Cross Country (2025)

Panthers Turn Mud into Gold, Capture NCS Championship
November 22, 2025

HAYWARD — On a course that, at times, looked more like a mud-run than a championship layout, the Saint Mary’s Panthers boys cross country team delivered one of the program’s most commanding postseason performances in recent memory, storming to the North Coast Section title on Saturday at Hayward High School. With three runners in the top five and all five scorers in the top 15, the Panthers turned a sloppy, soggy challenge into a showcase of depth and postseason grit—cruising to a 23-point victory over runner-up Bishop O’Dowd.

~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Meet ~

Tucker & Djali Lead The Charge

Djali Battles For The Lead

Junior Djali de Chalus, already carrying momentum after winning the TCAL crown two weeks earlier, ran stride-for-stride with the race leader for nearly the entire 3.0 miles. Only in the final 90 seconds did the front-runner slip away, leaving Djali to claim a hard-earned runner-up finish in 15:34—the highest placing by a Saint Mary’s boy since Dan Maxwell took second back in 2009. The near-miss didn’t dampen the significance of the run: Djali once again proved he is one of the section’s elite talents and a legitimate state contender.

Ian Kopchik Finishes Strong

Behind him came a pair of seniors who have defined the Panthers’ backbone all season. Tucker Presnell, fifth a year ago, showed veteran toughness in the final 800 meters, pulling away from Miramonte’s top runner to secure third place in 15:55. Just seconds later, Ian Kopchik completed the Panthers’ top-five trifecta, grabbing fifth place in 15:58—an emphatic improvement from his 12th-place finish last season. All three earned First Team All-NCS honors.

Senior Shane Doherty

NCS Champion Boys Team

But the Panthers didn’t win this championship on front-running alone. Seniors Shane Doherty (16:27) and Mika Mazin (16:33) executed their race plans with precision, locking down critical scoring positions and slamming the door on any hopes of an O’Dowd upset.

Caty Ruppert & Evelyn Bird Out Fast

“I thought all the guys executed their race plans very well today,” said longtime head coach Jeff Rogers. “Shane and Mika were especially good, running precisely the strategy we talked about in our team meeting on Friday. They were great examples of how the entire team competed today.”

State Meet Qualifier Caty Ruppert

Unfortunately, not all went perfectly: senior Adrian Hall, running the final cross country race of his Panther career, twisted an ankle early and was unable to finish. But his leadership and season-long contributions were acknowledged afterward with a team medal—an honor met with loud approval from teammates.

Junior Captain Uma Vela

On the girls’ side, Saint Mary’s entered as a longshot to qualify for state after a season marred by injuries and lineup shuffling. Yet the Panthers battled with resolve and determination, ultimately finishing sixth—just shy of the coveted state-meet berths. Still, the future looks bright as sophomore Caty Ruppert surged to 11th place in 19:20, earning an individual trip to next week’s CIF State Championships in Clovis.

Olivia Chu and Sierra Maris Sprint For Home

“Caty ran a very smart and very competitive race,” said head coach Denis Mohun. “She beat a lot of good runners to get herself into the state championships. We’re all very proud of her.”

l to r: Olivia Chu, Evelyn Bird, Jessie Ruppert, Caty Ruppert, Charlotte Graham, Sierra Maris, Uma Vela

Behind Ruppert, Evelyn Bird (20:16) placed 20th, while junior Uma Vela clocked 21:20 for 39th. The team’s tightest—and perhaps gutsiest—finish came from Charlotte Graham, Olivia Chu, and Sierra Maris, who crossed the line within 1.4 seconds of each other.  All three were ahead of one another at some point in the final 20 seconds of the race.

Mika Mazin and Kai Sullivan 

For the boys, meanwhile, the story is clear: they enter the state meet not merely as participants, but as legitimate contenders.

On a day when mud swallowed spirits and slowed clocks, the Panthers rose above the conditions—and the competition—proving that championships aren’t always about perfect terrain. Sometimes they’re forged in slop and require grit and the unshakeable belief that the race belongs to the team willing to fight the hardest.

On Saturday, Saint Mary’s fought. And Saint Mary’s won.

Varsity Boys Flex Their Strength, Depth and Speed; Dominate @ TCAL Championships

November 6^th, 2025

Richmond, CA – On Thursday at the TCAL League Championships, the Saint Mary’s Varsity Boys team - currently ranked #1 in the North Coast Section and #3 in California - looked every bit like there top ranking as they obliterated the field to capture their third straight TCAL Championship.

~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Meet ~

Individual champion Djali de Chalus ran a brisk, smooth, even-paced race en route to his win.  His 15:06 clocking was a :41 second personal best on the Point Pinole course, ties him as the #6 performer ever at the TCAL Championships, and earns him a share of the fastest time ever run by a Panther on the Point Pinole course.   

Seniors Ian Kopchik and Tucker Presnell finished a mere one second apart, with Ian out- kicking Tucker – 15:23 to 15:24.  Both runners also established their lifetime bests on the league championship course and each now ranks in the top 10 all-time at the TCAL Championships (Ian = #9; Tucker = #10).

Senior Shane Doherty ran himself onto the All League 1^st Team, impressively breaking the 16:00 minute barrier and finishing in a Point Pinole personal best 15:56. He finished 6^th overall.

Senior Mika Maze and sophomore Kai Sullivan also ran faster at Point Pinole than they ever have - each scoring 2^nd team All-League honors with their 16:22 and 16:27 efforts. Mika was 9^th and Kai was 10^th overall.   Senior Adrian Hall rounded out the Varsity 7 and also scored 2^nd team All-League honors with his 11^th  place finish.  

Overall, the boys ran very well and seem to be rounding into championship form as the North Coast Section and State Championship races approach.

“I think our guys have been race-tested and are ready to compete against the top teams,” said head coach Jeff Rogers. “Our goal over the next few weeks is to stay healthy, continue to work hard, and dream big.  If we do that, I think things will work out just fine.”

The Varsity Girls squad, who just last week clinched a share of yet another TCAL team championship, found themselves in an all-out battle against arch rival Albany.  The Cougars placed first and second overall in the race, but the Panthers countered with Caty Ruppert (18:55), Evelyn Byrd (19:31), and Uma Vela (20:14) placing 3^rd, 4^th and 6^th respectively.

After two more Albany runners, seniors Sierra Maris (20:49) and Charlotte Graham (20:54) ran the races of their life to place 10^th and 11^th.  However, Albany countered with a fifth runner who was just good enough to eek out a two point win 30-32.  It was the 1^st ever TCAL team win for the Lady Cougars. Still, the outstanding effort put forth by the defending champions was met with a smile and a mouthful of compliments about his team from head coach Denis Mohun. 

“We obviously wanted to win, but I’m still very proud of our girls.  All 7 girls ran faster on this course than they ever have before.  Seven PR’s in one race. Incredible.”

Individually, both the frosh-soph and JV boys’ races were won by Saint Mary’s Panthers. Sophomore Khalil Pearson laid down a :10 second win over teammate Nico Cadelago. Both Khalil (10:26) and Nico (10:36) are now the proud owners of the fastest and second fastest times ever run on the Point Pinole 2 mile course.   Their efforts propelled the F/S Boys to a not-so-close 26 point win.

Sophomore Scott St. Clair was 3^rd in a PR 10:58, while freshman Hamilton Kim (11:25) ran a very solid race while obliterating his previous PR and placing 6^th.  Roman Gullov-Singh finished the scoring for the victors while also breaking the vaunted 12 minute barrier - crossing the finish line 11:54.

Other notable performances noted by coach Craig Sutphin where the personal bests run by Eoin Vasquez, Nicolas Preas, Henry Rose, and Julien Richardson.

Senior Shea Turon, running his final race as a Saint Mary’s Panther, went out in style -  winning the JV boys race in a massive lifetime best 10:54.  Shea’s time seem to surprise even him… although his gleaming smile and sparkling first place medal afterwards seemed to obscure any doubts he may have had.

Junior Isaac Porter also ran a tremendous race, scoring a huge PR 11:14 while placing 4^th overall. Sophomore Enzo Vargas and senior Nico Echeverria each earned 2^nd team All-League honors with their personal bests - 11:48 and 11:51 respectively.

Finally, the JV girls, who have dominated the league championships like no other team, finally lost a league championship race. Running a bit underhanded, the Panthers still gave it a valiant effort with Sabrina Jackson (4^th), Sophia Camolli (5^th),  Olivia Chu (7^th), Ella Pollard (8^th), Sienna Silberman (9^th), and Zoe Jennings (10^th) all winning individual medals and placing themselves on either the 1^st or 2^nd  All-League teams.  Unfortunately, the Cougars of Albany had a bit more firepower and were able to out-pace the Panthers – 25 to 33. 

Still, 3 individual league champions, 3 runners running themselves onto the All-Time Top 10 list, 2 team league championships, and dozens and dozens of lifetime bests were the sum total of these 2025 TCAL League Championships. Congratulations to all the Panther runners, their coaches, and their families.

Next up for the Panthers will be the North Coast Section Championships on Saturday, November 22^nd at Hayward High School.  Good luck to all the runners.

Girls Ride Grit and Perseverance To Yet Another TCAL Title

October 28^th, 2025

Richmond, CA - Since the TCAL was formed in 2014, no other team has won the varsity girls cross country league championship except the Saint Mary’s Panthers. On Tuesday, running against their crosstown rival Albany Cougars who boast two of the top five individual runners in NCS Division IV, the Panthers streak faced their toughest test in nearly a decade.  

~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Meet ~

Despite season-ending injuries and excruciatingly slow recovery times for several runners, the defending league champions somehow found it in them to scratch out a narrow 1 point victory that ensures them at least a share of the league championship this season.

Familiar sophomore stars Caty Ruppert and Evelyn Bird once again led the way for the Panthers, but it was the #3, 4 and 5 runners who were perhaps the biggest keys to victory according to head coach Denis Mohun.

“I thought all our girls ran well today,” said the long-time coach. “Caty and Evelyn ran their typically solid races, but I was really impressed with Uma‘s race and with Sierra Maris’ last mile. Her grit and willingness to lay it all out there in the last mile probably won the race for us today.”

Indeed, with a mile to go Sierra was running in 10^th… about 10 seconds behind teammate Charlotte Graham and a scant one second ahead of two Albany runners. By the finish, she had passed her teammate and another runner and finished 8^th overall with a lifetime best 21:20 on the 3 mile Point Pinole course. Not a bad way for a senior to celebrate senior day.

The other 1 point win came in the JV boys race, where the underdog Panther squad fought their way, sprinted and passed their way to the narrowest of victories. Race winner Khalil Pearson (10:42) was the dominant winner of the race followed by teammate Nico Cadelago (10:55) and senior Shea Turon (11:16) who finished 4^th overall.

After that, the pre-meet favorite Albany Cougars had a cavalcade of runners charging towards the finish line. However, freshman Hamilton Kim used his patented kick to overtake an Albany runner and senior Nico Echeverria edged another Albany runner by .2 seconds to secure the win.

“Well, it couldn’t have been any closer,” said a smiling Coach Sutphin afterwards. “We knew it would be close and we knew we needed every guy to pass as many runners as they possibly could in order to win. And as it turns out, we did exactly that.”

Unlike the varsity girls, the varsity boys had a relatively easy run of it… recording perfect score wins against both Albany and Pinole Valley and a near perfect win against Salesian.

Finally, the JV girls gave it a great run , but we’re defeated by the Cougars 25 to 41. Sophomore Zoe Jennings, back and training full-time now, was the top finisher for the panthers running 14:59. Sienna Silberman, Gianna Hernandez and freshman Sascha Blendstrup all ran season best times according to coach Ariana Corwin.  

Next up for the Panthers will be the TCAL Championships next Thursday at Point Pinole. The first race will be the JV boys at 1:45 pm.

Two Races - Two Wins For Panthers @ Haystack Invitational

October 25th, 2025

Hayward, CA - The Saint Mary’s Cross Country team finished their invitational racing season with a pair of wins at the Haystack Tuneup Invitational on Saturday at Hayward High School. Because it will also be the site of next month’s North Coast Section Championships, the times and results on the Hayward course are all the more interesting for the NCS #1 ranked Panthers boys team.

~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Meet ~

Seniors Shane Doherty & Adrian Hall

Led by senior Ian Kopchik (15:30), junior Djali de Chalus (15:33) and senior Shane Doherty (16:04), the Panthers placed 2^nd,  3^rd  and 11^th in the varsity boys race on their way to a resounding 35 point win over last year’s NCS Champion Archie Williams (San Anselmo).

Djali de Chalus & Ian Kopchik

Seniors Mika Mazin (16:16) and Adrian Hall (16:35) were the all-important #4 and #5 scoring runners, each running well enough to secure the easy victory. Shea Turon (17:47), junior Isaac Porter (18:16) and senior Nico Echeverria (18:52) filled out the Panther squad.

Mika Mazin Finishes Strong

“I thought the guys ran pretty well today,” said head coach Jeff Rogers. “It was good to get out and run on the course for the first time this year. We’ll need to be faster next month at NCS but, overall, today was a good day.”

Junior Isaac Porter

Boys Varsity Champions

According to Coach Rogers, the boys teams were split up according to class: juniors and seniors ran the varsity race and freshman and sophomore ran the frosh/soph race.

Race Winner Kai Sullivan

So it was then that the Panther frosh/soph team was far and away the most dominant of any of the teams that ran at Haystack.  A perfect 1-2-3-4-5 sweep in a race gives a team 15 points. The Panthers team score was 17!

Freshman Eoin Vasquez & Sophomore Sebastian Guzman

Leading the way was individual race winner Kai Sullivan, whose time of 16:15 was 10 seconds faster than teammate Scott St. Clair - who finished 2^nd overall. Kai and Scott led the race from the opening gun and most likely pulled sophomore Khalil Pearson to a lifetime best 16:41.  Khalil was third overall.

Nicolas Preas Fights Hard!

Freshman Nico Cadelago once again flirted with breaking the vaunted 17 minute barrier for 3 miles… eventually falling just :04 seconds short and finishing in 17:04. Still, his 4^th  place finished overall scored him an individual medal while providing solid scoring for his Panther team.

Hamilton Kim

Freshman Hamilton Kim finished the scoring - placing 9th overall at 18:46. Enzo Vargas (19:19), Roman Gullov-Singh (19:37), Lukas McAndrew-Kvaerno (19:52), and Nicolas Preas (19:59) all finished after Hamilton and all ran the fastest 3 mile races of their lives.

David DiGirolamo

Add in freshman Eoin Vasquez (20:03), sophomore Sebastian Guzman (20:07) and sophomore David DiGirolamo (21:17) and all totaled - of the 12 Panthers frosh/soph boys who races at Haystack, 10 ran faster than they ever had before. Nice job, fellas!

Victorious Frosh/Soph Team!

Next up for the Panthers is their final TCAL Cluster Meet against Albany, Salesian and Pinole Valley on Tuesday, October 28 at Point Pinole Regional Park. The first race is at 4:00 pm.

Young Talent On Full Display In Another Dominating TCAL Win

October 22, 2025

Richmond, CA - For most of the younger, less experienced runners, much of the cross country season is spent in the shadows of the older, more experienced varsity runners. However, at Wednesday’s TCAL cluster meet, it was these “young, less experienced” runners that shined brightest and grabbed most of the spotlight.

~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Meet ~

l to r: Olivia Chu, Zoe Jennings, Jessie Ruppert, Sascha Blendstrup

Running against familiar TCAL foes El Cerrito, De Anza, and John Swett and on a Point Pinole course that is becoming more and more familiar, coach Ariana Corwin and Craig Sutphin’s groups stood out.

Hamilton Kim and Enzo Vargas Go 1 -2 

The JV girls squad swept the first eight places enroute to a dominant 15 - 50 win. Seniors Charlotte Graham and Sierra Maris led the way, but it was the massive time drops of several of the girls that caught coach Corwin‘s eye.

Freshman Olivia Butler

“There were at least a half dozen girls  who ran almost a minute faster than they did just two weeks ago,” said Coach Corwin. “It feels really good to them and to me to see their consistent work and commitment paying off. 6 of the 8 girls in our group ran lifetime bests.  Dylan ran :30 seconds faster than a couple of weeks ago. Sophia and Olivia almost a minute faster.  Sierra and Charlotte ran faster.  Basically we had a really good day.”

Sophomores David DiGirolamo and Keiji Bouffard

These same type of massive improvements came from Coach Sutphin’s  group as well.   Freshman Hamilton Kim out-sprinted teammate Enzo Vargas to take the top spot.  Lukas McAndrew-Kvaerno, Roman Gullov-Singh and Nicolas Preas, Eoin Vasquez, and Sebastian Guzman finished 4^th through 8^th… all running faster than they ever had.  Maybe even more impressively were the near minute PR’s run by Kaiji Bouffad, Henry Rose, Cole Shiu, Mateo Gates and Quinn Jacobs-Porter.  Truly an impressive run by an impressive up-and-coming group.

Both varsity teams cruised to relatively easy victories. Seniors Ian Kopchik and Shane Doherty where the top two finishers for the Panther boys while Evelyn Bird and Caty Ruppert led the girls squad. After that there were a bevy of impressive lifetime best. Sophomore Scott St. Clair, senior Shea Turon and freshman Nico Cadelago all pushed their way to lifetime bests.

Senior Charlotte Graham

Up next, the Panthers boys team will compete at the Haystack Tune-Up Invitational on Saturday at Hayward High School – site of next month’s North Coast Section championship race.  After that, the final TCAL meet will be run on Tuesday at Point Pinole against cross town rival Albany. First race is at 4:00 pm. 

Panthers Challenge State’s Best @ Clovis Invitational

October 10, 2025

Clovis, CA - On Friday, the Panthers traveled to the famed Woodward Park Course for the highly anticipated Clovis invitational. The meet features teams from all around the state who come to Clovis to compete against the state’s best on the course that will once again host the California State Championships next month. 

~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Meet ~

~ Watch Caty Ruppert's Race Win Here! ~

Senior Captain Tucker Presnell

For the #2 state-ranked boys varsity team, they competed in the featured race of the weekend: The Steve Ward Boys Championship Race.  Featuring many of the top 10 state ranked teams from California’s division 3, 4 and 5… the race would be fast and the competition fierce. It was undoubtedly the toughest test for the Panthers all season.

Ian Kopchik

By the finish… after the dust settled.. the clock was stopped.. and the scores were tallied… the boys finished 5^th with a near school record team time of 80:48.  As he has all season, senior Tucker Presnell was the fastest Panther of the day. Running just :09 seconds from his lifetime best on the course, Tucker earned himself an individual medal with his 15:44 – 24^th place finish. 

Seniors Mika Mazin and Adrian Hall

Fellow senior Ian Kopchik ran a big lifetime best on the Woodward Park course, finishing 14 seconds faster than he ran at the state championships a year ago while also earning himself an individual medal.  Djali de Chalus - having spent the better part of the past two weeks battling illness and a nagging IT band – delivered a gutsy effort, running 16:03 while placing 3^rd on the team.

Djali de Chalus

Senior Shane Doherty may have had the race of the day according to head coach Jeff Rogers, running a :45 second lifetime best 16:25 as the team’s #4 runner.  Mika Mazin moved up 7 spots in the final mile and ran his best ever – 16:44.  Mika’s final mile was crucial to the Panthers team score… which was only 4 points better than 6^th place. Sophomore Kai Sullivan (17:14) and senior Adrian Hall (17:17) completed the racing for the Panthers.

State Ranked #2 (CA Division IV)

The girl’s team, once again led by sophomores Caty Ruppert and Evelyn Bird, ran their best race of the season.. finishing 3^rd overall in the varsity smalls school race. 

Varsity Girls

The girl's race was highlighted by Caty’s incredible final ½ mile where she surged ahead of a tight pack and won the race by a commanding :14 seconds.  Caty’s time – 19:08 – is one of the fastest run by a Panther in the last decade according to longtime coach Denis Mohun. 

Caty & Evelyn Lead The Panthers

Evelyn Bird’s sub-20:00 minute run (19:49) earned her an impressive 7^th place overall finish as well as an individual medal. 

Uma Vela & Charlotte Graham

Senior Charlotte Graham moved up 5 spots in the final mile en route to her best race ever – a 21:20 effort that was over a minute faster than she had ever run.  Junior Uma Vela was next at 21:27 while senior Sierra Maris also ran a full minute faster than she ever had – breaking the 22:00 barrier and finishing in 21:58.  Sophomore Jessie Ruppert completed the team’s effort... finishing in 22:50.

Senior Sierra Maris

The JV Boys also fielded a team that finished 6^th in their 23 team race.  Sophomore Khalil Pearson was the fastest from the group, running 17:42 in his Woodward Park debut. 

Panthers Start Strong

Freshman Nico Cadelago was :09 seconds behind Khalil, running 17:51… while sophomore Scott St. Clair recovered from a nasty fall near the beginning of the race and still managed to run 18:11. 

Sophomore Khalil Pearson

Freshman Hamilton Kim

Senior Shea Turon represented himself and his team very well with his 18:23… while freshman Hamilton Kim (19:15) was the team’s #5 scorer for the second week in a row.  Senior Nico Echeverria completed the team’s run with his 19:52 effort.

Boys Team @ Clovis (2025)

Girls Varsity (2025)

Next up for the Panthers is their 2^nd TCAL center meet on Wednesday, October 22^nd at Point Pinole Regional Park against El Cerrito, Kennedy and John Swett. 

Panthers Dominate TCAL Opener

Richmond, CA - Nearly 8 weeks after the official start of the North Coast Section fall 2025 season began, the Panthers cross country team finally opened their TCAL league season with a batch of dominant wins at Point Pinole Regional Park on Tuesday.

 ~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Meet ~

All four teams – JV Girls, JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys – posted convincing wins against De Anza, Hercules, Jesse Bethel, El Cerrito, Vallejo, and John Swett.

“Our team has been ready for a race for weeks now,” said seven year JV girls coach Ariana Corwin. “It was nice to finally get the girls out here…in their uniforms… racing. I think they ran well today but more importantly we now have something to work with.”

Indeed, the JV Girls - led by freshmen Sophia Camolli and Sascha Blendstrup - were the most dominant of the four teams, capturing the top 4 places overall and placing 9 runners in the top 10. For both girls, this was only their 2^nd meet ever in a Panther uniform.  Coach Corwin also pointed out the performances of sophomore Emma Christner and freshmen Olivia Butler and Sophia Andress.  For Olivia and Sophia, this was their first high school race ever!

For the JV boys, the race was a bit tighter but the Panthers strength upfront made all the difference. Sophomore Khalil Pearson, freshman Nico Cadelago, and senior Shea Turon combined for a 1-2-3 finish that made the Panthers victory inevitable.

After those three, strong runs from Nico Echeverria, Enzo Vargas and Hamilton Kim sealed the Panthers victory.  Freshman Eoin Vasquez also ran a solid opening race, as did sophomores Lukas McAndrew-Kvaerno and Sebastian Guzman… who both ran lifetime bests.

Both varsity teams were also victorious, each cruising to relatively easy wins. Senior Tucker Presnell had the fastest of the day, running what many said was the most comfortable looking 15:52 they’d ever seen. Ian Kopchik, Mika Mazin, Shane Doherty and Adrian Hall completed the Panther scoring.

Caty Ruppert and Evelyn Bird also looked comfortable and relaxed on their way to an easy 1-2 finish in the varsity girls race. Junior Uma Vela and senior Charlotte Graham ran 3^rd and 4^th for the defending TCAL champions… while seniors Sierra Maris, Ella Pollard, and Natalie Andress made up the rest of the victorious varsity seven.

In all, with two more regular season meets still to come, four Panther teams are now 6-0 and in first place in the TCAL standings.  

Records Fall; Boys Take Home Top Prize @ Mighty Woodbridge Invitational!

September 20th, 2025

Irvine, CA - The Saint Mary’s Panthers travelled to Irvine for the 44^th Annual Woodbridge Invitational.  Run over two days and featuring  500+ teams and 17,000+ athletes, Woodbridge attracts runners from all over California and the nation and gets national media coverage. With such a big event comes big expectations and big competition.  And so, on Friday the Panthers entered the fray.

~ Click Here To See All The Photos From The Trip ~

Tucker Presnell Out With The Leaders

The boys team, having opened the season with a historically fast team time trial followed by a big team win at the Ed Sias Invitational were looking to improve on last year’s 2^nd place finish.  Their 9:16 pm race under the lights featured 5 teams who had finished in the top 10 at last year’s California State D5 Championships and several individuals who are returning All-State performers.  Still, despite the competition, this 2025 group would not relent… did not back down… and competed with a ferocity that earned them a historic team victory.

#2 All-Time Performer: Djali de Chalus

Led by now school-record holder Tucker Presnell and teammates Djali de Chalus and Ian Kopchik, the team ran a school record 75:44 seconds combined team time on the 3.0 mile course to seal the coveted team win.  Their time was faster than any team from Northern California regardless of school size and the 2^nd fastest overall on Friday.  Only Crater High School, the defending Oregon State Champions, ran faster on Friday. 

l to r: Evelyn Bird and Caty Ruppert

Individually, Tucker placed 3^rd overall, breaking the school record by :12 seconds while finishing in 14:33.  Teammate Djali de Chalus was not far behind, placing 5^th in 14:43.  Djali’s time also eclipses the old school record and makes him the #2 performer in school history.  Senior Ian Kopchik fought through some early race traffic, passed several top runners in towards the middle of the race to finish in 14:54.  Ian now has the 5^th fastest time ever run by a Panther. 

Senior Shane Doherty

#5 Panther Ever: Ian Kopchik

Seniors Adrian Hall, Shane Doherty and Mika Mazin also etched their names on the all-time school record board with their gutsy efforts.  Because of the massive number of runners In their race, they had to start on the second line which doesn’t allow them to get out ahead of some slower runners.  So, after weaving, elbowing and surging past dozens of runners, each of them managed to eclipse the venerable 16:00 barrier and help secure the team win.  Adrian finished in 15:44 (#14 all-time), Shane in 15:48 (tied for #15 all-time), and Mika in 15:52 (#18 all-time). 

Adrian Hall Down the Homestretch

Add in sophomores Kai Sullivan (15:58) and Scott St. Clair (16:14), both running in their first ever Woodbridge race, and the sum total was a team victory, eight personal bests, Northern California bragging rights, and the fastest Panther group in school history.  Impressive!

l to r: Jessie Ruppert and Sabrina Jackson

The girls team also had their share of lifetime bests and all-time list additions.  Sophomore Caty Ruppert led the way, finishing 6^th overall in a massively-impressive 18:01.  Her time trails only former Panther greats Bridget Duffy, Gabi Rios-Sotelo and Spencer Moore.. all of whom went on to earn state titles, state medals and college scholarships. 

Mika Mazin & Kai Sullivan

Also cracking her way onto the school’s all-time list was fellow sophomore Evelyn Bird, who placed 31^st overall in the field of 200+ runners with a time of 19:02.  Evelyn now ranks #15 all-time. 

Team Captain Uma Vela

Sophomore Scott St. Clair

Juniors Uma Vela and Sabrina Jackson were next for the Panthers. Uma was able to sprint her way down the homestretch to dip under the 20:00 mark… finishing with a lifetime best 19:56.  Sabrina, in just her first race of the season after battling nagging leg injuries, gutted out a respectable 21:43.  Jessie Ruppert, also hobbled a bit by annoying shin splints, completed the scoring while running 22:05.

Varsity Girls

Next up for the cross country team will be the Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay on Saturday, October 4th.  Good luck to all the Panther runners as they continue their fine 2025 season.

Season Preview: Motivated Panthers Eagerly Awaiting 2025 Season

August 9, 2025

Headliners Djali de Chalus and Tucker Presnell

Berkeley, CA - Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu famously reminded his Taoist followers  that “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”  Translated into modern day cross country terms, it could be said then that  ‘The journey to a great season starts with one run… and then another… and then another.’  That seems to be the summer motto adopted by the Saint Mary’s cross country teams, who’ve been steadily running while eagerly anticipating the 2025 season.

“Both boys and girls teams had tremendous seasons last year,” said varsity boys head coach Jeff Rogers.  “So the challenge will be to duplicate or even surpass that success.  Those are lofty goals, but I think I speak for the runners when I say they’re up for the challenge.”

Girls Varsity Squad: Sabrina, Caty, Olivia, Jessie, Evelyn

Indeed, 2024 saw all-time individual and team records set, league titles won, state meet entries earned, and lots of improvement realized.  Leading the way in 2025 will be a squadron of seniors on the boys side and a talented group of underclassmen for the girls.

Seniors Tucker Presnell and Ian Kopchick, along with junior Djali de Chalus give the Panthers as good a 1-2-3 punch as there is in the NCS this season.  In 2024, Tucker ran his way to a  1^st team All-NCS medal before finishing 15^th at the California State Championships.  Ian narrowly missed breaking the 16:00 5K barrier at State a year ago before blistering an impressive 4:24 – 1600 and 9:25 – 3200 in the opening week of the 2025 track season.  After running 15:47 at the TCAL Championships a year ago, Djali had a breakout track season – running 9:14 at the NCS Meet of Champions and qualifying for the State as a sophomore!  These three will undoubtedly lead the team in 2025.  After that, look for seniors Mika Mazin, Shane Doherty and Adrian Hall to provide the type of depth, leadership and senior year performances that every coach will tell you are the keys to winning championships.

After impressive 9^th grade seasons, sophomores Kai Sullivan and Scott St. Clair seem willing to enter the varsity fray.  Now sophomores, both have had solid summers and both seem ready to not just compete but to contribute on the varsity level.  Junior Finley Basler, last year's league JV champion, finally seems healed from a nagging hamstring injury and is intent on being in the mix.  If healthy, this 2025 Panthers group intend to compete for top league, section and state honors. 

After a summer of training, sophomores Caty Ruppert and Evelyn Bird, along with junior Uma Vela, have emerged as the apparent lead runners for the girls squad.  “Those three have been diligent and working hard this summer,” noted longtime coach Denis Mohun.  “Their attitude and drive so far have been as good as any group we’ve had in recent times.  Don’t be surprised if all three of them have breakout years.”

Following them will be sophomores Jessie Ruppert and Olivia Chu as well as junior Sabrina Jackson.  All three battled injury last track season which lingered into the summer.  However, all three seem to be on the mend and should round out the scoring for the upstart group.  Senior Ella Pollard has been impressive this summer according to Coach Mohun and could provide, along with her running talent, much needed leadership. 

l to r: Ian, Djali and Mika

The season begins with the 27^th annual team time trial on September 8^th before a trio of invitationals (Ed Sias, Woodbridge, Artichoke) propel the team into early October when the TCAL season kicks off.  After a crowded 6-way meet against De Anza, Hercules, etc.. the Panthers travel to Clovis and Hayward for two more invitational meets before closing out the regular TCAL season.  November is championship season, with league, section and state championship competitions all looming large for these 2025 Panthers.