For all the emphasis placed on individual performance in cross country, the singular efforts of members of Live Oak High’s boys and girls are centered around one common thread – the goal of reaching the Central Coast Section Championships as a team.
And perhaps, in the best a way a sophomore can explain it, Milan Le Ruyet summed up the situation at practice Wednesday.
“He pushes him, who pushes him, who pushes me and I push that guy,” Le Ruyet said.
It’s as simple as that, really. In order to hit that goal of qualifying to CCS as a team, the Acorns must finish in the top-eight at the Blossom Valley Athletic League championships Oct. 29. Until then, it’s about improving with every stride at each meet.
“I told them at the beginning of the season is that our whole goal is to get faster at each meet so that they can have their fastest times at league finals,” head coach Tom Sumpter said.
The boys outran two of the three opponents at the team’s first league meet last week.
“Lincoln is No. 1, but we are right there with Mt. Pleasant and probably a little better then Del Mar,” Sumpter surmised. “So I think we could finish second, which is good. But you know, cross country is funny, winning league means nothing. What means something is getting people into CCS. So the BVALs is where it matters.”
And BVALs is the gateway to CCS.
Speaking on behalf of the Acorn boys, Eddie King said he and his teammates couldn’t wait for this season to start. His excitement revolves around the return of a strong core of five juniors who began running together as freshmen two seasons ago – the last time Live Oak won a league title.
That group is led by returning CIF State Meet qualifier Kalum Bergstrom and also features Troy Scheuffele, Daniel Gonzalez, Tanner Hallinan and Ian Karin. Le Ruyet, the lone sophomore, rounds out the Acorns top-seven. The junior-heavy squad still can fall under the “young team” category, but with two years under their belts and two more ahead, the Acorns feel as though this year is the perfect opportunity to establish a dynasty of sorts.
Bergstrom’s goals are two-sided. He, of course, has his individual desires. But there’s also that team goal and the idea of the mid-November section race dangles as motivation in front of the runners like a snow cone promised after a summer workout in triple digit weather.
That much more work, gets you that much more reward.
“I have things that push me and the team. One of the things is, I’m older and more mature and I kind of feel like I have an obligation to make it at least that far again,” Bergstrom said. “I think we have a good shot at making CCS this year. We all kind of pull each other, we work off of each other a lot.”
A pair of freshmen – Fayth Lyon and Shannon Hoyle – has spearheaded a resurgence of the Acorns girls team, which struggled with low numbers over the past two seasons.
“Our girls, we have a pretty good bunch right now, might be able to qualify (for CCS),” Sumpter said, speaking semi-ironically, based on the question marks that preceded the season. “And at the beginning of the season, we were just trying to make sure we had enough to make a team.”
Lyon (second) and Hoyle (fifth) both finished in the top-five at the West Valley Division opener last week as the Acorns swept the field to go 3-0.
“It felt fine to me,” said Lyon of her first league meet. “I did cross country in junior high and I had raced at that park before. It feels awesome to know that you can beat girls who are older.”
Providing balance, seniors Sabrina Rice and Amber Thomas placed in the top-10 at Montgomery Hill. Two others – sophomores Carly Kyle and Isabella Apolinar – crossed within two minutes of the rest of the team.
“I think our team is doing pretty well,” Hoyle said. “We set the pace for each other and go after it like that.”
The Acorns had a bye this week. They will be back at Montgomery Hill on Oct. 3 for their second league race.
