Unmitigated joy on one end, heartbreak on the other. In the Central Coast Section Cross-Country Championships, the line between realizing a dream or experiencing emptiness often comes down to seconds—literally.
Just ask some of the top runners from the South Valley who were hoping to earn state berths on Saturday at the rugged 2.95-mile Crystal Springs Course in Belmont. In his final attempt to reach state, Sobrato High senior Nolan Dozier did just that, finishing second in the boys Division II race in 15 minutes, 35.5 seconds.
“I’m still trying to figure it out right now,” Dozier said, when asked what it meant for him to make state. “I’m happy to make state—oh my God. It’s my first-time ever, but at the same time my goal was a 15:15 to try to break (former Sobrato standout) Lance Wolfsmith’s PR here. I did everything I could on this day, so I’m happy with that.”
Dozier couldn’t even compete at last year’s championships due to an injury. He placed 14th as a sophomore and 17th as a freshman. Dozier said his time could’ve been faster had he not taken a caffeine shot just 20 minutes prior to the race.
“It just sunk in my stomach and didn’t feel good,” he said. “I was hoping the caffeine shot would be a performance-enhancer, but it wasn’t. Had I taken it 35 to 40 minutes prior to the race, I would’ve been OK. But oh well, I ran the best race my stomach would allow me. My arms were also getting pretty heavy, too.
Gilroy High junior Monica Ruelas knows exactly what Dozier was feeling a year ago. Ruelas finished 13th in the girls Division III race in a PR of 19:57.4, a superb effort. However, she lost out on the last individual state berth to Bridget Price of Mills, who bested Ruelas by a mere five seconds.
“I gave it my all,” Ruelas said. “I almost barfed, which has never happened before. I didn’t have anyone to run with out there, so considering that. I guess I have to be happy with a PR, but I really wanted to make state so my sister could come watch me. That was my goal, so it’s disappointing if it doesn’t happen.”
Despite coming up short, Ruelas had a tremendous season. Ruelas has improved her times and has never felt more confident in her running abilities. As Ruelas crossed the finish line, she was suffering more emotional pain than physical pain. Tears welled in her eyes as she immediately called her older sister, Maritza, a former Gilroy High and Hartnell College standout who is now running at Colorado Mesa University.
“My sister means a lot to me,” Ruelas said. “I’ve looked up to her all my life, and it would be special if she could see me run at state.”
Ruelas had a goal to qualify for state after she finished 20th at the CCS Championships in 2014. There’s no doubt her latest result will motivate her to put in plenty of miles in the off-season.
Live Oak super sophomore Kaylah Grant and Oakwood’s Quinn Rickard also produced some fine performances. Rickard gained the last individual berth in the Division V boys race with an 11th-place finish in 16:56.
Grant qualified to state for the second straight year after finishing fourth in the Division IV girls race in a PR of 18:10.8. Grant showed the poise of a seasoned veteran, deciding not to stay with a lead pack that set a blistering pace from the outset. Even the top pros make tactical mistakes at times, taking things out too fast and having anything left for the last third of a race.
Not Grant.
“I felt the pace was too fast, so I slowed down a little bit,” Grant said. “I knew if I kept on going at that pace, I was going to blow up in the middle of the race. My coaches (Live Oak coach Mike Kiefer and Wolfpack coach Dave Wolfsmith) told me not to mess up my race, and I just kept hearing that in my head. I’m excited and very happy to make state again.”
Grant, who also finished in fourth last year when the CCS Championships were held at Toro Park in Salinas, expressed an even greater feeling when it came to her improvement from her freshman to sophomore year.
“I feel like I’ve improved a lot (in every area as a runner),” she said. “The key is more training and learning from my coaches.”
Other notable South Valley finishers included Sobrato freshman Emily Harris, who took 13th in the Division II girls race in 18:56.9. Harris led a Sobrato team that placed 13th in the team standings with 321 points. Sobrato would’ve finished higher had Nicole Owens not suffered a freak injury early in the race.
Owens actually stepped in a pothole that turned out to be the exact size of her shoe, and her race was done. Despite the loss of Owens, who was the team’s No. 2 or 3 runner throughout the season, Sobrato still showed its depth with Kelsey Valentine (72nd), Rylie Hauge (76th), Allie Wells (83rd) and Claire Hulme (109th). Sobrato coach Cassandra Valenzuela was delighted in her team’s performance, noting her top six girls all are underclassmen and projected to return next year. This was the first time Sobrato had qualified for the section championships since 2010, in Valenzuela’s senior season at the school.
“It’s exciting to know we won’t be losing anyone for next year,” she said. “The girls have come a long way since the beginning of the season. When they ran at the league championships, they were phenomenal. Here at CCS, they were great. Everyone is so excited for the future.”
Natalie Filippi was Christopher High’s top finisher, placing 58th in the Division II girls race in 20:54.
