October 20, 2021 FS Girls Rally for Win; Penney Leads VG Pack Under 19 to Set New Team Record
While the DAL normally uses the 1.95 and 2.95-mile Newhall Park course configuration for its 2nd center meet of the season, the 2021 edition broke from tradition to race on the 2.0 and 3.0-mile configuration, the same used for the annual DLS/Nike Invitational. As a result, athletes had the opportunity to compare their performances with those delivered on the same course in mid-September.
In conditions that gradually shifted from mild and cloudy to cold and wet, the Cougars let loose with a torrent of individual improvements and team-time records.
The day began with a showdown between the frosh soph girls' squad and their nemesis, Las Lomas, which had beaten the defending league champs in their first head-to-head match up. This time around, led by front running from Sloan Pullen (25) and Mia Lawrence (24), who finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, and a breakthrough sprint finish from Nia Ho (24), who overtook the Knight's #3 scorer in the final stretch, the team turned the tables to narrowly win, 27-29.
The frosh soph boys continued their domination of league competition with an impressive 2-through-7 placing. Baron Walsh (24) claimed the runner-up spot for the Cougars while Max Marino (24) turned in a massive career best to finish 6th. Marino's time of 12:10 is 49 seconds faster than his 2-mile track PR!
The lone loss came in the junior varsity girls' competition, where Miramonte once again flexed its depth to outdistance Campolindo. Nevertheless, the squad gained ground on their cross-town rivals with season-best efforts from Sophia Harju (22) and Molly Strohmeyer (23).
Blake Webster (23), recovering from illness, helped the junior varsity boys remain undefeated. Sophomores Henry Jaffe (24) and Tyler Ngo (24) also contributed low sticks while Kye Wessleman (24) slipped across the finish line just ahead of senior Ethan Cho (22) to shut the door on the competition.
The varsity races featured some of the all-time fastest performances in school history on the course, in spite of precipitation that began during the girls' varsity race and intensified during the boy's varsity contest.
Challenged again by top guns from Acalanes, Miramonte, and College Park, the varsity girls elevated their game to a new level, placing 5 scorers in the top 10 and a 6th finisher in 12th place. Only Acalanes managed to place a 2nd competitor ahead of the Cougar's #6, Quinn Guthrie (23), who dropped her course best by 65 seconds.
The sensational girls' pack was sparked by a strong closing mile from Daisy Penney (24), who dipped under the 19-minute mark for the 1st time in her career.
The varsity boys, while soaked by a downpour that commenced just as the gun was fired, were simply untouchable relative to their league opponents. The Cougars placed all 5 scorers ahead of every other team's #2 finisher. Alex Lodewick (23), Rhys Pullen (22), Connor McGhee (23), and Finn Jordan (22) claimed the 2-through-5 finishing places and Sam Smith (22) closed out the scoring in 9th place.
Both varsity squads set new all-time Campolindo team times on the course.
October 15, 2021 McCool Posts Huge PR, Girls Dominate in Roughrider Invite Large School Victory
Following a lackluster start, Caroline McCool (24) delivered a ferocious 2nd and 3rd mile to assume the varsity girls' #4 position and claim 13th place at Friday afternoon's Roughrider Invitational on the Woodward Park course in Fresno. The junior veteran's 19:09 finishing time was an improvement of nearly 4 minutes, and helped her squad overtake division-one ranked Dougherty Valley for the team victory.
October 9, 2021 Mud Pit Dominates Orienteering Champs; Pullen, Kabenina Top Navigation Test
After a two-year absence, orienteering returned to Hidden Valley Park on Saturday, continuing the tradition of combining physical fitness with mental savvy. Athletes were issued maps and given reign to choose their own adventure, so long as they made it to each of the 12 control points hidden throughout the opens pace and park areas.
October 6, 2021 Harriers Hit Track for 1600m-Heat Mania
The 2nd edition of the Mid-Season Mania 1600m Invite saw perfect conditions on a windless evening at Bob Wilson Stadium. An unusual break from racing over hill and dale, the meet offered athletes a chance to measure fitness against peers of equal ability in mixed-gender heats around the oval. Wednesday's event was a spectacular success for many of the Cougars as the squad posted a staggering 95% improvement rate for the 4-lap distance.
September 29, 2021 Frosh-Soph Boys Post Perfect Score at League Meet; Buckley Ducks under 18:00
The frosh soph boys squad showed impressive depth at Wednesday's Diablo Athletic League center meet by placing its top-6 finishers ahead of every other team's number 1 runner, earning a 15-point perfect score in each of its dual-matchups.
September 20, 2021 2-Minute Improvement Elevates Dolge to JV Win on Newhall Park 2.0-Mile Course
In the final race of Saturday's De La Salle-Nike Invitational at Newhall Park, veteran Hardy Dolge (22) lowered his 2-mile course record by 2 minutes and 5 seconds to claim the junior varsity boys' individual title.
September 11, 2021 Tseng, Birdsong Lead PR Train at Ed Sias; FS Girls, Varsity Boys Take Team Titles
Dropping over 2 minutes from his finishing time of just a week prior, Jacques Tseng (25) landed the most improved performance for the Cougars at Saturday's Ed Sias Invitational at Hidden Valley Park. Tseng and his frosh boys' teammates kicked off the day-long festival with a solid runner-up finish behind De La Salle.
2021 Parent Volunteer Signup: We depend on parent volunteers to staff various positions throughout the season. Each family is expected to cover at least 2 positions each season.
As part of our committment to educate and empower student-athletes to create positive change on matters of race and equality, we engage in instructional activities developed by Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. Featured topics include identity, privilege, and racism.
Cougar Cross Country stands in solidarity with BLM against racial injustice. We are committed to equity work on our campus and in our community. Our athletes and coaches are actively engaged in these efforts both through regular team discussions, presentations and service projects, and in collaboration with Positive Coaching Alliance educational workshops and the campus-wide Diversity & Inclusion project.
Do you enjoy the majestic landscape of the East Bay? We do. We are grateful for the opportunity to live and train in this region, rich in both cultural heritage and natural beauty. We encourage participants and their families to consider a contribution to the Sogorea Te Land Trust as a gesture of gratitude for the privilege to use this land and respect for its indigenous inhabitants.
Purchasing Team Gear: The final window for ordering team apparel for the 2021 fall season has closed. Athletes who wish to purchase team singlets ($43), shorts ($20), tees ($30), and sweat pants ($36), must buy them directly from Coach Chuck in room E12 before school or at brunch.
XCStats.com: This is our database for collecting athlete training and competition data as well as our tool for communicating to athletes and parents. All athletes must set up an XCStats.com account in order to participate in Campolindo cross country.
Facebook Group: The official team Facebook group is where you will find frequent announcements, notes about competition logistics, meeting times, helpful links to current articles and more. It is also a useful forum for asking questions!
HSU Distance Running Camp: This legendary week-long summer workshop is hosted on the Humboldt State University campus and provides an opportunity for athletes to learn from some of the top coaches and elite athletes in the sport today, all while enjoying the most spectacularly beautiful running trails in the world.
