By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Cross country teams finish CCAL season strong
Pitman girls repeat as league champs; Turlock boys win first title in 37 years
Turlock boys cross country
The Turlock varsity boys cross country team earned their first league title since 1986, following their sweep of the Central California Athletic League meets on Wednesday at the Tuolumne Regional Park in Modesto (Photo by StanCo Distance).

The Tuolumne Regional Park in Modesto played host to the third and final Central California Athletic League cross country race of the year on Wednesday. Turlock’s varsity boys and girls squads ended up winning their respective team competitions, with the boys cruising to their first league title since 1986. Meanwhile, the Pitman girls’ second-place finish at CCAL 3 clinched their second consecutive league championship.

For the Turlock’s boys team, it was dominance as usual as they completed a sweep of the CCAL competitions. The Bulldogs won each of the three CCAL meets by at least 30 points. Wednesday’s was the most lopsided victory. With five runners finishing in the top ten, the Bulldogs posted a score of 27 compared to the 84 posted by second-place Enochs.

Logan Petty led the pack of Bulldogs with a second-place time of 16:34.07. Directly behind him was Theodore Santos clocking in at 16:46.92. Rounding out the top five was Daniel Zaragoza with a 16:54.28 time.

As for the girls race, Turlock’s top runners were Turlock’s Daizy Gonzalez and Maya Day, who earned second and third place, respectively. Gonzalez finished her 5,000 meters with a 19:12.53 time while Day posted a time of 19:13.72. For the Pride, they were led by Aubrey Lascano, whose time of 20:03.28 was good enough for fifth place. Nayeli Mattison and Adelyn Persons also found their way into the top ten for the Pride, as did Turlock’s Lila Brackett, Jayden Jimenez and Lilly Edgerton. Ultimately, it resulted in the Bulldogs beating out the Pride 30 to 49. 

Pitman girls cross country
The Pitman varsity girls cross country team earned its second consecutive league championship (Photo by StanCo Distance).

Nevertheless, Turlock’s gap on Wednesday was not big enough to make up for lost ground in the first two CCAL meets. In CCAL 1, the Pride bested the Bulldogs by a 32-59 score. In CCAL 2, the teams finished tied at 33. By the end of CCAL 3, the Pride remained ahead on the season scoreboard 114 to 122.

The end of CCAL competition also meant it was time to hand out All-League honors. 

On the boys side, Turlock’s Petty, Santos, Zaragoza, Jackson Hall and Pitman’s Julius Camacho were named First Team All-League. Behniya Esmaeilabadi and Angel Solis De La Cruz of Turlock were named Second Team All-League. Turlock’s Ryan Arias and Pitman’s Frankie Miguel were honorable mentions.

For the girls, the Pitman trio of Lascano, Mattison and Persons earned First Team All-League alongside Turlock’s trio of Gonzalez, Day and Brackett. Second Team All-League honors were handed to Turlock’s Jimenez, Edgerton, Aubrey Webb and Maguire Lima and Pitman’s Kayla Thompson and Emerson Newton. Honorable mentions included Avery Carlson of Pitman and Elisa Ocegueda of Turlock.

Next up on the cross country schedule is the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Sub-Section meet on Nov. 4 at Frogtown on the Calaveras County Fairgrounds.