Announcement
Week #11: CIF-SS Finals (Nov. 18, 2006): Stephanie Felix
Stephanie is the first athlete from La Mirada High School to qualify for the State Championship meet in both Cross Country and Track & Field. Her desire, her heart, her dedication to her teammates, and her work ethic are inspirational to her coaches and peers. Congratulations Stephanie!
Week #10: CIF-SS Prelims (Nov. 11, 2006): Melissa Byrd & Stephanie Felix
Melissa and Stephanie have raised the standard for the entire team. There has been no stronger duo in La Mirada history than these two hard working athletes. They both raced their best at CIF in an attempt to take their team to the next level.
Week #9: League Finals (Nov. 1, 2006): Sarah Jeon & Greg Luna
Sarah Jeon was forced to sit out the entire month of October as part of her rehab. She trained hard and came back for league finals where she earned “all league” status.
An early season injury threatened to end Greg’s hopes of running with the varsity team. He changed all of that with his performance at league finals and earned a spot on the CIF bound team.
Week #8: Apache Invitational (Oct. 26, 2006): Karina Gonzalez & Andrew Bueno: The runner of the week designation is awarded to athletes who excel for an entire week. Last week many of you raced well and earned HUGE PRs. But at the end of the week, nobody worked more consistently than Andrew and Karina; both of them have helped LMHS XC become a better team.
Week in and week out Karina has been a model of hard work. With her warrior attitude, she provides a standard for younger athletes who want to reach their goals. Even through her recent injury, Karina is one of the hardest workers we've ever had the pleasure of coaching.
Recently, Andrew has made a huge turnaround in his training and racing. Last week he nailed every tough workout, setting an example of diligence and perseverance. He earned a strong PR this week that placed him amongst the top 5 athletes in Matadores history.
Week #7: Mt. SAC Invitational (Oct. 21, 2006): Miguel Franco & Bianca Ceballos
This season, Miguel Franco has been one of the most consistent runners on the team. Always working and seldom complaining, his persistent work and effort paid off with a nice race at Mt. SAC. We look forward to a bright future for this hardworking athlete!
In case you haven’t been paying attention, Bianca Ceballos is one of energetic members of the girls team. She had a breakout race at Mt. SAC after a heavy week of training. Her positive attitude and great work ethic tell us what her intentions are for the next two seasons: Anything less than a varsity spot is unacceptable!
Week #6: Cluster Meet #2 (Oct. 11, 2006): Jenna Pasillas & Mark Gillaspy
Working hard to overcome injuries and pains sustained last season and aggravated again this year, Mark Gillaspy stepped-up for the team precisely when needed. Earning a new PR for the course, his efforts helped his team maintain their place in league at the 2nd cluster meet.
The past two weeks, Jenna has made a huge turnaround in her training. Her leadership was evident at the 2nd cluster meet when, late on the night before the second cluster meet, the varsity girls heard the unexpected news that two of the varsity athletes would not participate in the league race. Jenna Pasillas contacted the girls one-by-one and shared the news. Her message was simple: "we all need to step up." Emboldened by her command, the girls did just that. She kept the team focused and then earned 6th place at the cluster meet–her first top 10 finish in a league meet!
Week #5: Charger Invite, Clovis Invitational (Oct. 7, 2006): Tatiana Cortes & Aaron Cordova
A rookie runner, Tatiana Cortes has earned her varsity uniform, PR’ed at four different races, and is rapidly approaching the 20:00 minute district. Tatiana approaches running the way she approaches life: with drive and determination. Her quiet tenacity has been inspirational to anyone who cares to notice. We look forward to a great future for this hard working athlete.
Aaron Cordova worked hard over the summer. Last week he nailed every workout and then had a fine race at the Charger Invite. His gritty performances are what the boys need if they hope to challenge the top teams in the area.
Week #4: Cluster Meet #1, Brea Invitational (Sept. 27 & 30, 2006): This was a tough selection for your coaches. After much discussion, our choices are: Mateo Cordova, Caitlin Winn, and Stephanie Felix. Each one of these athletes illustrates the many qualities necessary to succeed in cross country.
After earning a PR on Wednesday, Mateo Cordova had a solid race on Saturday. Throughout the summer, he displayed perseverance and drive. Injured for a good portion of the early season, he has the desire and determination to do whatever it takes to get back into racing form. His progress can only be credited to his hard work and enormous passion for success.
Caitlin Winn possesses three qualities a successful distance runner needs: desire, refusal to quit, and a bit of craziness. Forced to sit out the early season races, Caitlin has come back with a vengeance. Her approach to training and racing is equally intense. For her efforts at the first cluster meet and the Brea Invitational, she came out of nowhere and earned a spot on the Clovis bound team.
There’s not much to say about Stephanie Felix that has not already been said. All-CIF, All League, All State, School Records. Despite her talent, Stephanie is one of the most humble athletes we’ve ever encountered. She has enormous faith in her teammates and, because she knows that like any other sport, cross country is a team sport, she always encourages them to succeed. Oh yeah, and she broke THREE course records in 7 days! Congratulations to each one of you!
Week #3: Sunny Hills Invitational: Lauren McIntyre and Michael Palmer
Last week Lauren McIntyre learned a lot about herself and the limits she sets on herself. Then, she went out and ran a race that was close to perfection. She paced herself during the first 1½ miles; she moved up to the 10th spot by the 2nd mile and then she pushed herself all the way to a 5th place finish. She is now the #2 all-time freshman runner from La Mirada HS with sights on a new freshman record.
Michael Palmer worked exceptionally hard last week and nailed every workout. He always sets high goals for himself, pursues them with passion, and at Sunny Hills, earned a new PR. With that kind of effort, he’ll continue to improve and make a huge difference to the team. Congratulations to both of you!!
Week #2: La Habra Dual-Meet (Sept. 14, 2006): Karina Gonzalez and Andrew Bueno
Karina Gonzalez has led her teammates by example and effort this season. Because she was nursing a serious injury for most of the summer, Karina has had to completely change her way of thinking and training. The Karina of past years, not used to being patient, may not have been as successful. Instead, the 2006 version of Karina has followed exactly the plan outlined by her coaches and is improving faster than expected! For her efforts, she earned another varsity uniform last week! It takes a mature athlete to do what she's done.
In his two years on the team, Andrew Bueno has been a consistent model of an athlete who diligently follows the training plan. His leadership and attitude are a model for his teammates. He worked hard last week, nailing every workout, and then challenged the front pack from La Habra. He came close to pulling off an upset. Congratulations to both of you!
Week #1: Marina 5-Way Meet & Laguna Hills Invitational (Sept. 9, 2006): Melissa Byrd and Vincent Ha
Vincent Ha, a rookie, is putting forth maximum effort to earn a spot on the varsity team. His workouts are done exactly as the coaches ask and he has a "never-quit" attitude. His performances at the two meets this week show that he intends to be a real contender for years to come.
Melissa Byrd's desires to be the best and works hard to achieve her goals. Her attitude is becoming contagious. In the first week of her the season, Melissa earned two above average PRs. Her effort places her in the #3 spot on the sophomore elite list---ahead of Amanda and just behind Stephanie and Karina. That's a fine group to belong to! Congratulations! Both of these fine athletes are an inspiration to the entire team.
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