La Mirada High School

In the boy’s race, senior Dag Tesfaye pulled away with the 2^nd pack and never looked back. His goal for the day was to race in the top 20. He finished #21 overall. Freshman Ryan Holash was asked to break 18 minutes and stay close to La Mirada’s 4^th runner. Instead, Holash, who finished with a time of 17:53, ended up as the #2 La Mirada runner for the day. Ben Ramirez, running in his last race for the Matadores, finished just behind Holash at 18 minutes—the 3^rd Matadore runner. The sophomore crew that had so capably carried the team this season, was silenced. Nathaniel Moore, suffering the effects of a week-long illness, dropped to the ground and was forced to pull out of the race at the switchbacks. Jared Bird, who broke away from the Matadore pack in hopes of staying with Dag, turned an ankle going up Reservoir Hill and was frustrated in his quest for the #2 La Mirada spot. Jake Cooley struggled from the start to maintain the pace and Freddy Ramirez just didn’t have his best day. In retrospect, the boys rode an emotional wave that carried them to their finest Suburban League performance in many years and peaked for league finals. It was left to Holash, who truly proved his worth to the team, and Tesfaye, who ran 16:54, 16:56 and 16:54 in his three races at Mt. SAC this year, to shine as La Mirada’s premier performers in the CIF-SS championship race.

The girls were confident. They had been to this level many times before and knew what they had to do to reach the next level. CIF-SS Finals, a goal that had escaped the team for 16 consecutive years, was within reach. Or so they thought. Senior Audrey Serrata was instructed to go with the 2^nd pack and finish between 20:10 and 20:20. She completed the course in a La Mirada school record 20:20. Serrata’s position for the entire race was between 15^th and 19^th place. Junior Amanda Stephens, in only her third race since returning from a chronic illness, also followed the aforementioned game plan, and ran it to perfection. Stephens was asked to start the race as the 5^th La Mirada runner and “round-up” the girls in front of her. At the end of the first mile, while Freshman phenom Destinie Martin was in 38^th place—where she was to finish—Amanda was 14 spots back in 52^nd place, behind Jennifer Minero, Ana Poblet and Jackie Martinez. Coming off the tough switchbacks and onto the runway, Serrata led the girls at 10:43—exactly according to plan. Behind her was to have been Poblet, Martin and senior Vanessa Thomas, all under 11 minutes. Instead, it was Stephens who led the next group—at 11:14! Up poop-out and around Reservoir Hill, Stephens, Minero and Martin exchanged the lead. While Serrata crested the rugged hill at 16:50, the next 3 struggled up in 18 minutes, well off pace. Stephens broke away and finished 10 seconds ahead in the #33 spot—La Mirada’s #2 runner. Minero, Martin, and Poblet ended the race as the #37, #38 and #45 runner respectively. Martinez, battled the hills to finish at 22:14. Thomas, who completed the course in 20:35 last season, braved a knee injury and cruised to a 22:40. Minero, who earned a PR, Serrata and Stephens ran their best races of the season. It was not enough, however, as the Lady Mats found themseleves, once again, in 5^th place, one spot away from a CIF-SS Finals berth. In Audrey’s three races at Mt. SAC this Season, she raced to course PR’s of 20:22, 20:27 and 20:20, proving she belongs among La Mirada’s elite runners.

For the young Matadore team, it was a disheartening way to end the season. However, they are confident that they learned many valuable lessons over the course of the long season and are determined to be back next year and successfully take the steps needed to get to the CIF-SS Finals!