Past Season Highlights & Results

Season Highlights (2023)

Cross Country Season Highlight Video!

December 14th, 2023

Panthers Take On Nation’s Best @ California State Championships

November 25th, 2023

Clovis, CA – Having consistently produced national champions, national record holders, and future Olympians… each year the California State Cross Country Championships are widely regarded as the nation’s premier cross country event. The meet is run on the famed Woodward Park course in Clovis (Fresno) and, in short, is a dazzling marvel of elite talent, exuberant spectators and a multitude of media outlets. So it was, in this backdrop, that the Saint Mary’s team arrived… ready to compete.

For the girl’s team, having competed in last year’s state finals made the meet’s atmosphere only somewhat new. Still, the competition was substantial and the racing impressively fast. Senior Annika Punz, no stranger to fast races and pressure situations, once again led the Panthers pack… getting out fast and finishing 34^th among the 195 runners. After finishing 6^th at the North Coast Section Championships, Annika improved her position at state by finishing 5^th among all NCS runners.

Teammate Jing Li-Chou, running in her second state championship, was the team’s 2^nd finisher at 20:01, while freshman Sabrina Jackson moved from 109^th place at the first mile mark up to 88^th by the finish. She ran a PR 20:20. Alexa Lawson, Madi Potter, Lia Sullivan and freshman Uma Vela all ran within :03 seconds of each other… finishing in 20:40, 20:40, 20:42 and 20:43 respectively. The team ended up 12^th in the field of 24.

Madi Potter, Lia Sullivan, Sabrina Jackson, Uma Vela, Annika Punz, Alexa Lawson, Jing Li-Chou

“All in all, we had a solid day,” said coach Mohun after it was done. “Our girl’s really came together in the last part of the season and I think we really surprised some people. Annika will be a big loss next season, but I’m hopeful that this group will come together in the summer and establish a solid foundation that will bring us back here ready to compete.”

For the boy’s, this state meet experience was brand new. Not a single member of the team had ever competed at state and only two of the seven runners had ever even been on the Woodward Park course! Still, the team – whose NCS run a week earlier had been sub-par for this group – ran like their #5 state ranking reflected. Courageous, tough, smart and competitive, the team ran the fastest team time in school history and beat 7 of the 9 section champions in the field. Their 6^th place finish was the highest team finish since 2008.

Leading the way for the Panthers, in his last high school cross country race, was senior Collin Kopchik. After a 5:00 start over the first mile, he picked off 14 runners over the next 2.1 miles and finished 37^th in 16:19. His time is one of the 6 fastest in school history at the state meet. Teammate Javin Schmitt, whose meteoric rise of the course of the past year has been “the key” to the team’s success according to head coach Jeff Rogers, also ran a great race. After a 5:01 first mile, Javin proceeded to run down 18 very talented runners and finished just one spot behind Collin in 38^th. Javin’s time was 16:22.

Shane Doherty, Kai Valle, Javin Schmitt, Jacob Demissie, Brandon Bosio, Collin Kopchik, Tucker Presnell

Junior Jacob Demissie who, like Javin, has shown remarkable improvement from last year also ran very well. Running in 84^th place after one mile, Jacob amazingly and quite courageously passed 30 runners in just the 2^nd mile… moving all the way up to 54^th before finally finishing 50^th in the field of 201 runners. His time, 16:28, also places him on the school’s all-time Woodward Park list. Sophomore Tucker Presnell passed 29 runners in the 2^nd mile before ending up 59^th overall at 16:34. Junior Kai Valle (77^th) ran 16:52 to finish the scoring, with fellow junior Brandon Bosio (17:32) and sophomore Shane Doherty (17:48) running 6^th and 7^th for the Panthers.

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Overall, these 2023 Panthers had a great season… both winning TCAL titles, earning state qualifying places at the NCS Championships, and then a pair of impressive efforts in the nation’s most competitive scholastic race. Congratulations to all the Saint Mary’s runners, coaches and their families!

On To State!

November 18^th, 2023

Hayward, CA – Because the Saint Mary’s boy’s and/or girl’s cross teams have made an impressive 25 state meet appearances over the past 25 years, it is no surprise that most seasons have the varsity runners and coaches setting the season-ending state meet as one of the team’s goals. On Saturday, despite heavy rain, mud, and a slew of ultra-competitive Division IV teams, the Panthers booked their tickets for yet another state championship run.

The boy’s team entered the meet ranked #2 in the NCS, having performed spectacularly at their TCAL championship meet after having run very well for most of the season. However, the stress of the rain, slop and mud would test the groups meddle and desire like they haven’t been tested all season.

“While it’s true the conditions are the same for everyone, not everyone is effected in the same way,” said a relieved coach Jeff Rogers after the race. “Some of our guys were able to handle the unsettled footing and stress of the course pretty well, but some have running styles that were really disrupted. We’re fortunate that our group is so talented and deep that we were able to squeak by.”

Indeed, the boy’s team grabbed… by a single point… the final state meet qualifying spot – edging Bishop O’Dowd 102-103. Junior Javin Schmitt’s courageous run over the last ½ mile was one of the key moments for the Panthers, according to assistant Ben Turman.

“Javin was running slightly behind a pack of four runners with ½ mile to go. We needed him to catch and pass at least three of those guys, which he did. He was one of our saviors today.”

Sophomore Tucker Presnell also had a huge race for the Panthers, finishing 2^nd on the team and 14^th overall. Junior Kai Valle was 16^th overall, with Jacob Demissie and Collin Kopchik rounding out the scoring. Sophomore Shane Doherty and junior Brandon Bosio ran at #6 and #7 for the state-bound Panthers.

The girls squad – despite being the defending NCS Champions – entered the meet having had their share of ups and downs this season. Transfers, injuries, slow starts, and new faces presented exceptional challenges and created some doubt in the minds of some Northern California prognosticators. But, after an impressive TCAL run and having the luxury of undeniable talent and deep championship DNA, the team was seemingly on the rise and ready to go. Saturday proved this to be true.

Led by 1^st team All-North Coast Section selection Annika Punz, the Panthers ran their best race of the season in finishing 2^nd and will be heading to Clovis next week.

“Annika has led us physically and emotionally all year,” said a very happy coach Mohun. “Her willingness to embrace the conditions today inspired our entire team, especially some of our newer runners. She was big for us today.”

Annika’s 6^th place finish overall earned her an individual medal, while juniors Jing Li-Chou (14^th) and Alexa Lawson (17^th) ran solidly in support. Freshman Sabrina Jackson, whose talent and promise has been on display all year, ran #4 for the team… while Lia Sullivan’s gritty race was just :04 behind Sabrina and the state meet-clinching place. Freshman Uma Vela was just :04 behind Lia, while Madi Potter’s :11 gap behind Uma made the Panthers team the fastest 7 in the race.

Overall, it was a proud day for the Panther harriers. Having shown up on summer evenings and Saturday mornings while enduring imposing hills, oppressive heat and annoying rain – the teams earned their place amongst California’s best: The State Championships. Congratulations to all the runners, their coaches and their families!

Click here to see all the pictures from the meet!

Panthers Too Much For TCAL Foes; Sweep All Five Races @ League Championships

November 2, 2023

Richmond, CA – On Thursday, the Saint Mary’s cross country teams – boasting depth, talent and an insatiable desire to win, accomplished a league championship first: a sweep of all 5 contested races. Led by individual winners Annika Punz (varsity girls), Joaquin Tarango (JV boys) and a bevy of first and second team all-league award winners, the Panthers literally ran away with five league championship banners.

The Varsity Boys - running an inspired, gutsy race – scored a razor thin win against the 2021 California State Champion and 2022 North Coast Section Champion Albany Cougars. The single point victory was the Panthers first varsity boys league championship in seven years.

“The guys were incredible today,” said boys coach Jeff Rogers after the race. “We were down a couple points midway through the race, but our guys were so focused and so determined to win this championship. They somehow found a way to pass a few people and grind out the win. Coach Turman and I are really proud of their effort, but not surprised. These guys have run that way all year long.”

Senior Collin Kopchik was the day’s fastest - running the 3.0 mile loop in 15:43, a lifetime best for him on the rolling, challenging Point Pinole course. Teammate Javin Schmitt was close behind, moving and passing runners in the last mile before finishing in 15:52. Fellow junior Jacob Demissie joined Collin and Javin as a 1^st team all-league selection, finishing 7^th overall at 16:09. Kai Valle, Tucker Presnell, Brandon Bosio and Shane Doherty were all named 2^nd team All-TCAL.

Senior Annika Punz, the 2022 TCAL runner-up, cemented herself as this year’s fastest runner with a convincing win in her last race at Point Pinole. Taking the lead early, Annika tore through the familiar three mile course in 18:49, a Point Pinole PR for her. Jing Li-Chou was the runner-up, also racing to a course PR in 19:09. Juniors Alexa Lawson (5^th overall) and Lia Sullivan (6^th)… along with freshman Sabrina Jackson (7^th) joined Annika and Jing as 1^st team all-leaguers. Teammates Madi Potter and Uma Vela both earned 2^nd team honors.

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Both the F/S and JV boys chalked up wins on Thursday - each team defeating league rival Albany in close contests. The frosh-soph boys placed four runners in the top five, led by sophomores Adrian Hall and Ian Kopchik to secure their win. Similarly, the JV boys – behind race winner Joaquin Tarango, 3rd place finisher Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno and 4^th placer Luke Bradley – scored a narrow 6 point win. Both races resulted in several all-league award winners, among them: Simon Murphy, Djali de Chalus, Shea Turon, Finley Basler, Bear Souza, Gabriel Cabral, Nico Echeverria and Jagger Gullov-Singh.

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The Panthers JV girls team, who have won every single TCAL league championship race ever contested, continued their dominance with an 18 point win over Albany. Charlotte Graham (2^nd overall), freshman Reva Schmitt (3^rd), and Lilah Nemerson-Hoover(6^th) led the way… each coming away with first team awards. Katherine Scannell, Natalie Andress, Sierra Maris, Naomi Fogleman, and Ella Pollard all ran onto the 2^nd team.

Overall, it was a spectacularly successful, joyous day for the Panther runners as well as their coaches and families. Congratulations to all the cross country teams for their league championship performances!

Clean Sweep Shows Off Panthers Depth @ TCAL Finale

October 26^th, 2023

Richmond, CA – Running in the final TCAL regular season meet of the year, with just one week before the TCAL Championships, the Panther cross country teams are looking strong and in prime form. Hosting league foes Hercules, SPSV and Vallejo, the Panthers made quick work of all three teams on their way to runaway victories.

Both junior varsity races were Panther victories, with the girls dominating from the front with explosive talent while the boys utilized their depth and fortitude to seal the victory.

Freshman Sabrina Jackson ran an incredibly fast time on the rolling 2.0 Point Pinole course to highlight the girls win. Sabrina’s time of 12:46 was, according to several coaches, the fastest time by a JV girl in recent memory. Following Sabrina was fellow 9^th grader Uma Vela, whose inaugural cross country season has been nothing short of impressive. Lilah Nemerson-Hoover, Reva Schmitt and Katherine Scannell comprised the scoring five for the Panthers… although runs by Ella Pollard, Siena Silberman, senior Maeve Urban, Kamryn Levy and Constance St. Clair all resulted in lifetime bests according to JV girls coach Ariana Corwin.

“I was really proud of the girls today,” said an exuberant coach Corwin after the race. “Their times were significantly faster than their last race. They really went after it today.”

The JV boys, equally impressive in talent and grit, had to overcome a strong 2-3-4 finish by rival De Anza to rally for their victory. Nico Echeverria, Isaac Porter and Finlay Basler led the victors, followed by Mika Mazin, Malcolm Urban and Nico PIlara. Together, their scant :25 second gap and clustered finish was enough to secure the win.

The next Panther trio - Andrew Bosio, Lucien Wingate, Jagger Gullov-Singh – ran very well according to coach Sutphin… as did Zach Potter, Eliott Ragot and Eddie Rau. Overall, the Panthers JV teams posted nearly 20 PR’s (personal bests) as they head into next week’s championships.

Both boy’s and girl’s varsity teams also posted convincing wins; the girls running un-opposed while the boy’s had 10 of the first 12 finishers on their way to victory. Leading the way were juniors Jing Li-Chou and Alexa Lawson for the girls and sophomores Adrian Hall and Ian Kopchik.. as well as freshman Djali de Chalus and junior Luke Bradley for the boys.

Next up for the Panthers will be the TCAL League Championships on Thursday, November 2^nd at Point Pinole. First race is at 1:45 pm… with the awards ceremony beginning at 4:20 pm.

Collin Kopchik’s Big Win Leads Panthers @ Mariner Invitational

October 21^st, 2023

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Hayward, CA – The Mariner Invitational is widely considered to be the final invitational as well as the final tune-up of the cross country season. After it, teams advance into the postseason, hoping to find the magic peak at their league and section championship races. With teams from all over the greater Bay Area – 88 in total - the races were fast and the competition was fierce.

Per usual for this 2023 season, the Panthers cross country runners did not waiver and did not back down. Highlighted by senior Collin Kopchik‘s individual win in his last weekend invitational as a Saint Mary’s Panther, the cross country squad scored team wins, posted lots of lifetime bests, and took home plenty of hardware at the 40^th annual Mariner Invitational ay Hayward High School on Saturday.

“Collin, along with all of his teammates, was outstanding today,” noted boy’s coach Jeff Rogers afterwards. “He and Javin went right to the front, took the lead around the mile mark, and never relinquished it. They both paced each other really well. Jacob, Tucker and Kai did the same thing just a few seconds back. That kind of great pack running is hard to beat.”

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Indeed, the #5 state ranked team made quick work of all comers on Saturday, outscoring 2^nd place Tamalpais by a whopping 50 points! After Collin (15:37), Javin (15:40) was 2^nd overall, with Jacob 6^th(16:00), Tucker 8^th (16:05) and Kai 10^th (16:11). The :34 second gap between runners 1 – 5 is simply “outstanding” according to coach Rogers.

Junior Jing Li-Chou was the fastest girl Panther of the day, outpacing most of the other 250 runners in the field to place ninth overall in a lifetime best 18:50.

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“I’m not surprised by Jing’s performance today,” said her coach - Denis Mohun. “Her practice sessions have been going really well and her desire to run fast oozes out of her when we talk. At this rate, don’t be surprised if she goes even faster next month at NCS.”

Senior Annika Punz was 2^nd (12^th overall), followed by Alexa Lawson, Maddie Potter and Lia Sullivan for the varsity runner-ups.

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The Frosh-Soph boys also benefited from great pack running at Mariner. The team finished fourth overall in a stacked, talented field of teams. Sophomore Ian Kopchik was the fastest on the team, running a lifetime best 17:21 while placing 17^th overall. Freshman Djali de Chalus, whose inaugural season has been nothing short of spectacular, was the Panthers second runner. His time, 17:23, was over 40 seconds faster than what he ran on the same course just a month ago! Sophomores Adrian Hall, and Simon Murphy placed third and fourth for the team, with sophomore Shea Turon and freshmen Isaac Porter and Finley Bassler rounding out the scoring for coach Sutphin’s talented squad.

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Freshman Uma Vela had one of the more eye-opening races for the Panthers on Saturday, finishing 7^th overall in the girl’s frosh-soph race with a massive PR over the 3.0 mile course. Her time, 20:33, was 1:30 faster than she had ever run for 3 miles! Coach Mohun called her performance “stunning” and suggested that her days on frosh-soph maybe over. “With runs like that, varsity level races seem to be calling,” said the gleaming coach. Fellow freshmen teammate, Sabrina Jackson also took home an individual medal, running 21:13 to place 14^th.

Panthers Take 3 of 4 @ Second TCAL League Cluster Meet

October 12^th, 2023

Richmond, CA – The Saint Mary’s cross country continued their stellar 2023 campaign with 3 convincing wins and a very tight, very close loss at their 2^nd of 3 TCAL cluster meets at Point Pinole Regional Park on Thursday.

Making the loudest statements were both the JV boys and JV girls teams. The JV Boys – fresh off impressive wins at the annual Artichoke Invitational – once again ran to victory on the rolling 2.0 mile Point Pinole course. Sophomore Adrian Hall was the team’s top, finishing 3^rd overall in 11:23. Djali de Chalus continued his fine freshman campaign with a PR 11:29, which was good for 4^th. A pair of sophomores – Ian Kopchik and Simon Murphy – finished 5^th and 6^th respectively while junior Bear Souza completed the scoring for the victors. The final team score showed the Panthers winning by 13 points. According to veteran coach Craig Sutphin, other top performances were run by Finlay Basler, Shea Turon, Isaac Porter and Dash Sanchez Jackson.

Meanwhile, the JV Girls – who have never lost a TCAL meet – once again flexed their competitive muscles with their near 30 point win. Sophomore Charlotte Graham was the overall winner… followed by senior Lilah Nemerson Hoover’s massive 14:40 PR and freshman Reva Schmitt’s 15:00 lifetime best. Freshman Kamryn Levy and sophomores Naomi Fogleman and Ella Pollard also ran big races for the Panthers.

For the varsity, the girl’s team once again showed that their hallmark talent and sheer determination is too much for their league rivals to overcome as they won by a whopping 18 points. Senior Annika Punz led the way, with juniors Jing Li-Chous and Alexa Lawson in hot pursuit.

Next up for the Panthers will be the Mariner Invitational on October 21^st, hosted by Moreau Catholic but run on the vaunted Hayward High School course.

Boy’s Complete 3 Team Sweep @ Artichoke Invitational

October 7^th, 2023

Half Moon Bay, CA – On Saturday, the Panthers coaching staff decided to the by-pass the prestigious varsity-only Clovis Invitational in favor of the annual, fan favorite Artichoke Invitational. The decision was made in order to allow a few dozen of the near 70 member team to compete and experience the always tough and entertaining meet in Half Moon Bay. Featuring a narrow bottleneck start, a few loops around the fan-lined school, hay bails that act as de facto steeplechase barriers, and the legendarily daunting “Cougar Hill”… the meet is a great way to introduce all Panther runners to a challenging, competitive, unforgettable meet. Not surprisingly, the groups that competed this year took full advantage of their opportunities and came home with loads of individual medals, personal bests, team plaques, and many, many great memories

Junior Javin Schmitt, whose diligence, determination and team leadership have vaulted him to the upper tier of TCAL and NCS runners, led the way with an impressive win in the Varsity Boy’s race. Javin’s 12:20 over the 2.3 miles is a mere :07 slower than all-state and school record holder Mateo Malko-Allen’s junior year time at Artichoke and a wopping 1:44 PR on the course. Right behind Javin was fellow junior Jacob Demissie, who ran a spectacular race to finish 3^rd at 12:33. Jacob’s time, like Javin, was more than 1:30 faster than a year ago! Kai Valle, Collin Kopchik and Brandon Bosio rounded out the scoring for the winners.

The frosh-soph boys, led by 2^nd place finisher Shane Doherty (13:20), also won their race – outdueling Mills (Millbrae) High School 48-57. Following Shane were medalists Djali de Chalus (13:59), sophomore up and comer Simon Murphy (14:05), Ian Kopchik (14:25), and Adrian Hall (14:29).

Not to be outdone, the JV Boys had 3 runners place in the top 4 and won their race by more than 30 points over runner-up Washington (SF). Junior Joaquin Tarango (14:25) was the first Panther across the line, followed by senior Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno and junior Bear Souza (14:28). The trio’s :03 second gap was super impressive and right in line with the pre-race plan according to varsity coach Ben Turman.

The varsity girls team faced Archie Williams (San Anselmo) - the top ranked team in the NCS division 4 rankings – at Artichoke and after a spirited duel fell just a tad short. Senior Annike Punz was the fastest Panther of the day, finishing in 15:29. She was followed by junior Jing Li-Chou (15:34) who was 5^th overall… while Alexa Lawson was 9^th at 15:54. Juniors Lia Sullivan and Maddie Potter completed the scoring for the Panthers – running a mere :09 seconds apart.

Other notable performers were sophomore Charlotte Graham (6^th overall – JV Girls), freshman Sabrina Jackson (8^th – JV Girls).

Panthers Roll Past All Comers @ TCAL Opener

September 27, 2023

Richmond, CA – After competing at three straight Saturday invitational races to open the year, the Panthers cross country teams finally opened their 2023 TCAL season with an out-of-the-ordinary Wednesday contest against league rivals El Cerrito, De Anza, and John Swett at Point Pinole Regional Park. This year’s opener, much like 2022 and most of the past ten seasons before that, showcased the Panthers depth, talent and speed as both JV and Varsity teams completely dominated their races en route to massive victories.

The JV boys – led by head coach Craig Sutphin and volunteer assistant Danilo Garcia ('06) – may have exemplified the Panthers dominance the best by placing 6 runners in the top 7, 12 in the top 15, and 17 in the top 21 in their trifecta of wins. Sophomores Ian Kopchik and Adrian Hall were the days best, running the 2.0 mile course in a sizzling 11:36 and 11:41 respectively. Ian and Adrian were followed by a quartet of Panthers – junior Bear Souza, sophomore Simon Murphy, freshman Djali de Chalus, and sophomore Shea Turon. The gap between Bear and Shea was only :17 seconds.

The JV girls, who in the history of the TCAL have won every single team championship, flexed their historic running muscles by scoring 6 of the top 7 places in their trio of wins. Freshman Sabrina Jackson and sophomore Charlotte Graham ran together for about 1.99 of the 2.0 mile race before Sabrina won the final sprint. She beat Charlotte by .6 seconds – 14:40.0 to 14:40.6! Freshman Reva Schmitt continued her fine freshman campaign with a 3^rd place finish, while sophomore Siena Silberman, freshman Kamryn Levy, and sophomore Naomi Fogelman finished 5^th, 6^th and 7^th overall.

Both varsity teams also rolled to convincing wins. The boys team ran in a tight bunch and cruised to a comfortable 17:03 finish… with junior Kai Valle credited with the team’s top place. The team’s top 6 runners were :02 apart.

The girls varsity, meanwhile, scored the top 4 places and 7 of the top 8 in their race. Annika Punz, Alexa Lawson, Lia Sullivan and Maddie Potter led the way… with Sierra Maris, Lilah Nemerson-Hoover and Katherine Scannell next for the reigning TCAL champions.

The Panthers next meet is on Saturday, October 7^th in Half Moon Bay at the Artichoke Invitational.

Wins, PR’s, and Gritty Efforts Continue @ Eye Opener Invitational

September 23^rd, 2023

Alexa Lawson Sprints To The Finish

Petaluma, CA – The first race at Saturday’s Eye Opener Invitational was the 8:30 am freshmen boy’s race which required the Panther harriers to rise early and get their bodies moving over the mostly flat 3.0 mile course at Shollenberger Park in Petaluma. Fortunately, the early race schedules seemed to energize and motivate the young, hungry Panther squads.

Djali de Chalus Leads The Freshmen Pack

“Super early start times are not normally what we hope for,” said a smiling head JV Girls coach Ariana Corwin after the races. “But considering how fast everyone ran today, maybe we should re-think what we’re hoping for.”

Indeed, Coach Corwin was right on target in pointing out how fast the Panthers ran. Juniors Javin Schmitt, Jacob Demissie, Jing Li-Chou and Alexa Lawson... as well as senior Collin Kopchik all ran fast enough to earn themselves lifetime bests and Top 10 times of the day. Javin, Jing and Collin finished 2^nd overall in their respective class races, while Alexa was 3^rd and Jacob 6^th.

Sophomore Shane Doherty

Sophomores Tucker Presnell (2^nd), and Shane Doherty (4^th) had top 10 finishes… as did freshmen Djali de Chalus (2^nd), Uma Vela (5^th) and Sabrina Jackson (6^th). Kai Valle and Lia Sullivan both finished 10^th in their junior class races.

Sophomore Charlotte Graham's Big Finish

For the boy’s, big PR’s were run by senior Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno (17:33), junior Gabriel Cabral (18:18), sophomores Simon Murphy (17:58) and Shea Turon (18:00), and freshman Bruno Middleton (19:18).

win Top 10 Performers Jing Li-Chou, Alexa Lawson, Jacob Demissie, Javin Schmitt, Collin Kopchik

For the girl’s, lifetime bests by senior Lilah Nemerson-Hoover and freshman Reva Schmitt were pointed out by Coach Corwin.

"Freshman Squad" - Dash Sanchez Jackson, Bruno Middleton, Malcolm Urban, Suleimon Johnson-Redfern, Andrew Bosio, Djali de Chalus (front)

Next up for the Panthers is their TCAL league opener on Wednesday at Point Pinole Regional Park against El Cerrito, De Anza, John Swett and JF Kennedy (Richmond). First race is at 4:00 pm.

Fast Times at Hayward High!

September 16^th, 2023

Hayward, CA – Highlighted by historically fast times from senior Collin Kopchik and junior Javin Schmitt, the Saint Mary’s cross country teams ran, grinded, and fought their way to a trio of team plaques and a bevy of individual medals at the 20^th annual Farmer Invitational on Saturday at Hayward High School.

Grabbing the headlines were the varsity boys team, whose spirited, gutsy performance earned them the top performance by any North Coast Section team and a 2^nd place finish overall. The aforementioned Collin and Javin, both individual medalists, finished 8^th and 9^th respectively while climbing all the way to #7 and #8 on the school’s all-time 3 mile list. Collin ran 15:40 with Javin just a second back at 15:41.

“Those guys set the tone for the entire team,” noted long-time coach Jeff Rogers. “Their aggressiveness and competitiveness was contagious and energized the whole team. All teams need tone-setters and those two did it for us today.”

Fellow junior Jacob Demissie, also sporting a shiny medal around his neck after the race, also cemented his name on the school’s all-time list with his huge 16:02 PR. Jacob finished 20^th overall. After Jacob, just :08 seconds separated the next three Panthers: sophomore Tucker Presnell, junior Kai Valle, and sophomore Shane Doherty. Both Tucker and Shane ran more than a minute faster than they did in 2022. Junior Brandon Bosio also ran faster than he ever had for 3 miles, finishing in 16:50.

The varsity girls, still running without their best seven, still managed a respectable 6^th place finish in the varsity race. Once again, senior Annika Punz was the team’s top finisher, placing 3^rd in 18:53.

“Annika’s really went for it today,” assessed coach Mohun afterwards. “She was side by side with the eventual winner for the first half of the race. We love the attitude and aggressiveness, but it may have been a bit too much. We’ll work on her pacing and strategy and I expect she’ll go even faster the next time we run at Hayward.”

Teammate Jing Li-Chou also ran really well, placing 12^th overall and earning her a top 20 placing on the school’s all-time list. Her time, 19:16, was almost a minute faster than she ran at the North Coast Section Championships in 2022.

Underclassmen and newcomers also shined bright in the non-varsity races on Saturday, led by top 10 placers Adrian Hall (6^th place – 17:39) and Ian Kopchik (8^th – 17:45) in the JV Boys race, freshmen Djali de Chalus (2^nd – 18:11), Finlay Basler (6^th – 18:54), and Nico Pilara (8^th – 19:19) in the freshman boys race, and junior Maddie Potter (3^rd – 22:13), freshman Sabrina Jackson (6^th – 22:24), and freshman Uma Vela (7^th – 22:26) in the JV Girls race.

Overall, the Panther teams finished 2^nd overall in the boys varsity, boys junior varsity and girls junior varsity race and 3^rd overall in the freshman boys race. Congratulations to all the runners and coaches on a great meet!

“Who Are Those Guys?”

Varsity Boys Make Strong Statement @ Ed Sias

September 9, 2023

Boys Varsity @ Ed Sias: Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno, Luke Bradley, Kai Valle, Javin Schmitt, Jacob Demissie, Brandon Bosio, Collin Kopchik

Martinez, CA – The annual Ed Sias Invitational, hosted by cross country powerhouse Campolindo High School, routinely features some of the top ranked teams in the state. Teams from all over Northern California come to Hidden Valley Park to open their season against other top talent and assess how their summer training has gone. This year, the varsity boys race featured three division 3 teams ranked in the top 10 in California and three others ranked in the top 10 in division 4. The Panthers - talented, hungry, hard-working but un-ranked – were not on the radar of any of the pre-meet analysts or prognosticators. So, after a stunning performance that saw them out-run the #5 and #9 division 4 teams… and only being out-pointed by 2 ranked division 3 teams… some in the crowd were heard asking: “Who Are Those Guys?”

Senior Collin Kopchik

Senior Annika Punz

Leading the way for the Panthers was senior Collin Kopchik (10:50) and juniors Javin Schmitt (10:53) and Jacob Demissie (11:11). Collin finished 10^th overall, earning him both an individual medal as well as some Ed Sias swag. Javin, 11^th overall, finished just out of the medals but his time was more than 2:00 faster than his time a year ago. Javin’s improvement is indicative of what the entire team has been able to accomplish in the past year.

2nd Place Finisher Tucker Presnell

Asked about their performance after the race, coach Rogers said “Yeah, the guys have really improved a lot. Coach Ben has offered them an opportunity to run pretty much year round and they’ve responded. Today was a small peak into the rewards they’ll get from their hard work and dedication.” Juniors Kai Valle (11:35) and Brandon Bosio (11:36) finished the scoring for the back pack winning crew!

(l to r) Isaac Porter, Malcolm Urban, Nico Pilara

Not to be outdone, the Junior Varsity Boys also placed 3^rd overall and had the highest placing individual of the day in 2^nd place finisher Tucker Presnell. Tucker, whose 1:45 improvement from last year was one of the day’s best, ran 11:20 to pace the Panthers. Fellow sophomore Shane Doherty was next in 11:44, followed by surging sophomore Ian Kopchik (11:59). Junior Joaquin Tarango and sophomore Shea Turon capped the scoring for the medal-winning Panthers.

Freshman Sabrina Jackson

The freshman boys, led by 6^th place & medal winner Djali de Chalus, also ran a solid race according to coach Sutphin. Coach was most pleased by the scant :06 second gap that Nico Pilara, Issac Porter and Malcolm Urban were able to maintain. “Incredible” is how coach Sutphin described it.

Jing Li-Chou

The varsity girls, running shorthanded and without their expected top 5, still got impressive performances from several runners. Per usual, senior Annika Punz led the way with her 9^th place finish overall. Her time, 13:08, was nearly :20 faster than last year… a year in which she was 1^st team All North Coast Section! Junior Jing Li-Chou also PR’d by nearly :30 seconds, but it was senior Lilah Nemerson-Hoover’s 1:30 second improvement that coach Mohun mentioned 1^st after the race.

Boys JV: Shea Turon, Nico Echeverria, Shane Doherty, Joaquin Tarngo, Bear Souza, Tucker Presnell, Ian Kopchik

Next up for the Panthers is the Farmer Invitational on Saturday at Hayward High School. First race is at 9:00 am.

All-Time Lists Re-Written After “Scary Fast” Team Time Trial

September 5^th, 2023

Berkeley, CA –Because team championships and individual medals are won in November and not at the beginning of the school year, veteran cross country coaches understand how to modulate early season performances, no matter how fast or slow they maybe. However, after Tuesdays blistering team time trial, it was hard for any of the coaches to keep their smiles and expectations muted.

“Both teams ran scary fast today,” said longtime JV Boys head coach Craig Sutphin after the race. “We knew we had some talented runners and we figured that after a summer of running they would come out fast… but we didn’t think they’d go THAT fast.”

Indeed, the all-time class records as well as the overall all-time list needs a bevy of updates after today’s race. Ten runners ran themselves onto their class all-time top 10 list, including four runners who now rank among the top 10 Panthers to ever run the time trial – now in it’s 25^th year.

Seniors Collin Kopchik (10:15) and Annika Punz (12:10) were the day’s fastest boy and girl, each running their course PR’s on the rolling 2.0 mile course. Collin’s time makes him the 5^th fastest Panther ever while Annika’s renders her the 6^th fastest. A pair of 11^th graders, Javin Schmitt and Alexa Lawson, also earned “Top 10 All-Time” status by running 10:22 and 12:27 respectively. Javin is now the 9^th and Alexa the 7^th fastest ever. Teammates and fellow juniors Jacob Demissie and Jing Li-Chou also ran well enough to rank amongst the top 10 juniors in school history.

The sophomore class also shined very bright on Tuesday, led by Tucker Presnell (10:41) and Shane Doherty (10:46). Both cemented their place on the all-time sophomore list – Tucker now at #3 and Shane at #5. Another pair of 10^th graders – Ian Kopchik (11:42) and newcomer Shea Turon (12:01) were both awarded big praise from the coaching staff for their strong runs.

Finally, the freshman class made a strong statement about it’s talent and desire to become the next batch of great Panther runners. Freshman Djali de Chalus was the fastest of the group after gutting out a tough 12:02. That time earned him the #7 spot on the freshman all-time list as well as added respect from his upper-class teammates. Classmate Finley Basler also had a strong outing, running 12:23 for the #10 slot on the 9^th grade list. Sabrina Jackson, whose sister Sofia (‘23) ranks among the best Panther runners ever, carried on the Jackson legacy with a fine 15:31 effort that earned her a spot on the all-time frosh list. Sabrina was also the fastest freshman girl of the day.

Next up for the Panthers is the season opening race at the Ed Sias Invitational on Saturday at Hidden Valley Park in Martinez.

2023 Panthers Enter Season Highly Touted and Hungry!

August 11^th, 2023

Senior All-NCS Returner: Annika Punz

Both the defending NCS Champion girls and pre-season #4 NCS ranked boys cross country teams recently finalized their schedule for the 2023 season. The coaching staff has the Panthers slated for a full season of competitive racing in preparation for runs at league, section and state prizes. With a core group of key contributors back from last year's squads, both Panthers teams seemed primed for great seasons.

"I am very optimistic about the upcoming season," said girl’s varsity head coach Denis Mohun, whose girls rolled through TCAL opponents quite impressively in 2022. "Even though we graduated some great runners, we bring back a strong returning cast from last year's championship team. I expect the newcomers to varsity to fit right in and make an immediate impact."

Headlining this year’s crew will be senior Annika Punz. After a very productive summer, look for the 2022 NCS medalist to add even more hardware to her already impressive collection. Juniors Alexa Lawson, Jing Li-Chou and Lia Sullivan figure to provide the Panthers with a very solid 2-3-4 punch, while fellow junior Madison Potter will be making her all-important move to the varsity squad. Add to that the expected contributions from sophomore Sierra Maris and Charlotte Graham as well as junior Aoife Shen … and the result is enough firepower to make the Panthers the heavy favorite to repeat as TCAL champions as well as the pre-season #2 ranked Division IV team in the North Coast Section.

“The boys squad is a group that is eager to establish themselves as one of the Division IV elites,” says coach Jeff Rogers. “We return 7 of our top 8 runners from a year ago plus add some guys who are young, talented and hungry. Add to that the productive summer we’ve had and there seems to be no good reason why we shouldn’t be

challenging for championship hardware this season.”

Among the returners, senior Collin Kopchik, juniors Javin Schmitt and Jacob Demissie, and sophomore Tucker Presnell seem to have emerged from the summer in the best shape. Look for all of them to make a run at all-league honors. Kai Valle is the fastest returner on paper, while Brandon Bosio and Luke Bradley’s experience and determination suggest those two could go well this year. Add to the fray the TCAL junior varsity 1600 and 3200 meter track titles sophomore Shane Doherty won this past spring along with the up-and-coming talent of sophomore Adrian Hall and Ian Kopchik and this team’s pre-season NCS ranking begins to make sense.

The Panthers will begin the 2023 season with their 25^th annual time trial at Tilden Park on Tuesday, September 5^th. After a Saturday in Hidden Valley Park at the Ed Sias Invitational on September 9^th, the teams travels to Hayward for their inaugural 3 mile race of the season at the Farmer Invitational. The TCAL season opens on Wednesday, September 27^th at Point Pinole Regional Park before heading to the annual Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay on Saturday, October 7^th. The final invitational will be back at Hayward High School (site of the NCS Championships) on October 21^st for the Mariner Invitational before league, NCS and state championship races in November.

Kai Valle, Gabriel Cabral, Javin Schmitt, Jacob Demissie, Joaquin Tarango, Brandon Bosio, Luke Bradley

As usual, the runners themselves, along with most cross country prognosticators, expect the Panthers to figure prominently in these final three meets. Good luck to all the runners in this 2023 season!

Complete 2023 Results

Cross Country Schedule & Results (2023)

Date		Meet	Location	Time	Result
Sept. 5th	Tues.	25th Annual Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:30 pm	Full Results
Sept. 9th	Sat.	Ed Sias Invitational	Hidden Valley Park, Martinez	9:00 am	Full Results
Sept. 16th	Sat.	Farmer Invitational	Hayward High School	8:30 am	Full Results
Sept. 23rd	Sat.	Eye Opener Invitational	Shollenberger Park, Petaluma	8:00 am	Full Results
Sept. 27th	Wed.	El Cerrito, John Swett, J.F. Kennedy, Richmond, De Anza	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Full Results
Oct. 7th	Sat.	Artichoke Invitational	Half Moon Bay High School	8:00 am	Full Results
Oct. 12th	Thurs.	Albany, Salesian, Pinole Valley	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Full Results
Oct. 21st	Sat.	Mariner Invitational	Hayward High School	9:00 am	Full Results
Oct. 25th	Wed.	Mid-Season Mania - 3200m Invitational	Campolindo High School	5:00 pm	Full Results
Oct. 26th	Thurs.	Vallejo, Jesse Bethel, SPSV, Hercules	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Full Results
Oct. 30th	Mon.	2nd Team Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Full Results
Nov. 2nd	Thurs.	TCAL League Finals	Point Pinole Regional Park	1:30 pm	Full Results
Nov. 18th	Sat.	NCS Meet of Champions (Varsity Only)	Hayward High School	TBA	Full Results
Nov. 25th	Sat.	CIF State Championships (Varsity Only)	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA	Full Results

**Dates highlighted in RED denote a TCAL League event **

Season Highlights (2022)

Girl’s Finish 2022 Season 10th Best in California!

November 26th, 2022

Clovis, CA – The girl’s varsity cross country team concluded their 2022 season with an impressive, gutty 10th place finish at the CIF State Championships on Saturday. Known by the runners simply as “state”, the CIF Championships gather all the championship teams from around the state for a single race held on the famed Woodward Park course in Clovis (Fresno).

The Saint Mary’s girls, having won the North Coast Section Championship last Saturday, were one of the featured teams to race in the ultra fast – ultra competitive Division 4 race. Leading the charge was fast-rising junior star Annika Punz, who placed 33rd overall in a 5k PR 18:59. Sophomores Alexa Lawson and Jing Li-Chou both ran great races to place 2nd and 3rd for the team, while Leaih Goode and Milan Jackson completed the scoring for the Panthers.

For the boy’s, their only entrant was senior sensation Matoe Malko-Allen, whose bid for a top 10 finish and an individual medal fell just short. Still, Mateo’s 16th place finish in a Woodward Park PR 15:42 was solid and sent him away smiling.

Congratulations to the entire Panthers cross country team and coaches for an incredible 2022 season!

Girls Run To Exciting NCS Championship!

November 19th, 2022

Hayward, CA – Despite spending most of the year ranked amongst the state’s best teams as well as the top ranked team in the North Coast Section, the girl’s varsity cross country team found themselves in a dogfight at the NCS Meet of Champions on Saturday. The upstart group from Archie Williams High School (San Anselmo) had upset on their minds and, after placing 3 runners in the top 6, were bidding for the upset. However, this 2022 Panther group was having none of it. Relying on their depth, talent and fierce determination.. the girls placed their 5 scoring runners in the top 14 and all 7 of their runners in the top 20 to capture their 1st NCS title since 2008.

“The girls really showed a lot of grit today,” said a smiling, jubilant coach Denis Mohun after the race. “Archie Williams came out fast and aggressive but our girls never panicked or backed down. From one through seven, they stayed composed and executed their race plans. It was a great team win for us. I’m proud of all of them.”

Junior Annika Punz’s 3rd place finish was the highest individual finish for any Panther since Spencer Moore finished 2nd in 2013 and earned her both an individual medal and a spot on the All-NCS 1st team. The race of the day, however, was turned in by senior Dylan Hedgspeth. After “only” placing 5th on the team and 7th overall at the TCAL Finals, Dylan ran a massively spirited race… moving all the way up to #2 on the team and 9th overall amongst all runners in the entire section! Junior Milan Jackson ran her usual steady, tough, smart race in placing 1 spot behind Dylan, while senior Sofia Jackson – whose recent physical ailments seem to finally be behind her – was 12th overall in 19:27. Sophomore Alexa Lawson (19:34), senior Leiah Goode (19:54) and sophomore Jing Li-Chou (20:05) completed the scoring for the Panthers.

The girl’s win was their 4th in school history and their team time (1:36:17) was the 3rd fastest time that any Panther team has ever run on the Hayward course.

The boy’s race was equally competitive and very fast according to coach Jeff Rogers. Despite a valiant effort, several lifetime best performances and an overall team time FASTER than the 3rd place qualifying team, the boy’s team fell just short of their bid to compete at the California State Championships next week.

Senior Mateo Malko-Allen, running for the final time on the storied Hayward course, used his immense talent and tons of untiring moxie to place 3rd overall. Running in the lead pack for most of the race, the vaunted Panther star had fallen back as far as 5th halfway through the race before rallying over the final 7 minutes to finish a mere single step from 2nd. His time of 15:05 places him 3rd all-time in NCS Division 4 history and, for the second straight year, earns him All-NCS 1st team honors.

Kai Valle, like Dylan Hedgspeth, also ran a massively spirited race to place 2nd on the team and 19th overall in 16:07. Kai’s time places him on Saint Mary’s all-time top 20 list for 3.0 mile races and remember: he’s just a sophomore!

Another pair of sophomores, Luke Bradley and Javin Schmitt, also ran huge lifetime bests… finishing 3rd and 4th on the team in 16:44 and 16:50 respectively. Coach Rogers, in emphasizing the massive improvement that both Luke and Javin have made over the course of the year, pointed out that Luke was only 10th in the FROSH-SOPH League race a year ago while Javin didn’t even run cross country as a freshman. Way to go Luke and Javin!

Junior Collin Kopchik, sophomore Brandon Bosio, and senior Adrian Licea completed the team and the scoring… in that order… for the Panthers at NCS.

Up next for the Panthers are a trip to Woodward Park in Clovis for the State Championships on Saturday, November 26th. The girl’s team will test their NCS Championship and state ranking against the best from Southern California while Mateo Malko-Allen will line up individually to test himself against the state’s best. Good luck to the Panthers next weekend!

Runners Capture 3 Team & 3 Individual Championships @ TCAL Finals!

November 10th, 2022

Richmond, CA – In the world of high school sports, the month of November signals the conclusion of fall sports and the impending end of yet another calendar year. For cross country runners around the Golden State, November means “Championship Season” and features races that determine league, section and state championships for both teams and individuals. On Thursday, the first of these trifecta of championships – the TCAL League Finals - were run at Point Pinole Regional Park where familiar surroundings and familiar trails produced familiar results for the Saint Mary’s Panthers: Championships!

Stealing the show were the North Coast Section’s top ranked Panthers varsity girl’s squad. Having won every league championship banner since the inception of the TCAL in 2013, the Panthers made quick work of the field in capturing their 9th straight league championship. Junior Annika Punz continued her storied junior season with a scintillating run over the rolling 3.0 course, finishing 2nd overall while running the 3rd fastest time ever run by a Panther at Point Pinole (18:56). Joining Annika on the all-league first team was fellow junior Milan Jackson (3rd place – 19:18), sophomore Alexa Lawson (4th – 19:19), and seniors Leiah Goode (6th – 19:28), and Dylan Hedgspeth (7th – 19:39). Sophomore Jing Li-Chou also had a huge race, according to longtime coach Denis Mohun, finally breaking the 20:00 barrier.. finishing 8th overall in 19:50. The girl’s squad will enter the North Coast Section Championships next Saturday looking to improve on last year’s 2nd place finish.

The boy’s squad, led by yet another school-record setting performance from senior Mateo Malko-Allen, fell short in their bid to grab a league championship… falling to the defending state champion Albany Cougars 21-36.

“I know we came up short against Albany, but for the most part our guys ran pretty well today,” said head coach Jeff Rogers afterwards. “Mateo ran his PR on the course.. as did Collin, Kai and Luke. What more can you ask for than to have your runners go out and run faster than they EVER have? Our group feels good about how we performed today.”

Indeed, Mateo’s time – 15:06 – is the fastest any Panther has ever run and one of the fastest times ever recorded at Point Pinole. Teammate Collin Kopchik, having finally shaken a nasty cold, overcame a potentially damaging slow start and ran a great middle and last mile to finish 7th overall (16:32) which earned him 1st team all-league honors. Sophomores Kai Valle and Luke Bradley also ran solid races, Kai finishing 8th (16:36) and Luke breaking the vaunted 17:00 minute mark in finishing 9th (16:55). Both Kai and Luke… along with senior Adrian Licea (13th place) earned 2nd team all-league medals.

The frosh-soph and junior varsity races were dominated by the Panthers. 9 of the 14 junior varsity all-league selections were Panthers… including sophomore winner Lia Sullivan. Running steady and confidently, Lia rolled through the winding 2 mile course in a PR 13:04.. which was :40 seconds better than the 2nd place finisher! Madi Potter, Olivia Tarango, Aoife Shen, Sierra Maris and Charlotte Graham finished 3rd – 7th to join Lia as 1st team all-league selections… while Cally MacIntyre, Nicole Davis and Lilah Nemerson-Hoover all gutted their way to 2nd team honors.

For Coach Craig Sutphin’s JV group, there were two races contested: a freshman-sophomore race and a junior varsity race. The frosh-soph race was a dominant victory for the Panthers as the squad scored a near perfect 15 points.. finishing with 17. Sophomores Javin Schmitt and Jacob Demissie combined with freshman Shane Dougherty to sweep the top 3 spots. Each runner also broke the 11:00 minute threshold on the course… something no junior varsity runner has done in nearly 10 years! A pair of freshmen – Tucker Presnell and Adrian Hall – placed 5th and 6th overall to complete the scoring and the victory for the Panthers. Freshman Keowyn Warner was also singled out by Coach Sutphin as having a great race.

The JV boys – like the varsity boys – ran a valiant race against a stacked Albany squad.. only to come up short in their bid to claim the JV title. Sophomore Brandon Bosio had the chase down run of the meet, over-taking the Albany runner in the final stretch run to post a PR 10:47 win. Juniors Darragh Westover and Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno… along with sophomores Gabe Cabral and Jagger Gullov-Singh also received praise from the coaches for their fine runs.

Next up for the Panthers is the North Coast Section Championships at Hayward High School on Saturday, November 19th. Teams that place in the top 3 at NCS qualify for the California State Championships on Saturday, November 26th in Clovis, CA. Good luck to both Panther teams at NCS!

Seniors Honored @ TCAL Finale; Teams Finish League Season 47-1!

October 27th, 2022

Richmond, CA – Over the past decade, one thing has remained constant in the Tri County Athletic League (TCAL) world of cross country: the Saint Mary’s Panthers are dominant! After cruising to shutout wins against Hercules, Jesse Bethel, and SPSV… the varsity girls and both JV boys and girls finish their TCAL season 12-0. The varsity boys also posted a trio of crushing wins to finish the season 11-1.

Seniors Mateo Malko-Allen and Sofia Jackson and juniors Darragh Westover and Annika Punz were race winners and led a cavalcade of Panthers to big races and lifetime bests.

Ten of the first eleven runners in the JV Boys race were Panthers, including the first 7. Freshmen Adrian Hall and Daniel Sankar.. along with sophomores Gabriel Cabral and Joaquin Tarango finished behind Darragh to lead the dominance.

Not to be outdone, the JV Girls posted the first TWELVE runners in their race… led by the rehabilitating duo of Sofia and Khaya Jackson. Sophomores Lia Sullivan, Madi Potter and Aoife Shen provided plenty of back up… with Sierra Maris, Olivia Tarango and Charlotte Graham all running under the 15:00 minute mark on the challenging 2.0 mile course.

For the varsity, the girls only ran 6 runners who all managed to finish first – sixth. The boys, meanwhile, placed the top 5 runners… 9 of the first 10… and 11 of the top 13 while flexing their depth and talent. Junior Collin Kopchik, senior Adrian Licea and freshman Shane Dougherty all had very good races according to Coach Rogers.

5 Races; 3 Plaques; Lots of Medals & PR’s @ Mariner Invitational

October 15th, 2022

Hayward, CA – Each year, the Mariner Invitational signals the end of the competitive invitational season around the North Coast Section. The meet, now in it’s 37th year, attracts much of the top talent from around the section because it is run on the famed Hayward High School course.. home to the North Coast Section Championships later in November. On Saturday, the Saint Mary’s Panthers fielded 5 different teams – 3 frosh/soph and 2 varsity – in hopes of testing themselves both on the 3.0 mile course and solidifying themselves as some of the best runners in the NCS.

Madi Potter

Jing & Alexa

On the day, the Panthers recorded 7 top 10 finishes, 11 top 20 finishes, and a bevy of other medalists and lifetime bests. The day’s fastest were senior Mateo Malko-Allen and sophomore Kai Valle… and juniors Annika Punz and Milan Jackson.

Mateo came into the race as only the 3rd fastest Panther ever to run at Hayward, but left the meet as the new fastest Panther ever. After positioning himself in the front pack, Mateo ran a steady race and held on down the homestretch to finish 5th overall in 14:53.

An emphatic fist pump and a hearty “Yes!” as he crossed the line told everyone how he felt about the race. Juniors Collin Kopchik (16:46) and Charlie Higley (16:48) finished only :02 seconds from each other… both running PR’s on the Hayward course. Seniors Adrian Licea and Jurgis Vass were next… followed by juniors Darragh Westover and Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno in the varsity race that featured 282 runners!

Sophomore Kai Valle continued to race his way onto the North Coast Section running scene, placing 3rd overall in the frosh/soph boys “A” race. Mimicking Mateo, Kai surged to the lead pack from the beginning and battled his way to a huge PR (16:34) and to the bragging rights as the team’s top finisher. Kai’s aggressiveness also inspired sophomore teammates Brandon Bosio and Luke Bradley to follow … as they finished 17th (17:11) and 18th (17:12) in the 245 runner field. Jacob Demissie and Javin Schmitt also ran exceptionally huge races according to head coach Jeff Rogers.

Jacob, running in only the second 3 mile race of his life, earned a medal after running a full 2½ minute PR! For Javin, the Mariner Invite was his inaugural 3 mile race, and his 17:26 – 24th place finish was quite exceptional. Sophomores Gabe Cabral and Joaquin Tarango also had solid races in their first 3 mile race this season. Overall, the frosh/soph boys “A” team finished 2nd among the 32 teams entered.

Coach Craig Sutphin’s top freshmen boys were entered in the frosh/soph boys “B” race and they too did not disappoint. Running 3 miles for the first time ever, both Shane Dougherty (17:41) and Tucker Presnell (17:45) blasted their way to top 5 finishes in the 187 runner race. Ian Kopchik (22nd place) also earned a top 25 medal.

For the girls, the frosh/soph team beat out 17 other teams.. including Lick-Wilmerding (San Francisco) by 1 POINT.. to win the overall team championship. Jing Li-Chou and Alexa Lawson led the way… with Lia Sullivan and Madi Potter running PR’s and earning medals… but it was freshman Sierra Maris’ gutsy first time 3 mile race that cliched the victory for the Panthers, according to coach Ariana Corwin.

Despite the frosh/soph girls dramatic victory, it was senior Annika Punz’s eye-opening run in the girl’s varsity race that had the coaches talking after the meet. At this meet a year ago, Annika ran a very respectable 20:15. On Saturday, she ran 18:07 while finishing 9th overall! Her time, according to the coaches, is the 4th fastest time ever run at Hayward by a Saint Mary’s Panther. Only a trio of state meet medalists have run faster. Junior Milan Jackson also showed that she’s starting to round into form, posting a Hayward course PR at 18:41. Seniors Leaih Goode (19:47), Dylan Hedgspeth (19:58), Cally MacIntyre and Olivia Tarango completed the scoring for the North Coast Section’s top ranked team.

Young Talent Shines @ TCAL League Meet #2

October 12th, 2022

Richmond, CA - On Thursday, the Saint Mary's cross country teams hosted Albany, Pinole Valley and Salesian in the 2nd of 3 TCAL cluster meets at Point Pinole Regional Park in Richmond. For the varsity, the meet was the 4th in the past two weeks but for many of the JV runners this was their first opportunity to run since September 29th... and their anticipation and excitement showed. Both JV Boys and Girls teams managed to steal the headlines as both posted impressive, dominant wins.

Brandon Bosio Leads The Way

The Varsity Girls

Coach Craig Sutphin's JV Boys, the reigning TCAL Champions, are progressing and improving at "an incredible rate" according to head boys coach Jeff Rogers. The JV boys ran to 5 of the top 6 places on Thursday... on their way to a resounding 25 point win. Sophomore Brandon Bosio was the overall winner - covering the hilly 2.0 mile course in 11:15. Senior Jurgis Vass was next in 11:22, followed by sophomore Jacob Demissie (11:30), freshman Shane Dougherty (11:32) and sophomore Javin Schmitt (11:32). All five runners ran times equivalent to the past 7 JV league champions! A pair of freshmen, Tucker Presnell (11:43) and Adrian Hall (12:12), also ran impressively fast for coach Sutphin's squad.

Likewise, coach Ariana Corwin's JV girls squad... the 12 time defending TCAL league champions... also flexed their running muscles at Point PInole on Thursday. Led by sophomore Lia Sullivan's :20 second win, the Panthers exceeded the JV boys performance by a single point.. winning by 26. Sophomore Maddie Potter, on the verge of breaking into the varsity group, used her speed and talent to pull away from an Albany rival in the homestretch and place 2nd overall. Freshman Sierra Mariswas not far behind in 14:32, with junior Maeve Urban the 4th runner in at 14:54. A pair of seniors, Cally MacIntyre and Olivia Tarango were next, followed by freshman Charlotte Graham in 14:58.

"I was proud of our group," said coach Corwin when it was over. "For a lot of our group, this was the first time they've raced on the Point Pinole course. Give them a few more weeks and another race here and by the time the league championships come around their times will drop even more. I'm excited to see what they can do."

The varsity girls team ran like the top ranked NCS group they are - under control and relatively unopposed. The first 5 runners to cross the finish line were all Panthers and they all ran the same time (20:34). After the race, several runners were heard saying it felt "easy" and "it didn't seem hard at all." Both comments brought a satisfying smile to head coach Denis Mohun's face.

The varsity boys were the lone losing team on Thursday. Running against the defending state division 4 champion and top NCS ranked Albany Cougars, the Panthers put up a valiant fight only to fall in the end. Senior Mateo Malko-Allen ran 15:54 for a very respectable 3rd place finish... while junior Collin Kopchik ran a PR 17:05 on the Point Pinole course. Sophomore Kai Valle and senior Adrian Licea also ran solid races according to coach Rogers. The Panthers hope to get back on track this Saturday at the Mariner Invitational at Hayward High School. First race is at 9:00 am.

Panthers Compete Against State's Best @ Clovis Invitational

October 8th, 2022

mma

Clovis, CA - On Saturday - despite spending most of the week battling injury, illness, and destruction - the Saint Mary’s Varsity Cross Country teams traveled to Woodward Park in Clovis for the 43rd annual Clovis Invitational. Each year, because it is run on the same course as the state championships, Clovis attracts most of the top talent from around the Golden State. In fact, many see the meet as a sort of state meet “preview”. This year, with the varsity girls race at 7:40 am followed shortly thereafter by the varsity boys, the Panthers would need all the focus and moxy they could muster to compete at Clovis. When it was over, the results were - according to the coaches - “mixed.”

Running without 3 of their top 6 runners, the varsity girls would rely on not only their talent but their depth while finishing a very respectable 5th in the small schools race. Leading the way was fast-rising junior Annika Punz, who’s 6th place individual effort made her the top Panther placer of the day, regardless of gender. Annika’s 19:22 was nearly a minute faster than she ran last year at Clovis and a hefty :30 PR on the Woodward Park course.

Following Annika was fellow junior Milan Jackson, who finished 23rd overall in 20:20. Senior Sofia Jackson, one of the Panthers battling illness this week, gutted out a respectable 20:57. After Sofia, a trio of Panthers lined up for their first ever race at Woodward Park. Sophomore Ji Ling-Chou, recorded a huge 5K PR and was the team’s 4th finisher in 20:59. Senior Dylan Hedgspeth, who was not only brand new to the Woodward Park but to cross country running in general, was the fifth and final scorer for the Panthers, running 21:20. Sophomore Lia Sullivan was also impressive in her 5k debut, running 22:07.

The Boy’s Varsity team finished 12th overall, which reflected how competitive the small schools varsity race was at Clovis. Half of the teams ahead of them came into the race ranked in the top 10 in California’s division 3, 4, or 5.

Per usual, it was senior Mateo Malko-Allen who crossed the finish line first for the Panthers. Mateo, like Sofia and a few others, courageously ran through congestion and sniffles to finish 8th overall. His time of 15:48 makes him the 3rd fastest Panther ever on the Woodward Park course and was also a huge :20 second PR.

Next across the line was sophomore Kai Valle, who’s season continues to impress but not surprise his coaches and teammates. Coming into the season, Kai was hoping to compete for the 1 of the 7 varsity racing spots. After his 17:27 Clovis Invitational performance, not only is he solidly varsity but now has become a major factor in the Panthers championship season aspirations. Junior Charlie Higley, another of the ailing Panthers this week, was just a few steps behind Kai: finishing in 17:29. Neither Adrian Licea or junior Collin Kopchik were their usual selves as both struggled on the Woodward Park course. However, sophomore Luke Bradley followed his classmate Kai Valle for much of the race and finished in a very respectable 17:43.

Overall, the Clovis Invitational served as a reminder to all the Panther runners and coaches that California is a big state with A LOT of runners who take it very seriously. “We have to be at our best to run with the best in California,” said coach Denis Mohun after the meet. “Today we felt what it was like to not be at full strength. We’ll take the next few weeks to train hard and take care of our bodies. Our groups have a chance to make some noise in the post-season and we want to make sure we’re ready.”

Next up for the Panthers is their 2nd TCAL cluster meet on Thursday at Point PInole against Albany, Pinole Valley, De Anza and Richmond High School. First race is at 4:00 pm.

team

Mateo Malko-Allen Stars; Panthers Run Away With 3 Team Championships @ Artichoke Invitational

October 1st, 2022

Half Moon Bay, CA – After competing at the mostly North Coast Section attended Ed Sias Invitational and the mostly Southern Section attended Woodbridge Invitational, the Panthers took both their varsity and frosh/soph teams to the largely Central Coast Section attended Artichoke Invitational… hosted by Half Moon Bay High School. And, after a record-setting win by school record holder Mateo Malko-Allen and 3 overall team championships, what many in the North Coast Section already knew is now also known by many in the Central Coast Section: the Saint Mary’s Cross Country team is good! Highlighting Saturday’s results were the NCS top ranked varsity girl’s squad as well Mateo.

Mateo, who seems to be using his spring track success to catapult himself to the upper-echelon of longer distance running, ran in a tightly contested group of three for much of the race. However, using the aforementioned track speed he’s known for, he broke away in the later stages of the race to win by :13 seconds. His 11:56 time, according to coach Ben Turman, is the fastest run at Artichoke by any athlete since 2017. Junior Collin Kopchik also ran a strong race according to coach Turman, moving up more than 20 spots in the last 1.3 miles to finish 10th overall. Collin’s time was 12:48. Senior Adrian Licea, junior Charlie Higley and senior Jurgis Vass placed 3rd through 5th for the 4th place finishers.

Despite running without two of their top five runners, the Panthers were still able to defeat the CCS’s top ranked Scotts Valley team at Artichoke. A pair of junior’s - Milan Jackson and Annika Punz - were the team’s top two finishers…separated by a mere :02 seconds. Senior co-captain Sofia Jackson was just a few steps back of Milan and Annika. The trio finished the 2.33 mile, rolling hills course in 15:04, 15:06, and 15:09. Senior Leiah Goode claimed an individual medal with her 4th place team finish, while Dylan Hedgspeth did just enough in the all-important 5th place spot to secure the two point team win. Seniors Cally MacIntyre and Olivia Tarango also ran strong races according to grinning head coach Denis Mohun.

While the varsity girls win was certainly impressive, the frosh-soph girls win was overwhelmingly dominant. Sophomores Alexa Lawson (3rd overall), Jing Li-Chou (8th), Lia Sullivan (15th), Madi Potter (18th), and Aoife Shen (22nd) combined to post an incredible 78 point win against second place Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz).

“The frosh-soph girls ran really good races today,” said coach Mohun. “Alexa was the catalyst, battling up front the entire race. I think the other girls fed off of her energy. Jing was super competitive in that top 10 group, and Lia hung in there very well.”

Still, according to JV coach Ariana Corwin, it was the determination of up-and-coming sophomore Maddie Potter that seemed to ignite the team. “Maddie’s drive in the second half of the race was so incredible,” said coach Corwin. “She started out mid-pack at best and then really started to move up. She covered so much ground going up that huge hill. She was awesome.” Freshman Sierra Maris and sophomore Katherine Scannell rounded out the victorious seven.

Before the girls races, the frosh-soph boys seem to set the tone of the day for the Panthers. Like the girls, the sophomore boys led the way. Kai Valle, who coach Rogers calls a “rising star”, fought his way to hard earned 3rd place individual medal. His time – 13:18 – was the 3rd fastest of any of the Saint Mary’s boys (Varsity or Frosh/Soph) on Saturday. Not far behind was Luke Bradley – whose 10th place finish also put a medal around his neck. Brandon Bosio (13:51), Javin Schmitt (14:12), and Jacob Demissie (14:16) completed the scoring for a Panther team that doubled the score of runner-up Archie Williams (San Anselmo). Gabriel Cabral (14:54 – 35th place) and Joaquin Tarango (15:13 – 45th) were also part of the big Panther win.

Next up for the Panthers is a varsity only meet this Saturday at the Clovis Invitational. The meet is one of the two biggest invitationals in California and is run at the famed Woodward Park – site of the California State Championships each year.

Panthers Dominant in 2022 TCAL Opener

September 29th, 2022

El Sobrante, CA - On Thursday, the St. Mary’s Cross Country team opened their 2022 league season against TCAL foes El Cerrito, De Anza, John Swett and Richmond at Kennedy Grove Regional Park in El Sobrante. After an entire summer and weeks of fall training behind them, it as said by one coach that “the teams were more than ready for this meet.” And, as expected, the perennial TCAL stalwarts made quick work of all four opponents.

The varsity girls squad, currently ranked #1 in the North Coast Section, ran as a strong, unified group in what was viewed as a warm-up for this weekend’s Artichoke Invitational. Juniors Annika Punz and Milan Jackson, along with seniors Sofia Jackson and Leiah Goode and sophomores Alexa Lawson and Jing Li-Chou paced a cavalcade of Panthers that dominated the scoring. In all, the varsity girls scored 7 of the top 9 places and finished with a perfect 15 points in their dominant win.

Not to be out-done, the junior varsity girls were even more dominant – placing the top 8 runners overall. In fact, 16 of the first 17 runners donned Panther uniforms! Freshman Sierra Maris was credited with the victory in a race where a group of girls ran together. Sophomore Maddie Potter and Aoife Shen, along with seniors Cally MacIntyre and Dylan Hedgspeth also ran in the lead group. Maeve Urban, Sienna Silberman and Charlotte Graham also ran strong races according to JV Girls coach Ariana Corwin.

The boys races were equally as dominate, with the varsity boys placing 5 of the top 6 runners while the JV boys one-upped them by placing 6 of the top 7 runners in their race. Senior co-captain Adrian Licea led the way, with juniors Collin Kopchik and Charlie Higley… along with sophomore Brandon Bosio running In the same lead pack. Senior Jurgis Vass rounded out the scoring for the victorious Panthers.

The JV Boys squad, who according to coach Craig Sutphin were “chomping at the bit” to compete today, showed their talent and enthusiasm while cruising to four emphatic wins. Sophomores Kai Valle, Luke Bradley, Jacob Demissie, and Javin Schmitt led the way… with freshmen Shane Dougherty, Tucker Presnell and Ian Kopchik providing plenty of supportive firepower. Gabriel Cabral, Daniel Sankar and Joaquin Tarango also ran strong races for coach Sutphin’s defending JV boy’s league champions.

Next up for the Panthers is the annual Artichoke Invitational in Half Moon Bay this Saturday.

Panthers Take On Nation’s Best @ Woodbridge Invitational

September 17th, 2022

Irvine, CA - On Friday, the Saint Mary’s Varsity Cross Country teams departed school at 7:00 am – headed for Southern California to compete that evening at the 41st annual Woodbridge Invitational. Woodbridge is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious high school cross country meets in the country, featuring runners from all around the Golden State and across the country. Defending state champions, soon-to-be state champions, nationally ranked teams and plenty of rising talent take part in the multi-day extravaganza held at Great Park in Irvine, CA. For the SM Panthers, Woodbridge was an exciting opportunity to test themselves against the highest level of prep competition that exists.

Boys & Girls Team

Milan Jackson

Grabbing plenty of highlights for the Panthers were the varsity girls squad. Led by senior Sofia Jackson and juniors Annika Punz and Milan Jackson, the Panthers took 4th place overall in the Varsity Gold Division. All three Panthers recorded big PR’s, which underscored the weekend for the entire team. Sofia’s time of 18:32 was :25 seconds faster than her previous 3 mile best, with Annika (18:33) and Milan (18:39) running similar PR’s. Sophomore Alexa Lawson placed 4th on the team, running just over 19 minutes while senior Leiah Goode was the 5th finisher in a PR 19:37. All five runners earned medals for their performances. Sophomore Jing Li-Chou also had a big race, barely missing the sub-20 minute barrier… finishing in 20:10. Overall, the team’s 4th place finish was remarkable given they were without sophomore Khaya Jackson, who continues to rehab a nagging sore quadricep.

The Varsity Boys also walked away from Woodbridge with their heads held rightfully high. Leading the way, as always, was talented senior school record-holder Mateo Malko Allen. Running as the sole Panther in the featured Invitational Sweepstakes Race, Mateo recorded the fastest 3 mile run in school history, finishing with a time of 14:47. His time was :30 seconds faster than two-time state medalist Dan Maxwell ran in 2009.

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“I was very excited to race against the best runners on the West Coast,” Mateo said after the race. “I wasn’t surprised about how fast the race went out, but I was surprised at how fast the race kept going. I was happy to come away with a new PR and I definitely learned a few things from this race that I think will help me later in the season.”

90 minutes before Mateo’s race, the varsity boys, like the girls, ran in the large school Gold Division race. Pacing the Panthers in Mateo’s absence was fast rising junior star Collin Kopchik. After a somewhat cautious start, Collin stormed over the middle part of the race, passing nearly 40 runners on his way to his first sub-16:00 finish. Collin’s 15:57 PR now ranks him amongst the top 12 runners in school history. After Collin, senior Adrian Licea fought his way to an almost one minute PR, finishing in 16:22.

Not to be outdone, junior Charlie Higley also had a big night - trailing Adrian by just 10 seconds and finishing in 16:32. Charlie’s time was a whopping 1:10 faster than his previous PR! Rounding out the top 5 were a pair of upstart sophomores - Kai Valle and Luke Bradley. Running in the their first varsity 3 mile race ever, the sophomore duo opened many eyes when they crossed the line in near tandem… Kai coming in at 16:47 and Luke at 16:48. Their times, according to head coach Jeff Rogers, exceeded pre meet expectations but absolutely reflect their talent level.

Fellow Sophomore Brandon Bosio gutted his way through a tough race to also break the 17 minute barrier. His time was 16:55. Senior Jurgis Vass, battled through fatigue and a massive crush of runners to finish with a gutsy 17:15.

Overall the coaches and athletes were so pleased about their performances and the hard work that went into being invited to Woodbridge that the next day they were treated to a day at Disneyland! Congratulations to all the athletes who represented the Panthers at the Woodbridge Invitational.

Panthers Running Hot @ Ed Sias!

September 10, 2022

Martinez, CA - After enjoying a solid summer of group runs, mileage tracking, training camps, and time trials, the Panthers finally put on their meet singlets and ran a race at the 37th annual Ed Siad Invitational. Led by recent record shattering senior Mateo Malko Allen and the pre-season state ranked varsity girls squad, the only question that remained after the meet was, "What was hotter: the near triple digit weather or the Panther cross country runners?"

Mateo was the Panthers top finisher, placing 2nd in the Varsity Boys race after running one of the fastest times in meet history (10:15) and the fastest time ever from a Saint Mary Panther. After Mateo, junior Collin Kopchik (11:31) placed 2nd on the team, with seniors Adrian Licea (11:45) and Jurgis Vass (11:52) next. Junior Charlie

Higley (11:56) rounded out the scoring for the upstart Panthers.

Meanwhile, the Varsity Girls squad announced to the entire Northern California running community that they will be battling for medals at both the section and state level this year. Saturday's group of six - Sofia Jackson, Annika Punz, Milan Jackson, Alexa Lawson, Leiah Goode and Dylan Hedgspeth - all ran with :32 seconds of each other while recording the 2nd fastest team time of the day. Only defending state Division 3 champion Campolindo ran faster.

"The girls competed very well today," said smiling coach Denis Mohun afterwards. "I expected Sofia, Annika and Milan to all stay up near the front pack, which they did. But give credit to both Leiah and Dylan. They both ran big today. Leiah ran almost a minute faster than she did last year, and this was Dylan's first race - ever!"

The JV Boys also opened eyes with their 4th place team finish in the junior varsity race. Brandon Bosio (11:54) was the first among a quartet of sophomores to lead the pack. He, like Leiah, ran much faster than he did a year ago. In fact, his 2:00+ improvement earned him a 7th place finish overall. Teammate Kai Valle was right behind him in 8th place, a mere :05 off the pace. Luke Bradley and Javin Schmitt (running his first ever cross country race for the Panthers) placed 16th and 20th respectively, while Gabriel Cabral rounded out the scoring as the Panthers 5th scorer.

Finally, the JV Girls team - running at the hottest time of the day - endured, fought and toughed out a courageous 3rd place team finish. Sophomores Jing Li-Chou (14:46) and Lia Sullivan (15:11) led the way, finishing 8th and 11th... while Maddie Potter (15:26) and Cally MacIntyre (15:52) provided much needed support to propel the team to the awards stand. Senior Olivia Tarango was the team's 5th scorer.

Next up for the Panthers is a varsity only race on Friday, September 16th at the prestigious Woodbridge Invitational in Southern California.

Records Fall, All-Time Lists Altered @ 24th Annual Time Trial

September 7th, 2022

Berkeley, CA – The 2022 Season officially opened on Wednesday the way that the previous 23 seasons have – with the annual running of the time trial at Tilden Park. “Normally, the time trial is a glimpse into what the team’s summer training has reaped as well as what level of success maybe in store for the upcoming season,” explained head girl’s coach Denis Mohun just before the start of the event. Thirty minutes later, after watching the fastest time ever recorded on the course being run… as well as ½ dozen all-time top ten times being recorded - all the coaches – Mohun included – were smiling and eagerly anticipating the upcoming season.

Headlining the event was senior star Mateo Malko-Allen. Mateo, intent on cementing his place atop the all-time list - attacked the course with enough courageous aggression to break the 15 year old record previously held by 2 time North Coast Section Champion Matt Duffy. Mateo’s 9:50 was :04 seconds faster than the former Brown University star. Finishing after Mateo was fast rising up-and-comer Collin Kopchik in 10:49. Fellow junior Charlie Higley was next at 11:05, with sophomore Brandon Bosio (11:11) and senior Adrian Licea (11:12) a mere :01 second apart. Another pair of rising stars, sophomores Luke Bradley and Kai Valle, both joined Charlie, Collin and Brandon on their respective grade all-time lists. Freshmen Tucker Presnell (12:40) and Shane Doherty (12:49) also made the freshmen all-time list with their strong runs.

According to head JV Boys coach Craig Sutphin, several junior varsity runners had impressive runs. Among them, Daniel McAndrew-Kvaerno (12:41), Gabriel Cabral (13:21), Joaquin Tarango (13:27), and Ian Kopchik (13:42).

For the North Coast Section’s top-ranked girl’s team, the results were not-surprisingly impressive. Junior Annika Punz showed that the huge summer that she’s put in is certainly paying off. Annika’s 12:35 was the 6th fastest time ever run by an 11th grade girl. The team’s two captains – senior Sofia Jackson and junior Milan Jackson – also showed very strong on the winding, hilly 1.95 mile time trial course. Sofia’s 12:43 was :44 seconds faster than she ran a year ago and ranks her #5 all-time on the senior girl’s list. Milan, meanwhile, earned her second straight top 10 list – running 12:56 to place #9 all-time for juniors.

Sophomore Alexa Lawson (13:05) ran the 7th fastest time for sophomore girls, while fellow classmate Jing Li-Chou now ranks #11 (13:54). A pair of seniors, Leiah Goode and Dylan Hedgspeth, also are now part of the senior girl’s best ever. Other strong performances were run by sophomores Maddie Potter and Lia Sullivan… as well as senior Cally MacIntyre.

Next up for the Panthers is the Ed Sias Invitational on Saturday at Hidden Valley Park in Martinez.

Expectations High For 2022 Panthers Cross Country

August 10th, 2022

Berkeley, CA – Unlike last season, where the terms excitement and uncertainty were used to describe the upcoming season, this 2022 season is filled with excitement and expectation.

For the girls, they are coming come off a 2021 cross country season that saw the them climb as high as #5 in the state rankings, finish 2nd at the NCS Championships, win yet another TCAL league championship, and return all but one of their top 7 runners. Combine that with a stellar spring track season and some substantial summer training, and this squad has the look of a champion. In fact, Milesplit CA, the preeminent track and cross country website in California, has already featured the girl’s team as one of the California teams to watch this year.

“Our girls took a big step last year in almost winning NCS and making it to the State Championships,” said girl’s coach Denis Mohun. “This season, everyone has another year of experience, training, leadership and hunger that they’re bringing into the season. If we can stay healthy, I think this group has the drive, talent and competitiveness to accomplish something special.”

The squad will be led, once again, by a trio of Jacksons along with several other rising stars. Junior Milan Jackson, senior captain Sofia Jackson, and sophomore Khaya Jackson (sister of Milan) all broke the 19:00 barrier at last year’s NCS MOC – placing 8th, 9th and 10th respectively. Along with fast rising junior Annika Punz, senior Leiah Goode and super sophomore Alexa Lawson, this group heads into the NCS season as the odds on favorite to win the section title. Sophomores Jing Li-Chou, Aoife Shen and Lia Sullivan… along with seniors Cally McIntyre, Olivia Tarango, Georgia Rogers and Dylan Hedgspeth will all provide leadership and depth to this very talented 2022 group.

The boy’s squad will be led by one of the top returning runners in the section, senior Mateo Malko-Allen. After a solid 2021 cross season which saw him advance to the state championships, Mateo had a spectacular spring track season. He spent the entire first 2/3 of the season winning races, setting records, and establishing himself as the top middle runner in the NCS. A late season bout with Covid derailed his championship track season but the senior captain is back training this summer with a vengeance. Look for this ultra-talented senior to duplicate this fall the success he had on the track in the spring.

Behind Mateo, the boy’s have a quartet of talented runners who’s dedication to summer running has been impressive. Senior Adrian Licea, whose 17:19 was 3rd best on the team at last year’s NCS MOC, has been healthy and is looking to cash in on his committed spring and summer. Two juniors, Collin Kopchik and Charlie Higley will also figure prominently in the Panthers success this season. Collin placed 10th at last year’s TCAL Finals and returns as one of the top runners in the league. His fine 2022 track season and summer training suggest he’ll be much improved. Fellow classmate Charlie, who head coach Jeff Rogers calls “one of the most talented runners we have,” won the frosh-soph boys league championship last season before advancing to the Bayshore Track Championships in the 800. Look for him the give the Panthers a much needed boost.

Senior Vale Johnson Vigeant has had as good a running summer as anyone and looks fit and enthusiastic enough to make a solid run at the vaunted 17:00 mark this season. Sophomores Brandon Bosio and Luke Bradley… as well as senior Jurgis Vass and junior Darragh Westover will round out the varsity team for this year’s Panthers.

Complete 2022 Results

Cross Country Schedule & Results (2022)

Date		Meet	Location	Time	Result
Sept. 7th	Wed.	24th Annual Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:30 pm	Full Results
Sept. 10th	Sat.	Ed Sias Invitational	Hidden Valley Park, Martinez	9:00 am	Full Results
Sept. 16th	Fri	Woodbridge Invitational (Varsity Only)	Great Park, Irvine, CA	8:00 pm	Full Results
Sept. 29th	Thurs.	El Cerrito, John Swett, J.F. Kennedy, Richmond	Kennedy Grove, El Sobrante	4:00 pm	Full Results
Oct. 1st	Sat.	Artichoke Invitational	Half Moon Bay High School	8:00 am	Full Results
Oct. 8th	Sat.	Clovis Invitational (Varsity Only)	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA	Full Results
Oct. 13th	Thurs.	Albany, Salesian, Pinole Valley	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Full Results
Oct. 15th	Sat.	Mariner Invitational	Hayward High School	9:00 am	Full Results
Oct. 27th	Thurs.	Vallejo, Jesse Bethel, SPSV, Hercules	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Full Results
Nov. 3rd	Thurs.	2nd Team Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Full Results
Nov. 10th	Thurs.	TCAL League Finals	Point Pinole Regional Park	1:30 pm	Full Results
Nov. 19th	Sat.	NCS Meet of Champions (Varsity Only)	Hayward High School	TBA	Full Results
Nov. 26th	Sat.	CIF State Championships (Varsity Only)	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA	Full Results

**Dates highlighted in RED denote a TCAL League event **

Season Highlights (2021)

Watch the Cross Country Season Highlight Video!

December 14th, 2021

Girls Finish Season @ California State Championships!

November 27^th, 2021

Clovis, CA – The girl’s cross country team completed their 2021 season by finishing 11^th at the California State Championships on Saturday. Led once again by sophomore Milan Jackson, the Panthers battled and overcame tough competition and a bit of illness to just miss out on a top 10 finish. Freshman Khaya Jackson and sophomore Annika Punz finished 2^nd and 3^rd for the Panthers respectively, both running “really, really good races” according to coach Denis Mohun. Junior Sofia Jackson, freshman Alexa Lawson, junior Leiah Goode, and senior Mallory Boell comprised the rest of this amazing girl’s team.

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Also competing on Saturday was junior Mateo Malko-Allen, who finished 43^rd overall with a time of 16:21. All the Panther runners, except for senior Mallory Boell, will return next year in what looks to be a very promising season. Congratulations to the entire cross country team and coaches for a great season!

Girl’s Team, Mateo Malko-Allen Run Big @ NCS. Next Up: State Championships!

November 20^th, 2021

Hayward, CA – For the first time since 2014, the girl’s cross country team is headed to the California State Championships after a spirited, tough, gritty run at the North Coast Section Championships.

Hosted by Hayward High School and spanning the entire north coast of California, the meet features the section’s top division 4 teams… north from Arcata and south to Fremont. With nearly 200 runners in the race, only the top 3 teams advance to state. Still, despite the competition and high pressure stakes, the girl’s team placed 2^nd, just a few points ahead of 3^rd place Acalanes and only a few points behind eventual winner Miramonte. Their total team time was the 2^nd fastest in school history and bodes very well for a team that next year returns the top 6 runners from this year’s squad.

Nicknamed the “Jackson 3”, sophomore Milan Jackson, junior Sofia Jackson, and freshman Khaya Jackson all placed in the top 10 individually and led the way for the Panthers. Afterwards, a smiling coach Denis Mohun was certainly pleased with their runs. “Those three all ran much faster than they did a month ago on this same course. Today, they all ran under 19 minutes and really set the tone for our team. We needed those performances today.”

Junior Leiah Goode ran her PR 19:40 to place 4^th, while sophomore Annika Punz was 5^th (PR, 19:42) and freshman Alexa Lawson was 6^th (19:43). Senior Mallory Boell, who coach Mohun calls the team’s “spiritual and emotional leader” rounded out the state-bound squad, running 20:48.

For the boy’s, the race was equally as competitive and tough. Overall, the team ran well, placing 6^th overall… outrunning perennial powers Miramonte, Marin Catholic and Moreau Catholic. Junior Mateo Malko-Allen was the lone Panther of the day to win an individual medal,(awarded to the top 7 runners in each race), placing 6^th overall.

“Mateo did not have his best race today,” noted coach Jeff Rogers, “but he gutted it out and earned his spot into the state meet. He represented Saint Mary’s very well today.”

Senior Ryan Painter (17:03), running his final NCS Championship race, finished 2^nd on the team, while junior Adrian Licea (17:19) was 3^rd for the Panthers. Fellow junior Jurgis Vass was next (17:44), followed by sophomore Charlie Higley (18:02) and senior Simon Moss (18:05).

Next up is the California State Championships next Saturday, November 27^th at Woodward Park in Clovis (Fresno). Good luck to the girl’s team and to Mateo!

More Championships for Panther Harriers @ TCAL Finals!

November 10^th, 2021

Richmond, CA – It has been said that familiarity breeds apathy and that apathy adds up, in the long run, to cowardice. Luckily, these ancient proverbs couldn’t have been farther from reality at the TCAL Cross Country Championships on Wednesday at Point Pinole Regional Park. Running on their very familiar home course, the Panthers were anything but cowardly as they captured 3 of the 5 team races along with placing dozens of runners on the all-league list.

The show-stealers were certainly the varsity girl’s squad. Coming into the meet ranked #5 in the state and #1 in the North Coast Section, the defending TCAL Champions were anything but apathetic. Led by what has become known as “The Jackson 3”, sophomore Milan Jackson, junior Sofia Jackson, and freshman Khaya Jackson were the top 3 finishers for the victors.

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“All of our girls ran solid races today,” said reigning TCAL coach of the year Denis Mohun. “The tone for our race is usually set by our leaders and they did a good job today of focusing our team and taking care of business. It would have been easy to come into the race today over confident and lackadaisical. Luckily, our leaders were focused and their tenacity when racing spreads to everyone on the team. As a coach, I’m lucky in this way.”

Milan’s PR 18:39, 3^rd place overall finish was followed by Sofia (4^th - 19:35), Khaya (5^th -19:36) , Alexa Lawson (6^th - 19:51) and Leaih Goode (PR 19:56). The girls team scored a mere 25 points, which more than doubled the score of runner-up Albany. Sophomore Annika Punz and senior Mallory Boell also ran fine races according to Coach Mohun.

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The JV girls, coached by former Panther standout Ariana Corwin, also extended their TCAL Championship streak to 8 with a resounding win. The girls won 7 of the top 8 places and 9 of the top 11 in a muscle flex that is becoming all too commonplace.

“Our girls are not only talented but SO competitive,” commented coach Corwin afterwards. “It’s no wonder they do so well. Their willing to run hard and they really want to win. It makes my job pretty easy!”

Freshman Jing Li-Chou was the JV Girls champion, followed by teammates Aoife Shen and Hailey Vines, who finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively. Juniors Cally McIntyre, Honey Rose Smith and Olivia Tarango… along with freshmen Lia Sullivan and Maddie Potter also were heralded by Coach Corwin.

On the boy’s side, the frosh-soph boys avenged an early season loss to Albany when they won their championship race against the arch rival Cougars. Sophomore Charlie Higley was the day’s fastest, running a 2.0 mile PR of 11.17 to win. Fellow 10^th grader Darragh Westover was 2^nd (11:25), while a bevy of freshmen (Brandon Bosio, Luke Bradley, Kai Valle, Jacob Demissie, and Gabriel Cabral), joined forces to secure the victory for the Panthers.

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“I thought we ran great today,” said former Panther great and current Saint Mary’s teacher/coach Rob Riccardi. “Our team improved by more than 5 minutes in just the past 6 weeks… and that’s not counting the guys didn’t score today but still ran really well. It’s that type of growth and improvement that makes us winning even that much more special. I’m happy.”

Finally, the varsity boy’s, up against the state’s #2 ranked Albany boys, put up a courageous battle before finally succumbing 19-38. Junior Mateo Malko-Allen placed 2^nd overall with a Point Pinole PR of 15:36. Senior captain Ryan Painter ran his way onto the TCAL 2^nd team all-league squad, placing 9^th overall. Sophomore Colin Kopchik and junior Vale Johnson Vigeant also scored course PR’s.

Both Panther varsity teams advance to the North Coast Section Championships on Saturday, November 20^th at Hayward High School.

State Ranked #5 Girls Finish 12-0 in TCAL League; Boys Now 11-1

November 4^th, 2021

Richmond, CA – The girls cross country team, who have won every TCAL Championship since the league was formed in 2013, ran their league record to 12-0 with easy wins over El Cerrito and John Swett on Thursday. The girl’s dominance comes as no surprise considering the team is currently ranked #1 in the North Coast Section (Division 4) and #5 in California. They go into next week’s TCAL Championship meet as the heavy favorites to once again repeat as champions. The junior varsity girls, who have also won every league championship ever contested, will also enter the meet as considerable favorites.

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The boy’s teams, both JV and Varsity, finished the regular season 11-1 after defeating the aforementioned teams. They were led by varsity winner Mateo Malko-Allen and JV winner Charlie Higley. Senior Ryan Painter and junior Jurgis Vass ran strong varsity races as did freshman Brandon Bosio and sophomore Darragh Westover in the JV race. They, along with several of their teammates, will have all-league aspirations at next week’s championships.

Huge Medal Haul for Runners @ Mariner Invitational!

October 16^th, 2021

Hayward, CA – On Saturday, the cross country team sent 4 teams and 26 runners to the 38^th annual Phil Wilder/Mariner Invitational, hosted by Moreau Catholic High School. Because the race is run on the famed Hayward High School course, site of the North Coast Section Championships next month, it attracts many of the top teams from area, all wanting to preview the facility and assess their teams strength on the rolling 3.0 mile course. Consequently, one can expect the competition to be fierce and the times to be fast in the mid-October showdown of top caliber teams. And, as expected, the competition was top-flight and the Panthers, along with many others, did run scorching fast times while bringing home a bevy of hard-earned medals.

The varsity boys opened the meet with a spirited 4^th place finish in their race. Mateo Malko-Allen, himself not a stranger to fast times, ran the fastest time of his young life - and the fastest time by a Panther in more than a decade – when he placed 3^rd overall in 15:23. Only former Brown University star Matt Duffy and former Claremont McKenna runner Dan Maxwell have ever run faster at Hayward, according to longtime coach Jeff Rogers.

“Mateo competed very well today,” assessed coach Rogers. “He ran in the 2^nd spot for most of the race and really executed the race plan we talked about beforehand. Both he and I were quite happy afterwards.”

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Senior captain Ryan Painter, no stranger to races at Hayward High, started aggressively and hung on to finish :30 faster than he ever has - a PR 16:41, which also earned him a medal.

Adrian Licea, who seems to get faster and faster every week, also medaled by running a satisfying but agonizing PR 17:01. The 17:00 barrier, one every varsity boy high school runner is aware of, remains elusive for the fast charging junior. Fellow junior Jurgis Vass and senior Simon Moss also ran the fastest races of their lives, each flirting with the 17:00 barrier ½ through the race before falling back a bit and finishing in 17:23 and 17:25 respectively.

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The girls, who earlier this week were named the state’s #5 ranked division 4 team after their huge Clovis performance, were once again facing several larger, state ranked teams as well as several of the top large school teams from the Central Coast Section… and once again the Panthers came to run. Junior Sofia Jackson led the way this week for the Panthers, running a PR 19:12 while earning herself a medal. Khaya Jackson, Milan Jackson and Alexa Lawson all ran in the mid-19:00’s to follow Sofia, while Leiah Goode moved up from her 6^th spot a week ago to place 5^th and close the scoring for the Panthers. Leaih’s time of 19:52 was also a lifetime best.

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The junior varsity girls team – Jing Li-Chou, Hailey Vines, Tatiana Wilson, Lia Sullivan, Cally McIntyre, and Georgia Rogers – easily won their small school (division 3-5) race. The team of 6 spent much of the race running with and against each other, exchanging leads and positions frequently, before finally finishing in the order listed above. All of the runners medaled despite this being, for most of them, their first ever 3 mile race!

Finally, the junior varsity boys also made a valiant effort at a team win before finally falling just a few points short and finishing second. Sophomore Collin Kopchik and Charlie Higley were the front runners, placing 3^rd and 7^th respectively – in 17:36 and 17:45. Sophomore Darragh Westover placed 3^rd (18:34) and collected himself a medal, while freshmen Brandon Bosio (19:23), Luke Bradley (19:24), Gabriel Cabral (19:37), and Jacob Demissie (19:57) all ran solid races in their ever trip to Hayward.

The Panthers won’t be racing officially again until Thursday, November 4^th when they host El Cerrito and John Swett at Point Pinole Regional Park.

Panthers Run to Victory @ SPSV

October 14^th, 2021

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Vallejo, CA – All four Panther cross country teams – junior varsity and varsity – scored resounding wins in their 2^nd of 3 TCAL Cluster meets on Thursday at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School. The JV Boys team swept the likes of SPSV, Jesse Bethel (Vallejo), and Hercules to run their league record to 7-1. The team, running an unorthodox 2.0 mile course, was led by sophomore Darragh Westover (12:47) and freshman Brandon Bosio (12:58), who finished 2^nd and 3^rd overall. Freshmen Luke Bradley (13:07), Kai Valle (13:07) and Gabriel Cabral (13:14) completed the scoring for the victorious Panthers.

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The JV Girls followed suit, with freshmen Sorcha Shen, Aoife Shen, Tatiana Wilson and Lia Sullivan combining with senior Hailey Vines and juniors Cally McIntyre and Georgia Rogers to sweep the first 7 places.

Both varsity teams – boys & girls – ran to convincing wins as well. The boys had the top 5 placers while the girls had the top 6 as both squads recorded perfect 15 point totals.

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Next up for the Panthers is the Mariner Invitational on Saturday, October 16^th at Hayward High School – site of the 2021 NCS Championship meet.

Girls Send Message to State Division 4 @ Clovis: "We’re Good"

October 9^th, 2021

Clovis, CA – After spending most of the 2021 season flying under the radar – un-ranked and un-noticed - the girl’s Varsity Cross Country team stepped onto one of California’s big cross country stages on Saturday, taking on 7 state ranked teams at the prestigious Clovis Invitational. Running with the ferocity and determination they’ve shown all year long, the Panthers nearly scored the shocker of the meet in nearly winning their small schools varsity race. Leading half way through the race, the Panthers faded a bit but still managed to hang onto 3^rd place overall, just a few points from second and a mile away from what the pre-meet predictions had scored them.

“Well, I guess we’re no longer a secret,” beamed head coach Denis Mohun afterwards. “We hadn’t run our full team together until today. We like the freshman and sophomore to run in their grade level at the beginning of the season so our team hasn’t been complete until today’s races so it was hard for the analysts to know how good we are. I guess they do now,” coach said with a wry smile.

Sophomore Milan Jackson once again led the way, placing 8^th overall on the famed Woodward Park course. Her 19:17 on the rolling 3.1 mile course was a personal best in that it was the only time she’s ever run a 5k. In fact, for most of the girls and boys this was their first ever 3.1 mile race!

The dynamic freshmen duo of Alexa Lawson and Khaya Jackson had “great races” according to Coach Mohun, finishing 20^th and 26^th (out of 176 runners) to place 2^nd and 3^rd on the team. Teammate Annika Punz, who Coach Mohun calls the most improved runner on the team, was 3 places behind Khaya.. finishing 29^th in 20:15. Sofia Jackson (20:25), Leiah Goode (PR – 20:57), and Mallory Boell (PR – 22:01) rounded out the scoring and placing for the soon-to-be state ranked girl’s team.

The boy’s race was equally as competitive as the girl’s race - with 6 state ranked teams in the field of 24 teams and 170 runners. The boy’s, again like the girl’s, went out fast and hungry and were 3^rd after the first mile. However, the pre-race exuberance quickly turned to fatigue as the boys faded to 8^th. Still, they managed to outpace and outrun several highly regarded teams while scoring some big individual PR’s.

Junior Mateo Malko-Allen finished 5^th overall in 16:07, which was more than 1:30 faster than his 2019 race. Senior Ryan Painter also had a solid race, placing 36^th in his personal best 17:19. Junior Adrian Licea, “steadily rounding into shape,” according to Coach Rogers, had his best race of the year – running 17:56 to break the 18:00 barrier for the first time this year. Sophomore Charlie Higley (18:08), senior Simon Moss (18:18), and junior Vale Johnson Vigeant (18:43)– all making their first appearance on the Woodward Park course – completed the Panthers squad at Clovis.

Next up for the Panthers is their 2^nd TCAL Cluster Meet, on Thursday, October 14^th, at St. Patrick-St. Vincent (SPSV). First race is at 4:00.

Fast Runners Show The Way to Half Moon Bay

October 2^nd, 2021

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Half Moon Bay, CA - The Panthers Cross Country teams came away from the 50^th annual Artichoke Invitational, hosted by Half Moon May High School, with a horde of personal bests, individual medals, a victorious team plaque, and plenty of smiling faces. But, according to girl’s assistant coach Ariana Corwin, what may have been the biggest result from the always-popular invitational is “the confidence that so many of the runners seem to be running with. I don’t think I’ve seen our team compete as fiercely as they did today. I mean, they were getting out with the leaders and battling for medals and team titles. It was awesome.”

Indeed, the times and results themselves substantiate Coach Corwin’s astute observations. Four teams entered: 12 medalists, 1 overall team win, 3 second place team finishes, and 100% of the runners captures personal bests. Incredible!

The Panthers grouped their squads by grade on Saturday – having the freshman and sophomores run in the frosh-soph race while the juniors and seniors competed in the varsity division. The highlight of the day was the team victory in the frosh-soph girls race. Despite racing without their top runner Milan Jackson (out with a minor hip injury), the Panthers more than made up for her loss with an impressive array of talent and determination.

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Freshmen Khaya Jackson and Alexa Lawson, fast becoming two of the top 9^th graders in the East Bay, ran together and amongst the leaders for most of the race before finally finishing 2^nd and 4^th overall. Teammate Annika Punz, also competing in her first ever cross country season, continues to excite and impress the coaching staff with her efforts, this time finishing 6^th in 15:35. Freshmen sisters Aoife and Sorcha Shen are also raising eyebrows with their continued success, each earning an Artichoke Invitational medal by finishing 9^th and 12^th respectively. Tatiana Wilson and Lia Sullivan, also freshmen who are brand new to the sport, cemented the victory with their prize-winning 16^th and 17^th place finishes.

In the varsity girls race, the Panthers finished in the runner-up spot, a scant 5 point ahead of third place Soquel High School (Santa Cruz). Sofia Jackson, who in 2019 ran 17:16 on the course, ran 1:41 faster this time around, finishing in 15:35, to place 2^nd overall.

“Sofia is such a force on our team,” said head coach Denis Mohun after the race. “She’s such a competitor who puts it all out there when she runs. She sets a great example for all of our runners on how to grind and dig deep. She earned her medal today.”

Fellow junior Leiah Goode had her best race of the season as well, running a tough, courageous final ½ mile to move all the way to 3^rd place overall. She too ran more than 1:00 faster than she did in 2019. Senior Mallory Boell placed third on the team and 17^th overall with her 1:20 PR, while juniors Cally McIntyre and Georgia Rogers also ran close to a minute faster than they ever have at Artichoke to close out the scoring. Junior Olivia Tarango was the 6^th runner for the Panthers.

The boy’s races, like the girls, were divided up by grade. In the varsity race, super junior Mateo Malko-Allen – seeking to celebrate his 17^th birthday with an Artichoke Invitational win – fell (literally) just short of that goal. Leading the 2.33 mile race the entire time and with just 300 meters to go, Mateo tripped while jumping over the hay bails – crashing to the ground, surrendering the lead, and having to settle for the runner-up spot. After the meet, and still flashing his usual glowing smile, Mateo pondered whether or not the steeplechase is part of his future?

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After Mateo, the varsity boys squad was what coach Jeff Rogers called “the best they’ve been all season.” Senior Ryan Painter ran his lifetime best by a full minute that earned him an individual medal; fellow senior Simon Moss – competing for the first time at Artichoke – grabbed one of the last medals handed out in his race; while juniors Jurgis Vass, Adrian Licea and Vale Johnson Vigeant packed well together and finished a mere :05 apart. Both Jurgis and Vale ran about 1:40 faster than 2 years ago.

The frosh-soph boys race also featured a pair of medalists: Charlie Higley and Colin Kopchik. Both sophomores were running their first ever Artichoke, including the vaunted Cougar Hill and it’s crushing ascent. Both runners as well as their entire team, fortunately, survived the dread and were able to finish 4^th and 6^th overall.

In fact, their times were the 3^rd and 4^th fastest times on the team. Fellow 10^th grader Darragh Westover and freshman Brandon Bosio ran well together… as did first timers Gabriel Cabral and Jacob Demissie. The group’s collective effort got them a runner-up team finish, just 2 points ahead of host Half Moon Bay high school.

Up next for the Panthers is the Clovis Invitational in Clovis, CA on Saturday, October 9^th. The meet features most of the top teams from around the Golden State. Only the Panthers top 7 boys and girls varsity squads will travel to the meet.

Girl’s Teams Dominate 1^st TCAL Meet; Open Season 5-0

September 30^th, 2021

Richmond, CA – The Saint Mary’s Cross Country Teams opened their 2021 TCAL season on Thursday, running at Point Pinole Regional Park against league rivals Albany, De Anza, Salesian, Pinole Valley and Richmond. The 5-way meet was the first of 3 league cluster meets that bring together multiple teams to a single competition. On Thursday, the other teams were no match for the powerful girls squad, which is quickly emerging as one of the top teams in the North Coast Section.

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Led by fast-rising sophomore Milan Jackson, junior co-captain Sofia Jackson, and a multitude of young, talented upstarts, the Panthers have the look of section contender. “Today was our first 3 mile race of the season,” said veteran head coach Denis Mohun. “For some of our runners, it was the first time they’ve ever raced for 3 miles. Given that, I thought we ran pretty well. However, I think this team has a lot more than we showed today.”

The aforementioned Milan Jackson was the first Panther across the finish line, covering the rolling three mile course in 19:42. Sofia Jackson was next in 20:02, followed by freshman Khaya Jackson (20:12), sophomore Annika Punz (21:00) and freshman Alexa Lawson (21:05). Junior Leiah Goode (21:21) and senior co-captain Mallor Boell (21:40) made up the top 7 for the victorious Panthers.

Earlier, the junior varsity girls completely dominated their race, grabbing 9 of the top 10 places (including the top 6) to cruise to an easy shut out victory. Senior Hailey Vines, a newcomer to cross country, won the race, followed by three freshmen: Tatiana Wilson, Jing Li-Chou, and Lia Sullivan, and a pair of juniors: Cally McIntyre and Georgia Rogers.

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On the boy’s side, both varisty and junior varsity teams won 4 of their 5 races but both lost to powerful Albany teams. In the varsity race, junior Mateo Malko-Allen (16:12) was the top Panther, followed by seniors Ryan Painter (17:11) and Simon Moss (17:51), sophomore Charlie Higley (18:05), and juniors Adrian Licea (18:25) and Vale Johnson Vigeant (18:28).

In the junior varsity race, junior Jurgis Vass – normally a varsity runner who was, instead, running the shorter 2 mile race on this day - led the way for the Panthers, followed by freshman Brandon Bosio and sophomore Darragh Westover. Ninth graders Gabriel Cabral and Luke Bradley completed the scoring for the JV team, many of whom were running their first race of the season.

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Next up for the Panthers is the annual Artichoke Invitational on Saturday, October 2^nd in Half Moon Bay. The Panthers have 25+ runners entered into the always popular 2.3 mile race. Good luck to the Panthers this weekend!

Player Profile: Ryan Painter

by Sydney Scott

September 28th, 2021

This week, I caught up with Varsity Cross Country Captain Ryan Painter. Ryan has run both cross country and track since he entered Saint Mary’s 4 years ago. As a track athlete in the spring, he runs the 800 and 1600 but in the fall it’s nothing but 2 and 3 mile cross country races. Ryan recently finished 12^th at the Viking Invitational with a personal best 11:04 on a two mile course. When not running, Ryan plays piano and enjoys mountain biking and surfing. He enjoys studying math and history and thinks he’ll pursue one of those areas once in college.

Q: How did you get into your sport?

A: I ran track in 8th grade and freshman year I ran cross country and I’ve been doing it since. I initially enjoyed both of them and have gotten more attached to them as time as gone on.

Q: What do you like best about Cross Country at Saint Mary’s?
A: I’d say the comradery and everyone working together and pushing each other to improve. I love the team culture as we support each other and work hard together every practice.

Q: What has been the highlight of your Saint Mary’s running career thus far?
A: Our race in Clovis in 2019. The whole team drove out and it was a lot of fun. Everyone raced well and we got a chance to compete on the state meet course against some of the best teams in the state. But mostly, it was really fun to just spend time with the team.

Q: Do you have a favorite story you could share about one of the coaches or your teammates?
My favorite story so far has been when we ran the Taco Bell Run at the end of last year. The Taco Bell Run has each person run an all out mile after eating Taco Bell tacos. As runners, our diet is usually pretty good so to have to eat fast food and then run as hard as we can is… let’s say… challenging. Some guys had the tacos go down and then back up. When people hear the stories, they think it’s pretty disgusting. But somehow, it’s kind of fun. It definitely is something you never forget.

Q: Do you have a pre-meet meal or ritual?
A: I eat pasta before every race and drink a lot of water the day of.

Q: What advice would you give to a new player/teammate?
A: If you’re new to running, don’t get discouraged after just a few weeks. Running is hard and it takes a LOT of running to get good. It gets easier as you build a base and before you know it you can do things you would have thought you could do. I never would have thought I could run under 5 minutes for a mile or have a chance to run 3 miles in under 17:00 but I can. Believe in yourself and trust the coaches' workouts because it's helping you improve.

Q: Any hopes/goals that you have for yourself and for your team this season?

A: For myself to break 17 for the 3 mile and for the team to be competitive in TCAL and the NCS.

Girl’s Win F/S Girls Race @ Viking Opener

September 18^th, 2021

Santa Rosa, CA - Both the Girls and Boys Cross Country teams utilized their depth, talent and determination to win two of the six races they were entered in at the Viking Invitational at Spring Lake Park in Santa Rosa on Saturday. Along with the team victories, both squads featured individual champions and award winners as well as a slew of personal bests recorded.

The girl’s frosh-soph team began the day by placing 4 runners in the top 11 to secure a dominant team victory. Sophomore Milan Jackson led the way with a PR 12:18 over the rolling 2.0 mile course, placing 3^rd in her race while running the 5^th fastest time of the day. Freshmen teammates Alexa Lawson and Khaya Jackson were in hot pursuit, placing 6^th and 8^th individually.. while sophomore Annika Punz placed 11^th. All of those times were also personal bests.

Junior Sofia Jackson opened her 2021 campaign with a solid 6^th place finish in the junior-senior race. Her 12:59 was her fastest ever over a 2.0 mile distance. Teammate and fellow 11^th grader Leiah Goode placed 18^th at 13:38, followed by senior co-captain Mallory Boell (14:07) and a pair of juniors – Georgia Rogers (15:29) and Cally MacIntyre (15:33).

Another trio of freshmen, running in the Open Race against a mix of runners from all grades, ran themselves into a first place tie with perennial power Maria Carrillo. Aoife Shen, donning a Saint Mary’s uniform for the very first time, ran away from the field to win in 13:56. Her sister, Sorcha, placed 7^th (14:44) while Lia Sullivan ran the best race of her young career to place 3^rd at 14:23.

For the Boys, junior Mateo Malko-Allen ran 10:25 to place 2^nd in the junior boy’s race. That time made him the 2^nd fastest boy of the day, no matter the race or grade. Senior captain Ryan Painter was also up to the task on Saturday, running 11:04 for the 2.0 mile course, which was the fastest race of his life. Earlier in the day, a mma trio of sophomores ran very inspired races. Colin Kopchik placed 11^th in the very fast, very competitive sophomore race. His time of 11:39 was his lifetime best. Charlie Higley was nipping at Colin’s heels the entire race, finishing 13^th at 11:41 while newcomer Darragh Westover continues to impress, running a minute faster (12:30) than he did just two weeks ago at the time trial.

Next up for the Panthers is their TCAL opener against rivals Albany, De Anza, Salesian and Pinole Valley on Thursday, September 30^th at Point Pinole Regional Park.

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Stars Shine @ Ed Sias Invitational

September 11^th, 2021

Simon Moss leads the way

Martinez, CA – After a pandemic created hiatus in 2020, the annual Ed Sias Invitational returned in 2021 with the usual cast of Northern California powerhouses, perennial stars, high-level competition, hot weather, and plenty of fast times. Led by a couple of veterans and a bevy of young talent, the Saint Mary’s cross country team emerged from Ed Sias serving notice that they’ll be in the state meet conversation come November.

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Junior Mateo Malko-Allen was the top runner for the boy’s squad. Running in the Varsity Boy’s Small School Race, Mateo stayed with the lead group for the majority of the race in finishing 5^th overall. His medal-winning run over the rolling 2.0 mile course was timed in 10:49 – which is his personal best at Ed Sias. Teammate mma Ryan Painter also gutted out his personal best (11:41), running almost a minute faster than he did in 2019. Seniors Simon Moss and Andreas Pichardo also ran solid races according to assistant coach Ben Turman.

The Boy’s JV Race was run in the early afternoon in almost 90 degree heat. The hot weather, however, didn’t seem to bother sophomore Charlie Higley, who followed up his eye-opening time trial with another solid run at Ed Sias – finishing 6^th overall in 12:13. Sophomore teammate Darraugh Westover, competing in his first-ever cross country meet, also received praise from the coaches for his gritty performance.

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The talent-heavy girl’s squad also had several top notch individual performances. Sophomore Milan Jackson, quickly emerging as one of the unscripted stars in the East Bay running corridors, picked up a medal of her own with her 5^th place finish in the Girl’s Varsity Race. In the history of our school, her time of 13:02 “has lei only been bettered by a couple of girls” according to longtime head coach Denis Mohun. “Milan has the potential to be one of the best we’ve ever had,” beamed her coach. Juniors Leiah Goode (14:48) and senior Mallory Boell (14:51) also ran very well according to coach Mohun.

The Girl’s JV race was completely dominated by the Panthers up front, placing 3 girls in the top 10. Freshman Khaya Jackson took charge of the race late and pulled away to win (13:36), while freshman Alexa Lawson finished 4^th (14:06), and sophomore Annika Punz placed 5^th (14:27). The strength of those three places, combined with the runs of freshman Lia Sullivan and junior HoneyRose Smith, propelled the Panthers to a 4^th place team finish. milan

“Overall, I thought the runners competed well today,” concluded coach Mohun. “For many of them, it was the first time they’ve run since 2019 and for some it was the first time they’ve ever run a race in a Saint Mary’s uniform. Couple that with the hot weather and stiff competition, and I think they represented themselves and our team very well.”

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Next up for the Panthers is the Viking Opener next Saturday, September 18^th, in Santa Rosa.

Youth Serve Notice @ 23^rd Annual Time Trial

September 7^th, 2021

Each year since 1999, the Saint Mary’s Cross Country team has kicked off their season with a team time trial at Tilden Park. The course - a winding, rolling 1.9 mile run through the trees and trails of the beautiful Berkeley park – both challenges runners and serves as a peak into the runner’s fitness level, talent, determination and competitiveness.

“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” said longtime varsity girls coach Denis Mohun. “It helps develop team chemistry, allows the runners to finally get a race in after a long summer of running, gets the younger runners a chance to experience a competition, and offers us coaches a preview of who’s ready to go.”

On Tuesday, many of the runners let the coaches know that are certainly “ready to go.” Junior Mateo Malko-Allen, forecasted to be one of the top runners in Division IV, became the 6^th fastest runner in school history on the course, blazing to a personal best 10:20. That time also makes him the 4^th fastest junior ever. Sophomore Charlie Higley also cracked the all-time list, running almost 2:00 minutes faster than he did a year ago… crossing the finish line in 11:30.. which was the 4^th fastest time of the day. Freshman Brandon Bosio also secured a spot on the all-time 9^th grade list, finishing as the day’s fastest newcomer in 12:52.

The headliners of the day, however, had to be the 9^th and 10^th grade girls. Combined, they placed 8 different girls on the all-time list – including 6 in the top 10 all-time! Leading the way was sophomore sensation Milan Jackson. An accomplished hooper, Milan is also an outstanding runner who showed her talent and competitiveness with her 12:42 scorcher. Milan now ranks as the 4^th fastest sophomore ever and the #7 girl to ever run the course.

“Milan runs with such courage; such guts,” remarked Coach Mohun. “She’s a great model for both the younger runners, older runners, girls and boys on what it looks to run tough.”

Another sophomore, Annika Punz, delivered a remarkable run herself which may have made her the most improved runner of the day. Her 13:19 makes her the #7 sophomore ever, ahead of runners who have state meet medals!

Freshman Khaya Jackson, Milan’s sister, also announced her arrival to the storied Panther squad. Her 13:06 makes her the 2^nd fastest freshman ever, behind only state meet award winner and former UNLV star Spencer Moore. Teammate Alexa Lawson, whose family and legacy is well documented on the Saint Mary’s campus, was close behind in 13:15.. making her the 4^th fastest 9^th grader in school history. Sorcha Shen (13:58) and Jing Li-Chou (14:16) ran themselves into the record books and won themselves a “Tilden All-Time Top 10” t-shirt for their efforts.

In all, the day was a successful one for sure. “For the most part, we’re proud of the effort,” concluded boys head coach Jeff Rogers. “As a coach, all we can ask for is their best effort. If they’re willing to give that, we feel like we can coach them to times and performances that will make us all proud.”

The Panthers first invitational meet is the Ed Sias Invitational this Saturday, September 11^th at Hidden Valley Park in Martinez. Come out and support the Panthers as they open their 2021 season!

Excitement and Uncertainty Usher in 2021 Cross Country Season

August 12th, 2021

Milan, Sofia, Leiah

Each cross country season brings with it an air of uncertainty and the 2021 season will be no different. Having graduated 7 varsity runners from the boys and girls 2020 teams, this year’s teams are hoping that those voids will be filled - in numbers

and performance, - by a young group of hungry, dedicated, talented runners.

“Anytime you lose the kind of talent and depth that we did, a bit of uncertainty is sure to follow,” said boys head coach Jeff Rogers. “The jump from JV to Varsity is substantial, both physically and psychologically. So the challenge certainly lies in front of us. Still, I am optimistic that this group can carry on the strong tradition we’ve established over the past two decades.”

These feelings of optimism are fueled by the combination of several returning runners and a group of talented up and comers. Leading the way for the girls will be the two top runners from last year’s squad: Milan Jackson and Sofia Jackson. Along with sharing the same last name, Milan and Sofia also share an abundance of drive, determination and talent that make them two of the top runners in the TCAL. “Our two fastest runners to start the season will most certainly be Milan and Sofia,” said longtime coach Denis Mohun. “Those two were are top two last season and both had strong track seasons. I look for both of them to lead the way early on.”

In addition to Milan and Sofia, Coach Mohun’s squad has some solid upperclassmen leadership is senior co-captain Mallory Boell as well as a bevy of talent in underclassmen Alexa Lawson, Khaya Jackson and Annika Punz. Add to the mix juniors Leiah Goode, Georgia Rogers, Olivia Tarango and what appears to be a feisty, eager freshman class and the 7 time defending TCAL champions seem more than capable of defending their title.

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For the boys, the 2021 team’s hopes rest on the ability of some of the younger runners to transition to varsity as quickly as possible. The team will be led by one of the top NCS runners in Division IV, junior Mateo Malko-Allen. Mateo - fresh off a 4:25 (1600), 9:38 (3200) track campaign- enters the 2021 season as one of the individuals vying for a medal at the NCS Championships meet in November.

“Mateo’s talent and desire are a gift,” said boy’s varsity assistant and former CAL Bear Ben Turman. “I’ve been in the running world for 4 decades now and can say that I haven’t come upon many high schoolers like Mateo. His determination and passion for the sport will take him places. We’re excited to have him on our team.”

After Mateo, the Panthers will rely on their captain, senior Ryan Painter as well as senior Simon Moss and junior Adrian Licea. Ryan’s commitment to running this summer – on the heels of his 4:51 mile in the spring – suggest he’s ready for a breakout senior campaign. Likewise, Simon’s run a significant amount this summer and should be ready to contribute “significantly”, according to Coach Turman. Junior Adrian Licea, whose summer was derailed with injury, is back and should provide the much-needed depth a good team needs. After that, senior newcomer Andreas Pichardo is “intriguing” according to Coach Rogers, while sophomores Colin Kopchick and Charlie Higley… along with juniors Jurgis Vass and Vale Johnson Vigeant hope to make that much talked about jump from JV to Varsity.

JV Boys

“My hope for our 2021 team is that their appetite for running continues to grow,” says Rogers. “I think that is the prerequisite for improvement and success in this sport. I see a few of the guys already chomping at the bit but we’ll need everyone to match their enthusiasm. I’m equal parts excited and uncertain heading into this season.” Which, in many respects, is what most runners feel as they get on the starting line of a race… excited and uncertain.

The season opens on with the 23^rd annual time trial at Tilden Park on Tuesday, September 7^th, followed by the Ed Sias Invitational on Saturday, September 11^th. Come out and support the Panthers as they kick off their 2021 campaign.

Cross Country Schedule & Results (2021)

Date		Meet	Location	Time	Result
Sept. 7th	Tues.	23rd Annual Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Results
Sept. 11th	Sat.	Ed Sias Invitational	Hidden Valley Park, Martinez	9:00 am	Results
Sept. 18th	Sat.	Viking Opener	Spring Lake Park, Santa Rosa	8:00 am	Results
Sept. 30th	Thurs.	Albany, De Anza, Salesian, Pinole Valley, Richmond	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Results
Oct. 2nd	Sat.	Artichoke Invitational	Half Moon Bay High School	8:00 am	Results
Oct. 9th	Sat.	Clovis Invitational	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA	Results
Oct. 14th	Thurs.	SPSV, Hercules, Vallejo, Jesse Bethel	SPSV High School, Benicia	4:00 pm	Results
Oct. 16th	Sat.	Mariner Invitational	Hayward High School	9:00 am	Results
Oct. 28th	Thurs.	2nd Team Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Results
Nov. 4th	Thurs.	El Cerrito, John Swett, Kennedy	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Results
Nov. 10th	Wed.	TCAL League Finals	Point Pinole Regional Park	1:30 pm	Results
Nov. 20th	Sat.	NCS Meet of Champions	Hayward High School	TBA	Results
Nov. 27th	Sat.	CIF State Championships	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA	Results

**Dates highlighted in RED denote a TCAL League event **

Complete 2021 Results

Cross Country Schedule & Results (2021)

Date		Meet	Location	Time	Result
Sept. 7th	Tues.	23rd Annual Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Results
Sept. 11th	Sat.	Ed Sias Invitational	Hidden Valley Park, Martinez	9:00 am	Results
Sept. 18th	Sat.	Viking Opener	Spring Lake Park, Santa Rosa	8:00 am	Results
Sept. 30th	Thurs.	Albany, De Anza, Salesian, Pinole Valley, Richmond	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Results
Oct. 2nd	Sat.	Artichoke Invitational	Half Moon Bay High School	8:00 am	Results
Oct. 9th	Sat.	Clovis Invitational	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA	Results
Oct. 14th	Thurs.	SPSV, Hercules, Vallejo, Jesse Bethel	SPSV High School, Benicia	4:00 pm	Results
Oct. 16th	Sat.	Mariner Invitational	Hayward High School	9:00 am	Results
Oct. 28th	Thurs.	2nd Team Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Results
Nov. 4th	Thurs.	El Cerrito, John Swett, Kennedy	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Results
Nov. 10th	Wed.	TCAL League Finals	Point Pinole Regional Park	1:30 pm	Results
Nov. 20th	Sat.	NCS Meet of Champions	Hayward High School	TBA	Results
Nov. 27th	Sat.	CIF State Championships	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA	Results

**Dates highlighted in RED denote a TCAL League event **

Season Highlights & Results (2020)

Cross Country - 2020 Season Highlights

Season Highlights (2019)

Cross Country - 2019 Season Highlights

Complete 2019 Results

Cross Country Schedule & Results (2019)

Date	Meet	Location	Result
Sept. 3rd	Monte Vista Invitational	Oak Hill Park, Danville	Results
Sept. 9th	21st Annual Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	Results
Sept. 14th	Ed Sias Invitational	Hidden Valley Park, Martinez	Results
Sept. 21st	Farmer Invitational	Hayward High School	Results
Oct. 3rd	Hercules, Vallejo, DA, SPSV	Point Pinole Regional Park	Results
Oct. 5th	Artichoke Invitational	Half Moon Bay H.S.	Results
Oct. 10th	El Cerrito, JFK, John Swett	Point Pinole Park	Results
Oct. 12th	Clovis Invitational	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	Results
Oct. 17th	Albany, Jesse Bethel, Pinole Valley	Point Pinole Park	Results
Oct. 19th	Mariner Invitational	Hayward High School	Results
Oct. 28th	2nd Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley
Nov. 7th	TCAL Championships	Point Pinole Park	Results
Nov. 23rd	NCS Meet of Champions	Hayward High School	Results
Nov. 30th	CA State Championships	Woodward Park, Clovis

Season Highlights (2018)

Cross Country - 2018 Season Highlights

Complete 2018 Results

Date		Meet	Location	Time	Results
Sept. 4^th	Tues.	20^th Annual Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Results
Sep. 8^th	Sat.	Ed Sias Invitational	Hidden Valley Park, Martinez, CA	9:00 am	Results
Sept. 14^th	Fri.	Woodbridge Invitational (Varsity Only)	Irvine, CA	TBA	Results
Sep. 15^th	Sat.	Farmer Invitational	Hayward High School, Hayward	9:00 am	Results
Sep. 27th	Thur.	Salesian, Pinole Valley, Hercules, El Cerrito, DA	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Results
Sep. 29^th	Sat.	Stanford Invitational (Varsity Only)	Stanford Golf Course, Palo Alto	9:00 am	Results
Sep. 29^th	Sat.	~~Capital Cross Challenge~~	~~Haggin Oaks Golf Course,~~ ~~Sacramento, CA~~	8:00 am
Oct. 6^th	Sat.	Artichoke Invitational	Half Moon Bay H.S., Half Moon Bay, CA	TBA	Results
Oct. 11^th	Thurs.	SPSV, Jesse Bethel, Vallejo	SPSV	4:00 pm	Results
Oct. 20^th	Sat.	Mariner Invitational	Hayward High School, Hayward	9:00 am	Results
Oct. 25^th	Thurs.	Albany, Kennedy, Richmond	Point Pinole Regional Park	4:00 pm	Results
Oct. 29^th	Mon.	2^nd Time Trial	Tilden Park, Berkeley	4:00 pm	Results
Nov. 1^st	Thurs.	TCAL League Finals	Point Pinole Regional Park	1:30 pm	Results
Nov 17^th	Sat.	NCS Meet of Champions	Hayward High School, Hayward	TBA
Nov. 24^th	Sat.	CIF State Championships	Woodward Park, Clovis, CA	TBA