M-A’s cross country team made school history this season when both the boys and girls teams qualified for the CIF Division I State Championships. Both teams competed in the 5K races.
The championships took place on Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.
The boys roster included juniors Grant Bennitt, Evan Chopra, Benjamin Saleda, Calvin Blanford and seniors Cason Mitchell, Aidan Sharp, and Brady Phan. For the first time ever, both the boys and girls qualified as a full team for the Division I meet.
Mitchell led the Bears with a 21st-place finish and a time of 15:18.7, followed by Chopra who finished 23rd in 15:18.9, and Sharp who finished 25th with a time of 15:20. Phan, Blanford, Salceda, and Bennitt in finished closely behind. The team victoriously placed 5th overall with 191 points.
“We were really happy. It was the first time our school had ever made it to state. It was something we’ve been working toward for the last four years,” Mitchell said.
Racing in Division I introduced tougher competition and a different kind of mental pressure. “There’s a big mental side behind it. You have to make decisive moves within the race. Our practices are a lot harder than people understand. It’s hard work every single day,” Mitchell added.
During the state race, Mitchell spent most of the race battling alongside teammates Sharp and Chopra. Mitchell described pushing through a familiar struggle on the course. “I’ve always struggled with the third mile, I told myself I had to keep going. I had a really good kick and finished strong,” he said. Mitchell ultimately finished first for M-A and set a new school record.
“Everyone has been working at this since freshman year, so it’s four years of constant work. It finally paid off,” Sharp said. “This season we really worked together. We were strong together.”
The girls roster included freshmen Chloe Lai and Mia Smith, sophomores Caroline Pflaum and Alli Brottem, and seniors Matilda Smart, Lousia Pflaum, and Paige McGaraghan.
C. Pflaum led the Bears with a time of 18:16 ultimately finishing in 40th place, followed by Smart who finished with 19:18 landing 112th place, Smith with 19:33 and taking 129th place. The rest of the team followed with McGaraghan finishing with 19:34, Lai with 19:35, L. Pflaum with 19:53, and Brottem with 20:24. The girls triumphed and finished 17th overall with 439 points.
C. Pflaum said the team found out they had qualified for state shortly after finishing their CCS race. “Everyone was hopeful but we weren’t certain because our league has a lot of tough teams,” she said. Team culture also played a major role this season. “Everyone is super connected and friends with each other, which makes people excited to work toward a common goal,” C. Pflaum added.
C. Pflaum also mentioned that cross country is as mental as it is physical. She credited the senior captain Mia Sanchez for keeping everyone’s energy high.
Brottem said the CCS results were one of the most exciting moments of this season. “We got second, and when the scoreboard stopped changing we were like, wow, we’re going to state,” Brottem said. She said the team remained aligned from the start. Brottem worked through a recurring hip injury but the team’s support helped her remain focused and steady.
Smith said the team stayed committed and focused leading up to state. “We’d been getting in good workouts and staying strong together,” she said. She described the meet as the biggest race she had ever run. Her motivation came from personal improvement and the team’s progress. “We all worked together, and it was nice to see how far we’ve come,” Smith added.
