The Big 8 League Finals, November 3 at Butterfield Park, Corona marked the end of Cross-country’s 2015 season. Fears of uneven, muddy grounds were quickly soothed when runners were met with newly packed dirt paths. Favorable breezes and semi-cloudy skies made for nearly perfect running weather for the early JV races, though Varsity runners competing later in the day were forced to endure icy winds and steep drops in temperature. The cold, however, failed to hinder Santiago’s well-earned victories.

JV Girls kicked things off at 2:00pm, determined to defend their title as last year’s League champions. Cheyenne Espinosa (10) took first place individually, solidifying Coach Etheridge’s dreams of acquiring a potential alternate runner for the Girls CIF team. JV Girls placed first overall in their meet, winning by a whopping 13 points. The girls also managed to snatch 11 of the 21 medals available to the 90 competitors.

Varsity Girls built off of JV’s success and qualified for CIF, taking third overall. Santiago’s top female runner, Cayla Etheridge (9) took second individually, with Stephanie Vitello (12) following in tenth.

Unfortunately, Varsity Boys missed the CIF qualification by one place, and JV Boys took fourth overall. But fear not, the boys did not leave empty handed. Marcos Milla (10) and Kyle Pendelton (10) both left with Varsity patches, while Justin Alvarez (12) and Nathen Trujillo (10) got their hands on two medals for their placement in the JV Boys race.

After a season jam-packed with trials and triumphs, teardrops and trophies, personal worsts and personal bests, Santiago Cross-country finally comes to an end… well, almost. The Girls Varsity team, along with alternate runners Espinosa and Madison Storey (9), will continue to train in preparation for CIF and surely live up to the team motto: finish strong.

Congratulations Sharks and good luck at CIF!