Top Distance Highlights: 

1600 Boys
Ezequiel Gurule (Cal High) 4:26.17
Gabriel Ramirez (Cal High) 4:29.13
Matthew Fonseca (Cal High) 4:32.87

1600 Girls
Kate Mata (Cal High) 5:32.36
Stephanie Reynoso (Cal High) 5:36.68
Caroline Stetina (Sonora) 5:40.21

800 Boys
Jimmy Lei (Rowland) 2:06.07
Rafael Alcaraz (Rowland) 2:07.75
Anthony Becerra (La Serna) 2:08.08

800 Girls:
Caroline Stetina (Sonora) 2:39.09
Cydney Harris (Dorsey) 2:48.87
Dana Hernandez (Rowland) 2:48.94

3200 Boys:
Jacob Dunne (Rowland) 10:23.16
Gerland Baltzer (La Serna) 10:30.14
Antonio Calderon (La Mirada) 10:42.89 

3200 Girls:
Alexis Saucedo (La Serna) 13:03
Juliana Robles (La Serna) 13:18.40
​Isabel Santana (La Mirada) 13:24.81

Long Beach All-Comers Distance Highlights:
(Unfortunately results do not provide full names so we are not able to determine schools)
​
​3200 Meter Race:
Top Girls: Brennan W. 11:05.10 Michelle H. 12:21.64 Tiana P. 12:47.53
Top Boys: Cristian 10:58.25 Jasper L. 11:04.27 Carlos D. 11:05.92

1600 Meter Race:
​Top Girls: Vanessa W. 6:19.11 Isabela N. 6:36.04 Rebeca P. 6:45.46
Top Boys: Alan R. 4:51.53 Joel S. 5:02.02 Jalan G. 5:02.17

Rosemead All-Comer Distance Highlights:

1500 Meters Race:
Top Girls: Sol Fernandez(Burbank) 5:13.84 and Joelle Darrouj(Burbank) 5:16:62
Top Boys: Noah Hibbard (Arroyo) 4:21.07 and Victor Goli (Burbank) 4:23.66

800 Meter Race:
Top Girls: Cassandra Chin (Rosemead) 2:34.67 and Miranda Lam (Rosemead) 2:40.10
Top Boys: Tommy Ly (Rosemead) 2:12.94 and Joshua Orellana (Arroyo) 2:18:97

3200 Meters Race:
Top Girls: Sol Fernandez (Burbank) 11:26.88 and Shalom Mejia (Burbank) 12:23.61
Top Boys: Jahir Olvera (Burbank) 10:25.39 and Victor Goli (Burbank) 10:25.48

Results for the La Mirada All-Comers Meet.

Highlight Distance Performances:
1500 Meter Girls Race - Ruth Blanco of Tarsus runs well under 5:30 for 1500 in 5:21.35
1500 Meter Boys Race - Alan Richard of Long Beach Wilson and Jesse Montez of La Serna both run well under 4:20 (4:14.92 and 4:15.97 respectively)
3000 Meters Girls Race - Mia Guitierrez of La Mirada rwins it with a 13:48.98
3000 Meters Boys Race - Antonio Calderon takes the win with 10:16.81 followed by Christian Santiago in 10:24.71 both from La Mirada

The 2017 XC season for the Boys of Whittier High School was one for the record books! 1st year coach Oscar Montano and the Whittier boys made school history by making it to State for the first time! It was a season that these boys will remember for a lifetime! Whittier finished 3rd at the Southern Section Division 3 Finals to qualify for the State meet and went on to finished 7th at the State Championship a week later in Clovis! This much we knew but I wanted to find out through their voices what made the journey special for them and hear their story through their eyes. So to that end I had an opportunity to sit down with Coach Montano and the boys for an amazing conversation.

Starting in the summer leading up to the 2017 XC season Coach Montano was clear to us that State was not "yet" in the plans. The goals were to stay healthy, run well and make it to the post season. The boys spoke about a number of past coaching changes that had destabilized the team the previous year before Coach Montano and were just happy to be back on track. State was in the back of their minds but not yet a reality for them. Nicolas Mijarez, one of the teams top runners said that this was their senior year and they were going to go all out every race! 

​As the season got underway the team had some amazing performances at the Woodbridge Invitational.  Lead by Nicolas Mijarez running a 14:39 and Sebastian Bautista running 14:50 they looked sharp upfront but did they have the depth to get them there as a team? The very same night David Martinez had break through performance of 15:23 giving them at solid 1,2,3 punch. And not to be overlooked Luis Garcia only a Sophomore and Giovanni Mejia (11th) running 16:03 and 16:12 respectively to give the depth they need and the confidence that came with it! Mid October rolled around both Coach Montano and the team realized that State was a real possibility. As Whittier had now been ranked both at the SS level as well as State they knew they now had a change to make this become a reality but as Coach Montano stated in the end rankings don't mean too much unless you get there. By the time CIF Prelims came around and Whittier finished 2nd just 2 points away from winning their heat they knew State was coming and it was their spot to lose if they didn't make it. 

The morning of CIF Finals came and the boys were ready. They knew exactly what was on the line and not one of them was going to let this opportunity slip through their fingers or toes if you will. They now had a chance to not only make school history but admittedly to step out form the shadow of the girls team at Whittier High. For those of you that don't know in the recent past the Whittier Girls team had enjoy much success in this area with several League championship a few years back as well as making CIF finals for the first time in school history so the boys were motivated by making a name for themselves as well. And boy did they ever! The gun went off and Whittier boys ran all out and guts to spare to finished 3rd and easily advance for the first time to the CIF State Championships. The boys describe their excitement once they saw the results and knew they were going. The joy and especially for the seniors knowing that this was their moment and legacy they would leave behind. Coach Montano stated to us that he was excited but numb at the same time. He was still trying to process what had just happen not just that day at the meet but the rest of the day at home. After all the hard work over the long hot summer and relentless season they were going to STATE!

​State itself was an amazing journey and learning experience for this team. They admit it wasn't their best race of the season. A  number of items our of their control such as illness and one of their top runners twisting an ankle at mile 1 impacting their overall performance but in no way diminished what they had accomplished this year. The  boys spoke about the pride they felt representing Whittier High at that level. Toeing the line with some of the top runners in the state. They were knew much of Div 3 has smaller schools from more affluent areas than Whittier and they wanted to prove that money doesn't win XC races. That hard work ethic and commitment does in the end. They ran at state for more than just Whittier High School but for many runners from lower income area proving that when the gun goes off money means nothing!

Sebastian Bautista another leader of the team spoke about how they hope to pass on the torch to the underclassmen so they took can have this success in the future. The younger members of the team credited the seniors for helping them learn to love the sport of XC and are already hoping and planning to return to state next year. Coach Montano is excited for the future while they are rebuilding losing their top 3 to graduation they will return 4-12 next year and a number of them sophomores only. Coach states that repeating to State is now definitely in the plan for next year. They will focus on building their numbers overall and building more depth which will only aid them in their goals for next year. As for track they are looking to smash the school 4x1600 record and I for one will be watching them closely this track season!

In 2017 the boys of Whittier High XC made history but it was a journey for some of them that took 4 years. It was their work ethic, the pride in their community and the love of our sport that allowed them to come together as they did this season. The future looks bright for this program and Coach Montano now has the difficult task to follow his 1st year success with even more success but one that I'm sure he is ready for. Whittier Boys congratulations on an amazing season and thank you for letting us at WAR Elite Racing tell your story! Because every team has a story and every story deserves to be told!

​Coaches if you want to tell your teams story let us know.

It's often said that as much success as you have remember where you came from. This is very true of one North Orange County Girls XC teams. As much success as they have enjoyed they have never forgotten where they came from and in speaking with their head coach Ed Garcia they came from the "basement" of the Empire league just 10 short years ago. And what a ride it has been for this girls team! In 2007 they placed 4th in the Empire league and 13th in D3 of the Orange Country Championships and the team only had 23 girls overall. This was Coach Garcia's first year and he was motivated to make an impact at this school and for these girls. His daughter had run for Valencia so that provided some extra family intensive! 

The team began to see improvement year after year and by 2010 had moved up to 2nd in league and 1st in D3 at the OCC! But as you can imagine Coach Garcia and the Girls now having tasted success wanted more. It would take another 5 years but the girls came together to capture their first Empire League XC Championship in 2015. This team hasn't looked back since then winning the Empire League XC championship now 3 years running with no end in site. Along the way they were moved up into the OCC D2. In 2016 the team enjoyed one of their most memorable moments in team history with a shocking 1st place D2 finish at the Orange Country Championships. They had now captured OCC win and a league win all in the same season! In many ways for this area they had reach the top and were ecstatic. But what now?

​Going into this last season 2017 the girls and Coach Garcia were in somewhat of unfamiliar territory. To hide in the shadows and pull the upset could no longer be part of the coach's playbook. They were now on top of the Empire league and OCC, with a target firmly drawn on their backs. Was it a house of cards ready to fall or had the foundation been laid for the construction of an area dynasty? 2017 would go a long way to answer that question. Lead by Alisa Moradian and Emily Jeon the girls were ready to answer the call! Now the team hovers at 60-70 strong and in XC terms one may say that's an army more than a just a team! With tons of pressure and heart to go with it the girls won the Empire league once again. At OCC Coach Ed posed this question to the girls "Previous Tiger teams have put in the foundation (Success, Values & Character) for you, what are you going to build upon it?" Coach Ed speaks about how at the midway point of the race he and his assistant coach looked at each other and had almost conceded that a repeat of the previous year OCC win may just not be in the cards. As they lost site of the girls and ran to find them at the finish the mood was quiet and a bit somber. Tons of "good jobs" and "good efforts: going around the team. Then the results came out on their phones and to their utter joy and amazement the girls had pulled it off again and for a second year in a row had won the D2 Orange County Championships!

It has been a a decade of improvement and progress for the Valencia Girls XC team and we can only speculate on what the next decade in store for them but after getting to know their story I for one would not bet against them! Coach Garcia says the the future looks bright for Valencia girls with a tons of strong returners and that the girls have become accustomed to work hard to obtain results.  Their goal for next year is to make CIF Finals for the first time since 1990! Great job girls and good luck in the future! Amazing coaching efforts by Head Coach Ed Garcia, Asst Coach James Kranczyk, and Asst Coach Sarah Linen!

Coaches if you want to share your story with us we would love to cover your team! Every Team has a Story and every Story deserve to be told!

Coming soon full coverage of High School XC and Distance Track for teams in the Greater Whittier Area. We will do special stories on local teams, post results, and eventually analyzes of upcoming seasons. Any coaches in the area interested in us featuring your team in a story to help motivate you team let us know. If you have results please send them in as the Track season gets underway! We want to help this are be recognized for all the hard work that kids and coaches alike contribute to our sport! We want to focus and highlight those performances here!