The Valencia cross country team had its boys and girls placed third and fourth, respectively, at the Clovis Invitational among the best teams in the state last weekend.
“We’re really happy with the team’s results overall on both sides,” Valencia coach Gavin Klinger said. “I think going up to the Clovis invite and giving them exposure to that course, that level of competition is something that we do to help them get ready for the postseason and be able to compete at that level.”
The boys’ team placed third in the 5k Division 2 race, as Trabuco Hills and Oak Ridge placed first and second, respectively.
Valencia’s lead runner, Luis Torres Oralla, placed third with a 15:33.5 time, half a second behind second place.
“He’s really been ramping up through the season,” Klinger said. “He’s just been chipping away at his times and really kind of thrives on those hillier courses with those most challenging courses like Mt. Sac or league. All the work that he’s kind of putting over the years is paying off and he’s having a great senior year.”
Valencia’s second runner, Miles Archie, placed 11th at 15:52.1, 23 seconds off the pace.
“He’s a sophomore and willing to do the work,” Klinger said. “We’re just super happy with his willingness to do the work and be consistent and let the results come, and what he’s doing now, and where he can be in the years that come.”
Both Archie and Oralla recorded the two fastest times ever for Valencia’s cross country program, an accomplishment that leaves Klinger excited for the future.
“We really had some solid performances up front, like our one through three guys that did, just ran really, really good and we’re excited about that,” he said.
On the girls’ side, the team placed fourth overall just behind third-place Mountain View.
Leading the pack for Valencia was Reese Ray, who won the first Foothill League meet earlier in the season.
Ray placed eighth in the standings with a time of 18:42.9, which was 26 seconds off the pace, and a feat that continues to impress Klinger despite the injury she faced earlier in the year.
“She’s just super talented and also had a little injury earlier in the season, which she’s trying to be really cautious about, so it’s good to see that she’s coming along,” he said. “She’s just a super tough racer. So, I know she’s capable of that result and better, and I’m just excited to see that the work she’s putting in is paying off, and the results.”
With the positive overall results from the team, Klinger is ready for his team to carry last weekend’s momentum into the rest of the year, especially with the Mt. Sac Invitational coming up.
“We’re running Mt. Sac to just get a kind of a preview of the CIF course,” he said. “Our expectations are that both of the teams will qualify for CIF prelims and give both of us a chance of getting to CIF finals and maybe even the boys to state.”
The Saugus boys’ cross country team also participated in the 5k Division 2 race and placed sixth, with its lead runner Aiden Bodell in seventh place.
As for the Vikings, the Valencia cross country team has its next race meet at the Mt. Sac Invitational with races scheduled for Oct. 24 and 25.
