I think it's just because of how tactical the big races were this year. I honestly think we could've had like, 30, even 40 people under 9 in different circumstances. What happened at Arcadia was super unfortunate, and here at state they went out about 4:34. Nothing against the runners at all, they're all gunning to win, and it just results in slower races. We still have some big races left though!
He seemed like a normal kid in person, not brash. He talked about how ridiculous Lutkenhaus was, easily running away from him and the rest of the field when they squared off in Eugene almost two uears ago.
Oaks Christian boys program has never been up there like that in the past for distance running, but this year they are having a great school year.
They won the first ever league, section, and D4 state XC title, and now they place high in the 4x800 against all top CA schools regardless of division
There's a nice documentary about their 2024 cross country season. Seems like a group of guys that are easy to root for to succeed. Their top two 3200 meter runners qualified for the southern section masters meet but seemed to have opted out of that race to run the 4x800. They ran well.
Braelyn Combe is your girl’s 1600 champ in 4:35 and Thomson taking second in 4:35. Then we have a lot of low 4:40s to high 4:40s. I’m extremely impressed with Giselle Fernandez (Riverbank) running 4:43 in 6th. That Fernandez blood is strong
Evangeline Williams about to take over Barker’s legacy at Trabuco Hills. the freshman running 4:43 for 5th. so impressive. second fastest time for a freshman in the country. #8 all time.
Oaks Christian boys program has never been up there like that in the past for distance running, but this year they are having a great school year.
They won the first ever league, section, and D4 state XC title, and now they place high in the 4x800 against all top CA schools regardless of division
There's a nice documentary about their 2024 cross country season. Seems like a group of guys that are easy to root for to succeed. Their top two 3200 meter runners qualified for the southern section masters meet but seemed to have opted out of that race to run the 4x800. They ran well.
Saw in the CA XC thread that they are getting an incoming freshman who has run a 9:43 3200. They will be young and won’t be as strong as they were this past year, but they will still be decent
Saw in the CA XC thread that they are getting an incoming freshman who has run a 9:43 3200. They will be young and won’t be as strong as they were this past year, but they will still be decent
That still only gives them 3 runners with sub 4:30 miles. Their next two guys are running like barely sub 5 miles and sub 11 3200. Gonna be rough year to even make it past CIF prelims in XC if they don't massive improvement or more transfers
For the 3200, I think people also forget the strategy part of these races. As a unified State meet you are only getting the best and the time differentials from the top runners aren’t that much. This race started out slow 4:33-4:34 first mile. Kids were being strategic maybe a little too much. but a 4:17 final mile and 2:01 final 800m!?!? Come on stop dissing the talent! Use your head, watch the race and use some critical thinking. If Noonan was in race does it go differently? Probably, but he’s not a front runner either he likes to control from 2-4th position and close so he may very well have let the race go the same way and use his strong second half to push. He got sick and it’s sucks, I feel for him. But the kids that ran did great, the top guys ran smart and in the end focused more on, placement and strategy vs time. Eyan Turk and Landon both had faster time at XC meet then all the guys you were touting (Perez, Para, etc) so they can definitely perform. it’s also awesome to see small school go 1-2 in the race.
This post was edited 56 seconds after it was posted.
What's the point of telling you what was going on inside the stadium? I thought my first hand perspective would be something people might want to know I guess. Every thread on LR has negativity on it, not sure why this one little comment was pulled.
Yeah, no one is break 1:50 at the state meet any time soon :/
What makes you say that? We have 6 sub 1:52 runners (3 of which are sub 1:51) returning next season and there are always dudes who come out of nowhere.
This is what I said, yet it still doesn't happen. Another disappointing 1:51 800m win. I was 100% confident that there'd be a sub 1:50, but nope. I don't know how this keeps happening. The field is MORE than talented enough to go well under 1:50. But it just doesn't happen. It's insanely frustrating. At this point I'm convinced it's because the kids aren't able to go out fast enough.
"We do waterfall because we want more people to compete in the 800m" so what?? Let's just run the 400m as a waterfall too so we can fit 12 people instead of 8-9? The 800 is not MEANT to have more than 8-9 people in a race. 12 is too many.
When is CIF gonna stop doing this BS? They changed the ruling for how many competitors in the 4x800, why not this too? If you wanna do a waterfall 800m, then make it the 4x800
I think Jesuit is just getting over hated. From the 800 section finals to the Bilodeau transfer rumors to then just being a private school to the age thread to the mentioning of them, there’s bound to be controversy. Guys, they’re still TEENS at the end of the day, some of them are barely finishing their 2nd year of high school- cut them some slack. They had a pretty rough start to the season and for the program to achieve what they did is impressive.
I think Jesuit is just getting over hated. From the 800 section finals to the Bilodeau transfer rumors to then just being a private school to the age thread to the mentioning of them, there’s bound to be controversy. Guys, they’re still TEENS at the end of the day, some of them are barely finishing their 2nd year of high school- cut them some slack. They had a pretty rough start to the season and for the program to achieve what they did is impressive.
I think part of it is just the general unfair advantage that all private schools have. Private schools are basically "pay to win" and Jesuit is a hard reflection of that, at least in my opinion.
I really hope the rumors of Bilodeau transferring there next year aren't true, and that he sticks with GBHS, because otherwise that would be really disappointing and lame.
An I understand that. But private school or not, I’m just happy that SJS has been showing out in recent years- both guys and girls. Gisselle Fernandez is living up to her brother’s name. Natalie Arriaza had an amazing 3200 at state after having it rough majority of the season post xc state. Jesuit and McClatchy making the podium during the 4x800. Whitney girls podiuming in the 4x800. 5 SJS guys qualifying to state in the 800 (one of them being from my old hs who hasn’t had a distance qualifier since 2018). 4 in the 1600. I understand the hate but like I said, no one really be showing SJS some love. So yeah I admit that I give Jesuit hype, but it’s because their achievements have HELPED (emphasis on helped) put SJS on the map in recent years. Hell, I don’t think people really cared or even heard much about SJS when Holman (who we don’t need to discuss about), Josh Chu, and, Oakdale came into the picture. Hell the only reason SJS was known during the Newberry Park era was because of Matt Strangio (not saying no one knew of SJS), but people have slept on our section for a while or never gave it its due credit because of the SoCal giants. Look at Michael Vernau, Luis Grijalva, Michael Stember, the O’Keefe twins, hell people tend to forget that German Fernandez (and he’s the f**king Woodward Park record holder) was from the SJS. I’m just saying as controversial as it sounds, I’m just glad to see my section being put on the map and being in more conversations, and I feel like (especially recently) the achievements of Oakdale and Jesuit is what really helped it propel forward (and this is not to discredit everyone else).