SHS girls, boys, Lady Acorns hope for return to CCS Finals
MORGAN HILL — Having to sit out last season’s Central Coast Section championship meet because of an ankle injury was as much torturing as it was enlightening for Alan Rios.
A junior at the time, Rios was Sobrato’s No. 2 man behind Air Force Academy-bound standout Lance Wolfsmith. Without Rios, the Bulldogs finished a respectable 11th place in Division II but missed their goal of qualifying for state as a team.
As his teammates crossed the finish line at Toro Park in Salinas, Rios squirmed in street clothes.
“That was extremely hard for me,” he said before practice Monday. “But I had next year to look forward to. I was going to be the top guy. I don’t have that peace of mind this year. If I don’t make it to state, this season is a disappointment. I have to do well.”
More importantly, Rios has to stay healthy. That is a lesson he and coach Dave Wolfsmith have hammered into the Bulldogs this offseason. Even Lance Wolfsmith couldn’t escape health issues last fall while qualifying for the state cross-country finals.
“Alan has learned something as a runner, and I’ve learned something as a coach,” Dave Wolfsmith said. “We want to stay healthy, so we haven’t run in that many meets this year.”
Sobrato’s competitive season didn’t officially start until Sept. 24, when the Bulldogs ran their first of four grueling Mount Hamilton Division meets at Montgomery Hill. They have their sights set on the Nov. 2 Blossom Valley Athletic Finals at Crystal Springs. The 24-team meet determines which teams advance to sectionals.
“That’s when it counts most,” Dave Wolfsmith said. “We’re going to be ready for that.”
Rios, an Air Force recruit who is hoping to average less than 15 minutes, 30 seconds, said the Bulldogs are right on track. They feature three-year varsity veterans in juniors Derek Deisenroth and Winston Van Keulen, plus Rios and senior Ben King, a talented newcomer.
“I’m not going to say we have to make state or else, but we have some guys that could surprise people,” Rios said. “We don’t have a guy like Lance to just take over; we have a group of guys that do well and finish close to each other.”
The Lady Bulldogs are one in the same. Unlike Sobrato’s boys team, though, they are anchored by younger talent — sophomores Sarah Gilbert and Courtney Ellenburg.
“They’re really stepping up for us,” junior Cassandra Valenzuela said. “When they finish races, they cheer for the rest of us. We’re a pretty close team.”
Gilbert and Ellenburg typically finish first and second for Sobrato, followed by sisters Rachel and Ashley Sandberg. The majority of the runners were on last year’s team that reached section finals.
“I’m really excited about the girls team,” Wolfsmith said. “They put in a lot of work this summer. They’re probably going to finish near the top at BVALs.”
Keeping with tradition, Live Oak’s girls cross country team would like to reach CCS. It would mark a fourth straight appearance for some of the seniors, who have led the team to prominence in the Santa Teresa Division.
“That’s the goal every year,” said senior Pauline Olsen, who headlines the team along with classmate Renee Dominguez, Chelsie Faulk, Mariah Taylor and Ashlynn Adair. “It’s going to take all of us doing our best.”
The Live Oak boys team lacks the girls’ depth, but has talent in Adam Groen, Ian Lawson and Dillion Hayes. Groen is hoping to make CCS after missing out in disappointing fashion a year ago. He ran a marathon a few days before BVALs.
“That’s the biggest lesson he’s learned,” coach Tom Sumpter said. “He should be able to make it this year.”
