By Owen Fugit

Media Production Editor

The cross-country season came to a bittersweet ending for Los Gatos High School. Multiple races and invites have been held at locations all over the Bay Area over the past few months. The LGHS Cross Country team won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) finals, which put LGHS through to the CCS finals.

The CCS finals took place at the Crystal Springs course on Nov. 13. LGHS Boys and Girls competed in Division 2 (D2) races for this event. LGHS Boys secured first place in D2 and advanced to State Finals. The LGHS Girls’ Cross Country team did not make the cut to go to states, but did send two runners, senior Sophie Tau and sophomore Shea Elmore, to compete individually. The LGHS Boys’ Cross Country team did well because of runners like sophomore Aydon Stefanopoulus, who logged a time of 15:34.6 on the three-mile course, and senior Jack Fan with a time of 16:18.8. Other notable runners in this race included junior Jensen Bidmead, senior Keaton Wong, and senior Noah Hale.

Woodward park in Fresno was the destination for this year’s State Finals. Woodward Park is a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) course on relatively flat ground. This was nothing new for the experienced LGHS runners, but the turmoil came from the heavy amount of pressure set by competing against some of the best schools in California. LGHS’ Stefanopoulus placed highest for LGHS runners at the Woodward Park event with a time of 15:14.7. Stefanopoulus was in 4th place by the end of the race. Still, LGHS boys had no runners in the top 10, or even 20. LGHS finished 15th overall for the season. Tau, competing individually but under LGHS, finished 18th in girls D2. Elmore placed 55th, leaving LGHS out of this race’s standings.

At the start of the season, El Gato News said the season was “off to a good start,” and that “it’s safe to say that this could be a great season for LGHS,” which it was. Even though the team did not win the California Interscholastic Federation championship, they still won the D2 Central Coast Section finals, SCVAL, and countless other races and invites scattered throughout the season. If this year proved anything, it is that LGHS is a serious contender for the state championship title, and that next year’s season will go down as another great one. 

(Source: Lynbrook sports)