the best for the likable kid who’s almost 18. So there you have it, the conclusion to the season of 2015. While it didn’t end with an amazing race, that only provided yet another opportunity to look for amazing grace. And there it was, in Fresno. On Thanksgiving weekend.
LEGENDS OF THE FALL NIKE NATIONALS 2009, 2010 Lane Werley CALIFORNIA STATE FINALS 2015 – Tyler Janes 2014 – Andrew Boebinger, Daniel Gonzalez, David Huff, Tyler Janes, Rolando Phalen, Isaiah Quiambao, Carlos Ramirez, Blake Simpson, Seth Villanueva, Mark Werley 2010 - Lane Werley, Hanna Peterson 2009 - Lane Werley, Kelsi Tippets, Aubrey Bowman, Emma Jaramillo, Raelyn Werley, Rebecca Asplund, Hanna Peterson, Katrina Graham, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets 2007 - Kelsi Tippets 2006 - Carissa Bowman
CIF SOUTHERN SECTIONS FINALS 2015 Andrew Boebinger, Daniel Gonzalez, David Huff, Tyler Janes, Wyatt Smith, Mark Werley, Jonathan Moncada, Chris Barba, Michael Robinson 2014 Andrew Boebinger, Daniel Gonzalez, David Huff, Tyler Janes, Rolando Phalen, Isaiah Quiambao, Carlos Ramirez, Blake Simpson, Seth Villanueva, Mark Werley 2013 Brianna Jacklin, Aimee Martinez, Lauren Boydd, Alyssa Haring, Hannah Johnson, Rachel Rosales, Ruth Wiggins 2012 Brandon Berz, Nathan Torres, Perry Elerts, Joe Casco, Robert Sanchez, Trevor Berney, Rolando Phalen, Seth Villanueva 2011 Raelyn Werley 2010 Priscilla Carrasco, Hannah Peterson, Katy Fatten, Lisa Garside, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets, Raelyn Werley, Daniel Balcazar, Devin Becerra, Chris Miller, Nick Rini, Adam Schupp, Lane Werley 2009 Lane Werley, Kelsi Tippets, Aubrey Bowman, Emma Jaramillo, Raelyn Werley, Rebecca Asplund, Hanna Peterson, Katrina Graham, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets 2008 Rebecca Asplund, Aubrey Bowman, Katrina Graham, Hanna Peterson, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets, Kelsi Tippets 2007 Rebecca Asplund, Aubrey Bowman, Carissa Bowman, Danielle Fillmore, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets, Kelsi Tippets 2006 Carissa Bowman, Rebecca Asplund, Larissa Davis, Danielle Fillmore, Brandi Rosenau, Kelsi Tippets, Kaitlyn Traver 2005 Carissa Bowman, Larissa Davis, Bridget Gonzalez, Mary Griesinger, Amber Mooney, Addy Odekirk, Carly Sjogren 2004 Carissa Bowman, Larissa Davis, Mary Griesinger, Jodi Mettler, Kristina Moore, Carly Sjogren, Morgan Sjogren 2003 Megan Fairley, Stephanie Fematt, Erin Fitzgerald, Jodi Mettler, Kristina Moore, Carly Sjogren, Morgan Sjogren 2002 Garrett Allen, Daniel Beld, Brian Brierly, Grant Carter, David Lee, Jon McLaughlin, Steven Vance, Megan Fairley, Stephanie Fematt, Bridgett Gonzalez, Kristin McHugh, Tawny Odekirk, Carly Sjogren, Morgan Sjogren 2000 Garrett Allen, Brian Brierly, Steven Griesinger, Donald Hartness, Shamari LaCour, Jon McLaughlin, Steven Vance, Tawny Odekirk, Angella Nanyonyi, Laura Fairley, Katie Chouinard, Megan Fairley, Lauren Wilson, Samantha Johnson 1999 Shawn Lawrence, Regis Riley, Eric Stevens, Shamari LaCour, Donald Hartness, Jon McLaughlin, David Lee