2018 King High Cross Country Yearbook Volume 20 Coaches: Brad Peters, Dan Peirce, Jim Griesinger, Keith Janes, Carrie Soholt, Raelyn Werley Athletic Director: Chip George Principal: Mike West Written by Brad Peters and Carrie Soholt Photography by Brad Peters, Sydney Magno, Carrie Soholt and Raelyn Werley Layout and design by Brad Peters 68 Athletes at Season’s End
LEGACY
Celebrating Twenty Seasons ~ 1999-2018
Back in 1955, a relatively unknown woman in Montgomery Alabama launched herself into great fame by staying seated. Her name was Rosa Parks, and few folks today have never heard of her. From her protest against injustice came a bus boycott, a leader name Martin Luther King, JR, and a civil rights revolution that changed our country for the better. Rosa Parks was arrested and booked into jail and famously photographed having her fingerprints taken. Little did anyone realize at the time, how symbolic that picture would become as Ms. Park’s fingerprints were all over the civil rights movement. One cannot think of the Civil Rights movement without thinking of Rosa. What a legacy! This season we celebrated our twentieth year of competition. Though none of this year’s athletes were even alive back in 1999, all of us coaches have been part of the program in one way or another since the very beginning. As we reflected on the past while confronting the challenges of this season we couldn’t help but think about the legacy hundreds of athletes past and present have created. Some may say, “But I’m not varsity, I’m not fast … legacies are created by the people up front, the famous ones.” To that we say, “Wrong!” Every single one of us is always in the process of creating a legacy. We contribute to it whether we want to or not. No matter if we are up front or in the back, quiet or loud, show up all the time or miss a bunch of practice … you name it, it’s the legacy you’re making for yourself. And this is where Every single one of us is always in the process of creating a it’s really important legacy. We contribute to it whether we want to or not. No that you see what matter if we are up front or in the back, quiet or loud, show up we’re saying: On a team, what the all the time or miss a bunch of practice … you name it, it’s the individuals are legacy you’re making for yourself. doing becomes what the team is. Positively or negatively, we are the sum of our parts. We are grateful and humbled by the fact that King Cross Country has a pretty good reputation across So Cal and the State, in large part due to the ways our previous teams conducted themselves. This year’s team added to that legacy. So what was it for you? How do you think you contributed? Remember, you did contribute, even the lack of contribution is a contribution. Rookies and veterans alike, everyday your actions, words and attitudes made a legacy for yourself, which in turn, made us what we were at season’s end. Were you the athlete who: Was always on time ... raced with grit ... praised and encouraged others ... asked for and applied new knowledge... showed up, even when you couldn’t run ... put others first ... worked hard in the classroom ... spoke truth ... treated others as you wanted to be treated ... was humble in victory and defeat ... twittered and “grammed” with grace? Or was your season something different than all of that? But somewhere in (or out) of those descriptives was each one of us this season. Coaches included. Remember, we don’t have a choice in the matter, a legacy was being made by each of us, every day. Like Rosa Parks, you’ve left your fingerprints all over this season. You’ve left a legacy. It’s our legacy.
individua l league champion s LEAGUE MEET RECORDS 1999-2018 Boys Varsity: 250- 48 Girls Varsity: 261 - 23
KELSI TIPPETS ONLY 3x ALL CIF RUNNER IN SCHOOL HISTORY
12 ALL CIF FINISHER
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2 ATHLETES 4 X TO PORTLAND
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T H G I N R OVE S N O I T A N I T S E D RAVEL o
TWENTY TIMES AT CIF CHAMPIONSHIPS
14
20 SEAS PURSUING E
SONS OF made cif finals 19 in our EXCELLENCE times history
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13 GIRLS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS SUNKIST LEAGUE IVY LEAGUE BIG vIII LEAGUE
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8 TIMES TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
King Cross Country was my first exposure to, what I have come to recognize as, an elite culture in sport, and stands out in my mind as a prime example of the power of dedicated people united by a common purpose. The enduring legacy that King Cross Country has left me with is that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its individual parts. CHRIS MILLER CLASS OF 2011
Jenna Bernath, Camille Bradford, Audrey Brunken, Alessandro Casro, Faith Chick, Julia Sarai Jimenez, Chloe Kurtz, Sydney Magno, Justine Marshall, Kela Mavhera, Hannah Mayb Briana Rodriguez, Jalene Rodriguez, Amanda So
James Avila, Matthew Bardos, Malachi Cabanilla, Jacob Call, Joseph Caraan, Matt Ca Adrian Flores, Austin Fortenberry, Luke Freese, Brady Goodson, Brian Green, Nikko Mitchell Machuca, Jesus Martinez, Gray Mavhera, Kevin Moreno, Julian Morgan, Edgar O Antonio Ruvalcaba, Matthew Somody, Luke Stokes, Matt Stokes, Ga
1999
OUR 20t
a Freese, Evenie Fuentes, Neveah Gonzalez, Joanie Green, Shelby Grossi, Sydney Grossi, berry, Mariah Ngo, Mackenzie Peters, Lauren Peurifoy, Avalon Provance, Emily Richmond, osa, Jocelynn Stevenson, Snow White, Lydia Xu
astro, Dathan Chann, Nathan Chapa, Isaiah Chavez, Isaiaih Cunningham, Mena Fam, o Guzman, Jacob Haas, Daniel Herrera, Daniel Lopez, Anthony Lorenz, Tommy Lu, Ortega, Raymundo Ortega, Jefrey Ortiz, Brendan Provance, Angel Rawdon, Bohdin Rush, arrett Vasta, Jonathan Weaver, Daniel Wilbert, Francisco Zavaleta
th TEAMS 2018
2018 VARSITY ALL LEAGUE R GIRLS: First Team Joan Green -7th Second Team Briana Rodriguez - 12th Jocelyn Stevenson - 13th Lauren Peurifoy - 14th Third Team Jenna Bernath 18th Audrey Brunken 19th BOYS First Team Garrett Vasta 3rd Mitchell Machuca - 7th Second Team Austin Fortenberry - 8th Edgar Ortega - 9th Francisco Zavaleta - 14th Third Team Gray Mavhera - 15th Brian Green - 21st
CIF DIVISIO
LEGENDS OF THE FALL: Malachi Cabanilla, Jacob Call, Matt Castro, Dathan Edgar Ortega, Garrett Vasta, Francisco Zavaleta, Jenna Bernath, Audre Lauren Peurifoy, Avalon Provance, Briana R
RUNNERS AND CIF FINALISTS
ON ONE FINALISTS
n Chann, Austin Fortenberry, Brian Green, Mitchell Machuca, Gray Mavhera, ey Brunken, Shelby Grossi, Joan Green, Justine Marshall, Kela Mavhera, Rodriguez, Amanda Sosa, Jocelynn Stevenson
2018 SCHOLAR ATHLETES 3.5+
Matthew Bardos Joseph Caraan Alessandra Castro, Isaiah Chavez, Gray Mavhera, Jefrey Ortiz, Luke Stokes, Matthew Castro, Nathan Chapa, Daniel Lopez, Kela Mavhera, Hannah Mayberry
3.67+
Adrian Flores, Shelby Grossi , Nikko Guzman, Justine Marshall, Edgar Ortega, Amanda Sosa, Jocelynn Stevenson, Camille Bradford, Audrey Brunken, Julian Morgan
Brady Goodson, Mitchell Machuca, Mariah Ngo, Garrett Vasta, Emily Richmond, Hector Ruvalcaba, Francisco Zavaleta, Jacob Call, Mackenzie Peters, Dathan Chann, Mena Fam, Evenie Fuentes, Brian Green, Jalene Rodriguez Sydney Grossi, Jacob Haas, Lauren Peurifoy, Daniel Wilbert, Brendan Provance, Jenna Bernath, Joan Green, Anthony Lorenz, Sydney Magno, Lydia Xu, Tommy Lu
4.0+
4.3+
2018 LETTER EARNERS FOURTH YEAR Mackenzie Peters, Lauren Peurifoy, Amanda Sosa THIRD YEAR Matthew Castro, Dathan Chann, Daniel Lopez, Kela Mavhera, Garrett Vasta SECOND YEAR Jenna Bernath, Malachi Cabanilla, Jacob Call, Faith Chick, Austin Fortenberry, Joan Green, Sydney Grossi, Jesus Martinez, Mitchell Machuca, Edgar Ortega, Francisco Zavaleta FIRST YEAR Audrey Brunken, Brian Green, Shelby Grossi, Nikko Guzman, Anthony Lorenz, Justine Marshall, Gray Mavhera, Jefrey Ortiz, Hector Ruvalcaba, Briana Rodriguez, Jocelyn Stevenson
FOUR YEAR RUNNERS From 2015 through 2018, this group of young people found a way to keep on keepin’ on. Their careers are checkered with highs and lows, victory and defeat. They’ve run hundreds of miles and have spent countless hours growing together. Each one’s imprint is on our program, their fingerprints are the tattoos of our last four seasons. Together, they have continued the legacy they were given. It’s been a very good run. Dathan Chann, Garrett Vasta, Matthew Castro, Anthony Lorenz, Daniel Lopez, Daniel Wilbert, Jesus Martinez, Jacob Haas, Jacob Call, Isaiah Cunningham, Jefrey Ortiz, Amanda Sosa, Mackenzie Peters, Faith Chick, Sydney Grossi, Lauren Peurifoy Amazin[g]race, FaithFULL, Thinc Diphrunt, Legacy XC4LIFE: Learning, Integrity, Faithfulness, Excellence
LEGACY
VOICES FROM OUR PAST REBECCA ASPLUND CLASS OF 2010
RAFAEL PEREZ CLASS OF 2011
DIANE GRIESINGER CLASS OF 2002
“As I think back on my four years as a King athlete I am reminded of lifelong memories, opportunities, teammates, and coaches that truly blessed and shaped the person I am today. As I reflect back on the years of hard work, dedication, and discipline that went into the sport I am reminded of the valuable life lessons learned from these experiences. One of my greatest memories was standing among my teammates after finishing our race at CIF Finals anticipating the news of whether or not we had made it to the state meet; the goal we had been working towards all season long. As Coach Peters shouted, “We made it!” we couldn’t help but shed pure tears of joy. Little did I know, this experience would teach me far more about life than I could have ever imagined. It taught me that success does not come overnight. Surely, my four years at King had its fair share of ups and downs. There were good races and bad races. However, King Cross Country taught me how to deal with and come back from these disappointments. I am thankful for these lessons learned early on as I am certain that they equip me to better love and serve those around me. And for that, I am forever grateful.”
“King XC left a legacy of positivity and confidence on me. Those runs with my second family always topped my day on a positive note, whether it had been a good or bad day. One of my favorite moments on King XC is the time we ran up Krameria and sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” in its entirety up the hill. At that moment, we were not only runners, we were a choir (committed, but not very good). While I was not one of the fastest runners on the team, it did not matter because the main focus was always the love of the sport. Being a family was a priority on the team, and races were just that opportunity to show each other how much we had each other’s backs. When I married my high school sweetheart Ambar in 2016, members of my XC family stood by my side to celebrate. Today, I am living out the lessons of positivity and kindness I learned from this team in my teaching, coaching, and personal life. I teach history and coach cross country at Norte Vista High School and it gives me the opportunity to instill leadership skills on my team that King XC fostered on our team. Seeing how motivated my students are inspires me to share my lifelong love of running with a younger generation.”
“In looking back at my years of cross country at King High School I now realize that the greatest things that I learned were the fun of being part of a team, how to push myself out of my comfort zone and the fact that even if you are not the number runner on the team, you are still valued. Starting high school can be very intimidating and it helped to have the support of the cross country team. I did not feel so alone or scared. Some of my favorite cross country memories are the trips we took to Mammoth. Those days were filled with fun and team building as well as running. During those days you were able to learn a lot about your team mates as well as yourself and they brought us all a lot closer. The coaching staff was always very positive and encouraging to all the runners to do their best. This really helped with my self-confidence and it allowed me to have the courage to try new things. As a result, today I am a sixth grade math and science teacher for the Alvord Unified School District. I try to have a positive outlook and try to encourage my students to do their best because I remember how much the encouragement I got really helped me.”
ADDING TO OUR LEGACY, ONE DAY AT A TIME
SUMMER
CAMP POOL PARTY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! On August 3, 1999, King XC had its humble beginnings. We met in front of Earhart Middle School as King wasn’t completed yet, and Earhart was the only middle school in town. We all kind of met each other as we were all so, so very new. We snapped a picture using a camera to record the moment on, well, film. In the background was a Christmas tree farm and orange groves. 35 or so 9th and 10th graders -- mostly 9th graders and mostly boys -- posed stiffly for the pic and perhaps wondered who this 34 year old guy was that was taking the picture. On August 3, 2018, 19 years later, King XC went back to where it all started. With a bit of surprise planned for the workout this morning, we ran over to Earhart, had some breakfast, and talked about our past and present and hopes for the future. The time goes by so very quickly. It wasn’t lost on us that none of these kids were even alive in ‘99. And then we took a picture (using a phone!), pretty near the spot where that first team posed last century out there in front of Earhart Middle School. The Christmas tree farm has been covered over by suburbia, but what does remain is the story that we are all in the midst of writing. King’s story hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been one that hopes to end well and as we look back over the last 19 seasons of our program, we see so many young people who took a chance and ran with us, leaving the legacy that this year’s kids get to enjoy.
AUGUST 3, 1999 TO AUGUST 3, 2018
GREAT COW RUN GETS SEASON OFF ON THE RIGHT HOOF
After a three year break from the meet, King Cross Country returned to The Great Cow Run, hosted by Cerritos High School. 2014 was the last time the Wolves ran the flat course at Cerritos Regional Park. While no cows or dairies are present at the park, according to the meet literature, the park sits atop a spot that once was trod by the hooves of many cows, hence, the curious meet name. The temperatures were delightfully cool after a hot summer which made for some fine performances. Audrey Brunken and Camille Bradford kicked things off nicely with top-15 place finishes in the freshman race and Audrey time of 20:43 would eventually settle in as the 7th fastest time of the King runners on the day! Gray Mavhera raced in the boys sophomore race as a late bus delayed the team’s arrival and so the freshmen were moved into the sophomore division. Gray was at 16:32, a fine start to his high school career. Bohdin Rush and Jonathan Weaver - sophomores both - ran really well, with Weaver moving up nicely from the 100 meter distance last track season to cover three miles in 17:09. The boys varsity team had a very nice breakthrough performance. When they last raced in the sport, it was CIF Prelims last November, and even there, it seemed like this group’s future was going to be bright. Bright they were, even under overcast skies, as they finished third overall behind perenial powerhouses, Loyola and Arcadia. Another cross power, Ayala, was four points behind while yet another, California High School, was four behind them! Close race! Garrett Vasta finished 10th, but a sweet 35 second margin between the five scorers was the power source for the high finish. Austin Fortenberry, Mitchel Machuca, Malachi Cabanilla and Edgar Ortega did the honors in the scoring. Cabanilla’s time was the second fastest sophomore time in school history! A group of newcomers to the varsity level made up most of the girls’ squad, but they competed really well. Avalon Provance, Shelby Grossi and Justine Marshall had no prior experience at the varsity level, while Mackenzie Peters and Jenna Bernath have had only limited time in the top seven. Regardless, the group, along with Amanda Sosa and Joan Green were putting together a solid effort. The JV boys finished third in their division led by
Matthew Castro and Dathan Chann, while the JV Girls finished second, led by newcomer Briana Rodgriguez who impressed with a 20:55 mark to lead the team, followed by solid races from Faith Chick and Sydney Grossi. Jocelyn Stevenson, like Jonathan Weaver, was running the sprint events in track last season, but she’s transitioned nicely already to cross country and cruised in the sophomore race to 20:45, the 8th best King time on the day! For the first meet of the year, the teams performed well, leaving much hope for even better things to come as the season “moooves” on.
RISING STARS UNVEILED BY COOL BREEZE The Cool Breeze Invitational, held on the Brookside Golf Club adjacent to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, draws many of the finest cross country programs from across Southern California. The last time that King competed at the meet was in 2016 and the good experience of running in the late afternoon and under the lights on a great course against great teams was the draw that brought them back. A unique feature of the meet is that it starts at 4:00 PM and runs on into the night, the course illuminated by portable floodlights. The varsity boys are young and inexperienced this season, yet they are on the rise. Their 8th place finish in the fastest race of the day, against 32 other squads, proves the point.. The seven teams that placed above them are renowned for their yearly excellence. Garrett Vasta and Mitchell Machuca did the leading duties for the Wolves, finishing in the top 35 places of a field that saw 274 finishers! Vasta fell just a few meters before the finish line after hitting some mud on the course, Machuca fell mid race, and King’s third runner, Austin Fortenberry was also taken down and partially trampled but was tough enough to get up and finish with a lifetime best time for three miles at 15:28. Francisco Zavaleta was tough in his season debut to run in fourth and Brian Green anchored the scoring. “I felt alive out there” said Green, “Something I’ve never experienced in a race before” he added with a smile. Injuries have beset many of the presumed pre-season varsity lineup on the girls’ side, but that just means that doors of opportunity have opened up for others. Justine Marshall is one of those who has stepped up from the frosh-soph level to run in the varsity lineup twice this season and hold her own. In a lower level race in the meet, newcomer Jocelynn Stevenson showed that she’s got the endurance and speed to make herself a quality presence in the top 7, with her second high-quality race and the 6th fastest King runner on the day. Also making a breakthrough was Briana Rodgriguez who, like Jocelyn, put herself into a top-seven spot. Freshman Audrey Brunken was all smiles of her first night-race and another PR. Amanda Sosa led the Lady Wolves with an 18:21 solid race. Freshman Gray Mavhera shined in the 9th graders race, running in the top 10 of the large field the entire way and finishing with a 16:22 mark over the three miles, the fourth-fastest freshman time in school history. Dathan Chann led the JV boys with his best race in a year, while Sydney Grossi also ran a very good race to lead the JV girls. The JV Boys would finish 3rd in the race. Bohdin Rush also had an outstanding race in the sophomore division, by far his best race in his short career. Great competition has a way of bringing out the best in athletes, and the Cool Breeze did just that for King, ultimately drawing a new group of stars to rise.
BOYS
SHINE LIKE
SAN DIEGO
SUN
The Mt.Carmel Invitational is one of the more competitive cross country invitationals in California each year. It is set on an historic and excellent course that will, in December, draw crowds as the Footlocker National Championship will be staged on the same layout that winds beneath tall eucalyptus trees in San Diego’s Balboa Park under beautiful Southern California sunshine. That majestic setting and some cool temperatures brought the best out of many of King’s harriers. Leading the way was Mitchell Machuca and Austin Fortenberry who found themselves competing in the lead group of the Junior race for most of the 2.95 mile course. That group splintered in part because Machuca hammered the final hill to take the lead, a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. His victory, and time of 16:15, earned him a free pair of Asics shoes and is the 6th fastest time on the course for King in our 20 seasons. Fortenberry had one of his finest hours, gamely hanging on to finish in 3rd. Along with Brian Green, Antonio Ruvalcaba and Matthew Somody the team scored well, finishing in 2nd overall Races are by grade level at this meet, so the normal varsity lineup was spread over several races. Malachi Cabanilla and Francisco Zavaleta were in the sophomore race, with both young men racing well near the front. Zavaleta had a great second-half of the race, moving up nicely to snag a 9th place finish behind Cabanilla’s 5th place performance. Bohdin Rush, Jonathan Weaver and Brendan Provance secured high scoring spots to thrust the team ahead of Dana Hills and won the race! It’s an improvement of the sophomore race from 2017 that placed third a year ago. Rush improved by over two minutes from last year and Provance by 1:57! In the freshman race, Gray Mavhera borrowed from Zavaleta’s tactic with a steady move-up over the course to finish in 5th with a fine race effort. Dathan Chann and Matthew Castro had good races in the
Senior division. Nikko Guzman improved from 2017 by 2:10 in the Junior race. With the magic of computers. the meet director merged the results from all four boys’ races, to give a hypothetical finish if all teams had raced at the same time. In that computer merge, King’s boys were 6th of the 67 teams who competed. The girls sophomore race also saw a King team near the top, as Jocelyn Stevenson paced the girls to a 2nd place finish. This girl! A sprinter on last spring’s track season, Jocelyn has made a very successful transition to distance running and had yet another big race, where, ultimately, she recorded King’s third-fastest time on the day and crossed the line in 9th place. Justine Marshal, Shelby Grossi, Emily Richmond and Avalon Provance all scored to take home the team honors. Shelby improved by 2:30 from 2017! Joan Green had King’s fastest time of the day, followed by Jenna Bernath who were both running in the Junior race. Briana Rodriguez, in her first season in a King uniform, raced in the senior race and finished with the third fastest time for the Lady Wolves on the day. With a number of King’s normal front-runners missing the starting line due to injury, the races offered up opportunities for others to step forward. It was a good day, but admittedly it’s hard to have a bad day in San Diego’s Balboa Park, competing against 70 other schools in the Mt.Carmel Invitational and under that beautiful San Diego sun.
The Big 8, interestingly, consists of 6 schools. Yea, it’s complicated. In the sport of cross country all six teams of the “eight” come together for one meet, which they repeat three times in one season to determine the two champions; boys and girls. On Wednesday at Eastvale, in the roar of the 15 freeway, the Big 8 met for round one. Four races were run, JV and Varsity, Boys and Girls. It was, as always, a spirited competition to inaugurate the league season. The JV Boys race in the Big 8 Meet on September 19, 2018 First, was the place of the JV boys, led by a pack of five for most of the race, before 9th grader Gray Mavhera pulled the group into a single line and crossed in third place overall. Dathan Chann and Matt Castro were hot on his heels. Bohdin Rush and Hector Ruvalcaba rounded out the scoring group. The JV boys finished just one point ahead of Roosevelt, but first is still first regardless of how many numbers separate it from second. Second, was the place of the varsity boys. It was great race for the young squad against the D1 ranked Mustangs of Roosevelt. Mitchell Machuca had a strong race as did 10th grader Francisco Zavaleta who had perhaps his best race of his young career. Third were the places of both girls squads. However, Amanda Sosa had a break out race, surprising many with a fine 2nd place finish at the varsity level, running 18:21 for the 2.95 mile course. That 2nd place was the highest finish of any King runner in all four races on the day. With at least 4 potential varsity scorers unable to run on the girls team due to various injuries, the Lady Wolves’ third-place team finish was somewhat of a victory, as the young and new girls that stepped up did admirably. 1oth grader, Jocelyn Stevenson and 9th grader, Audrey Brunken were two who ran well in their first-ever varsity race.
S
So it was a game of numbers. But that’s what six teams in the Big 8 can create when they all meet on one day in four races.
D
A
M A
AN
SO
SA
L
D A E
A
D
AY
F
O
U
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B
M
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This weekend the Wolves squad split up with part of the team traveling to Seattle, WA for the Nike Twilight Invitational while the other half competed locally at the Canyon Springs Invitational for the first time ever in Kings history.
WOLVES STAY ON THE HUNT IN CANYON SPRINGS INVITE
The local King squad left nothing short of their own legacy as they attempted the rocky Canyon Springs 2.92 mile course for the first time. The Meet started well with some stellar Frosh-soph performances. On the girls side Naveah led the frosh girls with a 5th place finish and with a time of 23:26. Julia Freese and Chloe Kurtzwere not far behind finishing in 8th and 10th place respectively. The Frosh-soph boys took 2nd place overall as a team with 57 points. Julian Morgan led the way followed by James Avila, Joseph Caraan, Brady Goodson, Adrian Flores, Matthew Bardo, and Luke Stokes rounding out the top 7. Julian came in with a time of 19.11.05 with the rest of his teammates forming a tight pack close behind as the rest of the pack all ran under 21 minutes (20:13, 20:27, 20:42, 20:53, 20:54, 21:11) , demonstrating the importance of tight packs in the sport of cross country. The JV girls put on a great show, placing 2nd overall as well! Senior, Sydney Grossi led the way placing 4th with a time of 22:10.01. Lydia Xu, Hannah Mayberry, and Jennifer Jerahian ran almost the whole race side by side. Lydia kicked it in in the final 800 m and finished with a time of 24.26.36 with Hannah and Jennifer close behind with times of 24.47.04 and 25.32.64. Jalene Rodriguez showed her grit and tenacity as she fought hard over the 2.92 mile course and finished in the top 20 with a time of 26.41.05. Again it was the tight pack that pushed the Lady Wolves to a solid 2nd place, a solid 25 points ahead of 3rd place. Junior, Kevin Moreno, transfer from Arlington high school, raced solo in the Boys Junior Varsity race. Despite not having any teammates on the starting line with him, Kevin put up a good fight and did not let racing solo phase him. Kevin ran a time of 19.21.17, finishing 8th place overall. Both girls and boys varsity competed exceptionally well, placing second overall, missing first by just 2 points on the girls side and 8 points on the boys’ side. Freshman, Audrey Brunken showed her grace and poise as she led the Lady Wolves finishing 4th overall with a time of 21.03.93. Close behind was Justine Marshall and Jocelyn Stevenson who have been racing well all season. Today was no different. Both finished side by side with times of 21:24:59 and 21:32:05. Senior Briana Rodriguez shined bright as she raced this course for the 4th time as Briana joined us her senior year, coming from canyon Springs High School. She was 4th for the lady wolves with a time of 21:49:48, finishing 10th overall. Shelby and Camille rounded out the 7 finishing in 13th and 14th, again side by side with times of 22:27:51 and 22:31:81. Again the Lady Wolves’ close pack pushed them to a second place finish overall.
The Boys varsity was very excited after their 2nd place finish. Freshman Gray Mavhera led the way finishing 4th overall as well with a time of 17:25:32. Jonathan Weaver and Bohdin Rush placed 2nd and 3rd for the Wolves, both running in the 18’s. Matt Somody has been coming out of the shadows and has been placing his best foot forward and ran 4th for the Wolves and finishing in the top 20 overall with a time of 19:09:80. Isaiah Cunningham, Luke Freese, and Raymundo Ortega rounded out the top 7. The Wolves showed the importance of a tight knit pack today. The Wolves are surely on their way to more success as the season progresses!
SEATTLE DOE ON KING’S PARADE The team traveled to the great Northwest this past weekend to race in the Nike Twilight Invitational and take in the sights and sounds of the Emerald City, Seattle.
If they had packed ponchos and umbrellas, one would understand as Seattle is green for one reason: Lots of rain. But the rain stayed away over the team’s three-days stay and the 33 athletes enjoyed spectacular weather and a set of great races on the Cedarcrest Golf Course. The cross country meet is in it’s 12th year and is already drawing top talent. Headlining the event was Jesuit of Portland Oregon, a perennial state and national power. Their boys and girls teams dominated the competition, but in the boys’ race, the King Wolves showed the Washington and Oregon kids that California was in town. In a stunning display of pack-racing, the varsity boys spread 19 seconds over runners 1-5 and with their top two (Garret Vasta and Mitchell Machuca) finishing in the top 12 overall places, the Wolves finished third of the 30-plus schools on the line. Another outstanding effort was turned in by Malachi Cabanilla, Francisco Zavaleta and Austin Fortenberry to earn the low score, with Brian Green and Edgar Ortega within 10 seconds of the scoring group. It was a very impressive day. The JV boys were split into two different races, and both teams competed well. Group one, in the “open division” finished first, led by Antonio Ruvalcaba. The open race included both men and women and racers of all ages, but the King kids raced well in it. Group two took second place in the large school JV race.
ESN’T RAIN
In that contest, Dathan Chann was on the heals of the race leader for most of the 5K layout before fading back a bit. Matthew Castro was the first King runner across the line. The girls’ did not have the full contingent of varsity runners on the line and those absences contributed to their 10th place finish. Joan Green led the charge for the girls, followed closely by Amanda Sosa and Jenna Bernath. Lauren Peurifoy and Kela Mavhera both made their season debuts after time away for health-related issues.
Seattl Sydney Magno gritted her teeth and got through her first race of the season as well, running
impressively in the JV girls race and leading the way for King. Faith Chick was right on her at the finish line, to help in the scoring that saw the King girls finishing in third.
The meet was only part of the highlights of the weekend. Perfectly blue skies covered the team on Friday as they toured the famous sights of the city, from the Space Needle to the Public Market, known for housing the first-ever Starbucks store. A leisurely run along the Samamish River trail on Friday had the students from Southern Cal exclaiming over the beauty of a city that is normally shrouded in clouds and dampened by copious amounts of rain. “It’s not raining on our parade!” exclaimed senior, Amanda Sosa with a smile. On Sunday the team took in the final game of the 2018 Seattle Mariners baseball season, a game in which, fittingly, the Mariners won. That victory seemed to sum up the whole weekend for King Cross Country.
le!
Nike Twilight Invitational
A 1-2 PUNCH IN SECOND LEAGUE MEET It was three years ago to the day that the boys varsity team from King was able to win a Big 8 league race, besting the other five schools. History repeated itself on Wednesday at Andulka Park as the boys varsity team led by Garrett Vasta and Mitchell Machuca outran their rival Roosevelt and the rest of the league to win by a large margin. Austin Fortenberry, Francisco Zavaleta and Edgar Ortega all helped with the scoring and the victory capped off a good day of cross country racing by the Wolves Gray Mavhera won the JV boys race and led the team to a dominant win over Roosevelt by 22 points. It was the first race win for the 9th grader! Matt Castro and Hector Ruvalcaba both had outstanding races to follow, with Hector notching perhaps one of his finest races of his career. Nikko Guzman and Dathan Chann rounded out the scoring five to complete the boys’ sweep of the league. Both of the girls’ teams finished in second. The JV girls could perhaps lay claim to “best race of the day” as they came storming back from a third-place finish in the first meet three weeks ago, to nearly win the race outright. 40 points separated the Lady Wolves from Santiago back in September, but on this day that margin shrunk to a mere 3 points as King finished in second. The effort was led by a tremendous race by sophomore Joselyn Stevenson and senior Briana Rodriguez who went first and second across the line. Freshman Camile Bradford was next from King, but it was the effort of soph Naveah Gonzalez that had the whole team buzzing. She stormed forward over the last half of the 2.9 mile race to score and finish much higher than she ever has previously. It was an impressive performance by the first-year runner! The girls varsity struggled a bit, but still managed to improve off their third-place showing from the first round, to take second but just three points ahead of Roosevelt. Santiago won the race. Amanda Sosa was the first for King across, followed by Joan Green, Jenna Bernath, Lauren Peurifoy and Audrey Brunken. Brunken, a freshman, scored at the varsity level for the first time in her young career, averaging 6:50 per mile for the undulating course. The Big 8 is competitive in the sport. Santiago and Roosevelt pose worthy challengers each season. For the boys from King, the return to the victory stand has not been an easy one, but the difficulty of the ascent makes it all the sweeter. Given where the girls teams were at just a few weeks ago, their second place finishes were victories in their own right. This 1-2 punch made for a good day for King cross country.
IMPROVED VARSITY BOYS HEADLINE RIVERSIDE INVITE WITH A WIN The last time the King boys varsity raced on the Riverside City Course was at the CIF Prelims in November of 2017. It was a young and fresh squad that morning, a team that featured three freshmen and two sophomores. Though the team did not advance to CIF Finals, it was clear by their tenacity and talent that good things were coming their way. Enter 2018. Back on the same course, this time for the increasingly competitive third-annual Riverside Invitational, that team with most of the same runners on the line showed that the “good things” have arrived. The team was led by Garrett Vasta and Mitchel Machuca who both finished in the top 12 places. The team time of 78:06 (combined total time of the top five finishers) was a full 2:39 ahead of where they were 11 months ago, with all five harriers averaging 5:12 per mile for the three mile course. A scant 24 seconds separated the first to the fifth scorer. King’s sixth runner, freshman Gray Mavhera, crossed the line in 15:53 and set the 3-mile school record for freshmen. The boys won by three points over Woodbridge of Irvine and notched their first full-team invitational win of the season. In a few short weeks, they’ll return to the same course for the 2018 CIF Prelims, with the intent this time to advance to Finals. With his flowing blond hair that acts a bit like a superman cape, all Brendan Provance needed on Saturday was a mustache and he could have passed as a younger version of the famous Steve Prefontaine of Oregon and USA track and field fame from the 1970’s. He raced like the legend on Saturday as well, finishing 17th in the boys sophomore race with a whopping 1:03 improvement from last year. Malachi Cabanilla won that race, scampering to the lead early on and holding off a tenacious pursuer from Dana Hills the entire way. In the boys’ JV race, senior Jefrey Ortiz, like Provance, had a great race, dropping 1:34 off of his 2017 time on the course.me to move through the round and into CIF Finals. The girls varsity finished 8th, behind the tenacious racing of Joanie Green who dropped 30 seconds off of her time from a year ago. Amanda Sosa was close behind her along with newcomers Joselyn Stevenson and Briana Rodriguez
who, while fresh faces to King XC, are making the team competitive with their great racing. But it was the race of another freshman, Audrey Brunken, that really sparkled in the group. In just her fourth varsity race, Audrey ran a very good 19:32 which is the 6th fastest time of any freshman in school history. Shelby Grossi led the frosh-soph girls to a third place showing. She improved 2:21 from a year ago and with the help of Justine Marshall, Naveah Gonzales, Camille Bradford and Avalon Provance all scoring, the team had a very good performance. In a sport that is measurable by both time and distance, objective improvement is a wonderful measuring stick from year to year, team to team. On a course that’s as much familiar as it is proximate, the King kids are improved, greatly improved from a year ago. And that makes for good times. Throw in a team win like the boys had and it’s a pretty sweet day.
“We were a little mad” said Garrett Vasta, when asked by the local media about the boys’ varsity 2nd place finish in league, separated by just 3 points from Roosevelt. “That was our goal coming in, to win league.” The narrow loss was not without great effort and even excellence as the King harriers ran an incredible effort to push the defending champs all the way to the finish line. King was up by 4 points with a mile to go, but the Mustangs closed with a superior last mile, forced upon them by the pack of Wolves that ran hungry. King’s great race, while not a “winning” effort sizzled with quality. Garrett Vasta was third overall in one of his finest races. As a group, the scoring five of Vasta, Mitchell Machuca, Austin Fortenberry, Edgar Ortega and Francisco Zavaleta were collectively 3:42 seconds faster as a team than they were on the same 2.95 mile course back in midSeptember. Vasta and Fortenberry were both a full minute faster than they were in round one! Great improvement. The tenacity and drive with which the whole group competed was a picture of excellence and a victory in its own right. The girls team also took second, and though they didn’t repeat their 2017 league finals victory, the “win” for the
RUNNER-UP FINISH AT FINALS HAS KING LOOKING PAST THE NUMBERS ladies was a race in which they made progress toward finding their new identity. This year’s team is made up largely of last year’s JV runners and a few new faces and as a result King’s varsity girls have seen unpredictable results and finishing orders all season as the parts try to become the whole. Against impressive foes in Santiago - who won outright - and Roosevelt, whom King beat by one point, the girls raced well and accomplished much given the adversity of 2018. That one point of separation could have come anywhere in the field, but Audrey Brunken’s race could have made the difference. Brunken, who finished as King’s sixth runner, was ahead of Roosevelt’s fifth and final scorer which turned out to be a two-point flip and secured second place for the Lady Wolves. Joanie Green, who has been the most consistent of all King’s runners this season had another outstanding race, finishing in 7th for “First-Team All League” honors. Two newcomers, Briana Rodriguez who was at Canyon Springs last year and Jocelyn
Stevenson who was running sprint events last Spring, finished 12 and 13 respectively, earning 2nd and 3rd team All League honors. Like the boys’ team, the girls had a big improvement in team time, dropping exactly 3:00 minutes off of their team time from September. The JV teams also finished outside the winner’s circle as the boys completed the season in second and the girls in third. Malachi Cabanilla won the JV race, leading wire-to-wire for his second race win in 10 days! Dathan Chann also ran well in sixth with sophomores Brendan Provance and Bohdin Rush in tow. Senior Jacob Call had a satisfying effort after a health scare back in the first race that saw him collapse short of the line and head off to the hospital to recover. Though he finished in 14th place, given the circumstances, Jacob would say his race was a “win.” Justine Marshall and freshman Camille Bradford led the JV girls in 3rd and 8th place respectively as the team closed in third place. Faith Chick was next across the line for the Lady Wolves and was followed by Shelby Grossi who had a 1:24 improvement on the course from race-1 to Finals. Winning of course, is usually defined as the individual or team that takes first place. And so it is. But when athletics is viewed as educational, instructive toward the themes and ideas of a bigger picture than a mere race or game, “winning” can take on multiple meanings, definitions not limited to place. And perhaps that is the greater thing the cross country runners found in their efforts on Tuesday, races that many would label as second-place. The scores certainly did. Well, maybe so, but look past the numbers and you’ll find a win.
BOTH TEAMS OVER ADVANCE T
The CIF Prelims is the path through which team must tread to make it to the CIF Finals. That path was strewn with obstacles for both the girls and the boys cross country teams on Saturday at the Riverside City Course, but they proved themselves to be up to the challenge and King will send two teams to the CIF-SS Division 1 Finals November 17. One challenge that all teams face is the depth and quality of field that D1 produces each year. CIF-SS D1 is incredibly talented and competitive and getting through the preliminary round on a good day takes a good team. On Saturday morning, King had a few more challenges just to make it dramatic. For the boys, ranked 7th in the Division heading into CIF, their heat (one of three) looked promising but with a couple of their members a little under the weather all week, it was going to take a solid team effort for the goal to happen. Garrett Vasta led the way followed by Austin Fortenberry who produced yet another fine race in this Junior campaign. The pack of Francisco Zavaleta, Gray Mavhera and Edgar Ortega grouped up after the first mile and raced in tandem the rest of the way. Brian Green was 6th and Mitchell Machuca - who suffered the most from illness - was 7th, well off his normal #2 spot. The team didn’t have their best races, but were still able manage a 4th place finish and get their tickets punched for the Finals.
Adversity has been tattooed on this year’s girls tean all season long as they’ve been battling through injuries and in some cases, inexperience since July. Adversity refused to let go on Saturday morning, but the ladies refused to be moved and found a way to move on like the boys. Lauren Peurifoy who has been nursing a leg injury virtually all season, tried gamely to get to the line, but the pain proved too much to hide. Just three minutes before the gun, she opted to step aside and give her spot to Kela Mavhera who was ready and warmed up. And off they went! Kela proceeded to run the best race of her 2018 season, one that had been marred by a broken foot that kept her out of the first half of the races. Amanda Sosa and Joanie Green were inseparable near the front, while Jocelyn Stevenson continued her outstanding rookie season in third for the Lady Wolves while Jenna Bernath rounded out the scoring. Collectively the team finished in 5th there was a hope for 8th and the final spot to move on before the race - and for good measure, defeated both league rivals, Roosevelt and the 2018 league champions, Santiago. The Sharks beat King by 36 points just a week and a half ago. Briana Rodriguez and Audrey Brunken - both rookies to the team - were 6th and 7th for the team respectively. Unselfishness seemed to be the tool with which both squads handed adversity a defeat. That “you first” mentality shined brightly in the morning the girls had and was present in the boys’ race as well as the pack raced in a way to make up for ailing members. For King, this will be the 13th trip in 20 seasons to the CIF Championship. For the boys, it’s the first time in two seasons and the 9th trip in King’s history. Overcoming hurdles is both the requirement and the art of successful living. The same could be said of successful cross country teams.
RCOME ADVERSITY, TO FINALS
A YEAR CAN MAKE
E A DIFFERENCE One year ago at the cross country CIF Southern Section Finals, the girls from King were all smiles having finished 6th and punched their ticket to State. The boys from King weren’t even at the meet, having been eliminated the week before. Though the course and the event stayed the same, time has a way of changing things, and in the 2018 version of CIF Finals, for the King High harriers the day held an outcome wholly different from one year prior. In 2017, the boys team raced at the CIF preliminaries with a hope that they could sniff at one of the qualifying spots to Finals. It wasn’t to be, but after this great 2018 campaign they qualified for the CIF Finals and had hopes they could snag the seventh and last spot for State. While the State qualifier didn’t happen on Saturday, the boys finished out a fine season finishing 13th in CIF Division One. They were led by Garrett Vasta who put a bow on his four-year career with a very fine race in 15:09, good for 25th place overall. It was his fastest race of the season and of his career. It also stands as the #5 time by a senior in school history. Behind him, the team struggled with the torrid pace the 24 ravening teams were devouring terrain by. King wasn’t able to position properly near the pre-race spots they knew they needed to be in for a State Finals berth to land their way and were in 11th place by the mid-way point. As one coach said after the race, “In Finals, you have to have a great race to survive.” Indeed. King’s scorers missed the opportunity at greatness and had to settle for a lesser but still quality prize of knowing the 2018 season was a big step of improvement from where they were in 2017. With all but one of the top 8 guys returning next season, the future is again bright with hope. After two successive seasons that ended in the top 6 in the State, the girls on Saturday ran as if they were happy just to have made the Sections Final. The effort made one week ago at Prelims to qualify was so large, the energy it took to match it at Finals seemed illusive and the girls finished in 23rd of 24 teams — far from the goal of finishing in the top 15 places. Joan Green was leading the way for the team and ran a quality race and personal record on the course at 18:38, but it was the race by Sophomore and rookie to cross country Jocelynn Stevenson that really impressed. Jocelynn again ran a personal best time at 18:47 and finished a season of steady progression from her first try at the sport in July to her fastest time of the season in November. (Her first try at a 3 mile race in July netted her a 24:11 mark!) Briana Rodriguez, a senior transfer from Canyon Springs closed out her career that included three different high schools with her best time of 19:06,. The passage of time reveals many things, and the last 12 months for King High Cross Country have been no exception to that rule. Disappointment over athletic performance reveals many things as well, about the nature and character of an athlete and of a team. What the next year will show is how this group of teenagers will respond to the season that ended on Saturday.
Nike Nationals 2016, 2017 - Lauren Peurifoy 2009, 2010 - Lane Werley
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, State Finals Rolando Phalen, Isaiah Quiambao, 2017 – Carissa Avila, Jenna Bernath, Joanie Green, Allison Carlos Ramirez, Blake Simpson, Seth Villanueva, Mark Werley Janes, Sydney Magno, Kela Mavhera, Lauren Peurifoy, Joelle 2013 - Brianna Jacklin, Aimee Martinez, Lauren Boydd, Alyssa Haring, Ramos, Amanda Sosa, KaryLee Taylor Hannah Johnson, Rachel Rosales, Ruth Wiggins 2016 – Kathryn Hammar, Ashley Haring, Allison Janes, Kela 2012 - Brandon Berz, Nathan Torres, Perry Elerts, Joe Casco, Robert Mavhera, Rebekah Pendleton, Mackenzie Peters, Lauren Sanchez, Trevor Berney, Rolando Phalen, Seth Villanueva Peurifoy, Joelle Ramos, Skylar Smith, Amanda Sosa 2011 – Raelyn Werley 2015 – Tyler Janes 2010 - Priscilla Carrasco, Hannah Peterson, Katy Fatten, Lisa Garside, 2014 – Andrew Boebinger, Daniel Gonzalez, David Huff, Tyler Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets, Raelyn Werley, Daniel Balcazar, Devin Janes, Rolando Phalen, Isaiah Quiambao, Becerra, Chris Miller, Nick Rini, Adam Schupp, Lane Werley Carlos Ramirez, Blake Simpson, Seth Villanueva, Mark Werley 2009 - Lane Werley, Kelsi Tippets, Aubrey Bowman, Emma Jaramillo, 2010 - Lane Werley, Hanna Peterson Raelyn Werley, Rebecca Asplund, Hanna Peterson, Katrina Graham, 2009 - Lane Werley, Kelsi Tippets, Aubrey Bowman, Emma Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets Jaramillo, Raelyn Werley, Rebecca Asplund, Hanna Peterson, 2008 - Rebecca Asplund, Aubrey Bowman, Katrina Graham, Hanna Katrina Graham, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets Peterson, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets, Kelsi Tippets 2007 - Kelsi Tippets 2007 - Rebecca Asplund, Aubrey Bowman, Carissa Bowman, Danielle 2006 - Carissa Bowman Fillmore, Carrie Soholt, Kasey Tippets, Kelsi Tippets 2006 - Carissa Bowman, Rebecca Asplund, Larissa Davis, Danielle CIF Finals Fillmore, Brandi Rosenau, Kelsi Tippets, Kaitlyn Traver 2018 - Jacob Call, Dathan Chann, Matt Castro, Malachi 2005 - Carissa Bowman, Larissa Davis, Bridget Gonzalez, Mary Cabanilla, Austin Fortenberry, Brian Green, Mitchell Griesinger, Amber Mooney, Addy Odekirk, Carly Sjogren Machuca, Gray Mavhera, Edgar Ortega, Garrett Vasta, 2004 - Carissa Bowman, Larissa Davis, Mary Griesinger, Jodi Mettler, Francisco Zavaleta, Jenna Bernath, Audrey Brunken, Joanie Kristina Moore, Carly Sjogren, Morgan Sjogren Green, Shelby Grossi, Justine Marshall, Kela Mavhera, 2003 - Megan Fairley, Stephanie Fematt, Erin Fitzgerald, Jodi Mettler, Lauren Peurifoy, Avalon Provance, Briana Rodriguez, Kristina Moore, Carly Sjogren, Morgan Sjogren Amanda Sosa, Jocelynn Stevenson, 2002 - Garrett Allen, Daniel Beld, Brian Brierly, Grant Carter, David Lee, 2017 – Carissa Avila, Jenna Bernath, Joanie Green, Allison Jon McLaughlin, Steven Vance, Megan Fairley, Stephanie Fematt, Janes, Sydney Magno, Kela Mavhera, Lauren Peurifoy, Joelle Bridgett Gonzalez, Kristin McHugh, Tawny Odekirk, Ramos, Amanda Sosa, KaryLee Taylor Carly Sjogren, Morgan Sjogren 2016 - Kathryn Hammar, Ashley Haring, Allison Janes, 2000 - Garrett Allen, Brian Brierly, Steven Griesinger, Donald Hartness, Kela Mavhera, Rebekah Pendleton, Mackenzie Peters, Shamari LaCour, Jon McLaughlin, Steven Vance, Tawny Odekirk, Lauren Peurifoy, Joelle Ramos, Skylar Smith, Amanda Sosa, Angella Nanyonyi, Laura Fairley, Katie Chouinard, Megan Fairley, Christopher Barba, Cameron Boydd, Dathan Chann, Austin Lauren Wilson, Samantha Johnson Dai, Daniel Lopez, Mario Machuca, Jonathan Moncada, Aman 1999 - Shawn Lawrence, Regis Riley, Eric Stevens, Shamari LaCour, Rana, Andrew Simpson, Garrett Vasta Donald Hartness, Jon McLaughlin, David Lee
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