“Number one is just to gain a passion for running. To love the morning, to love the trail, to love the pace on the track. And if some kid gets really good at it, that’s cool too.”– Pat Tyson
What a week! Our first full week of school and practice was definitely a challenging one. Getting back into the rhythm of a full school day followed by afternoon practice is an adjustment for everyone, and the extreme heat made things even more difficult. We know our athletes are working hard to balance academics, training, sleep, and everything else that comes with the start of a new school year.
Despite the challenges, this group continues to show up, work hard, and support one another. We were able to get in some quality training this week, and the effort and attitude at practice have been outstanding.
Then came Friday night and what a night it was!
🏆 PR City Race — Boys Take the Team Title!
Racing under the lights at the PR City Race gave our athletes a great opportunity to compete in slightly cooler evening temperatures. The boys took full advantage of the opportunity and put together an outstanding team performance, winning the White Division Team Championship and taking 1st place overall as a team!
That kind of accomplishment doesn't happen because of one runner. It takes every athlete pushing, competing, and believing in the team. From our front runners setting the tone to every athlete fighting for the next position, the boys showed what it means to race for one another.
Our boys were led by Jeremy Kang, who finished an impressive 5th overall in 16:04.5, followed by Harris Dai in 13th at 16:22.9 and Xander Mak in 21st at 16:34.2. Anderson Mei ran a fantastic personal best of 16:37.2, finishing 23rd, while Parker Nies also ran a personal best of 16:49.9 to finish 33rd.
The depth of the team was a huge part of the victory. Raychih Hsiao finished 42nd in 16:59.9, Wesley Parker ran 17:16.4 for 58th, Colin Huynh finished 59th in 17:17.6, and Bryan Huang closed out the team with another personal best of 17:37.7 for 69th.
Every place mattered, and every athlete contributed to the team victory. Congratulations to the entire boys team on an incredible accomplishment!
💪 Strong Performances from the Girls
Our girls also had a strong night of racing and showed great competitiveness against a very talented field.
Olivia Wang led the way with an outstanding 6th-place finish in 19:32.3. Ariana Sharma followed in 29th at 20:43.4, with Braelynn Lynch right behind in 37th at 20:55.8. Zara Commissariat finished 41st in 21:08.1, Mengxuan Li ran 21:27.7 for 57th, and Kasia Lien finished in 22:49.5.
The girls continue to build confidence and fitness, and we are excited to see what this group can accomplish as the season progresses.
❤️ More Than Just a Race
While winning a team championship is something to celebrate and we absolutely should celebrate it! What makes us most proud is the way our athletes are beginning to come together as a team. The season is still young. We are going to have tough workouts, tough races, hot afternoons, and days when things don't go exactly as planned. That's part of the journey. What matters is how we respond, how we support each other, and how we continue to move forward. Friday night was a great reminder of what can happen when everyone contributes and races with a team-first mindset. Congratulations to all of our athletes on a fantastic week, and a huge CONGRATULATIONS to our boys on becoming PR City White Division Team Champions and taking 1st place overall! 🏆
🏃♀️🏃♂️ Looking Ahead: Our First Invitationals!
We are excited to get our first team invitational races of the season underway this week!
On Friday, our non-seniors will race at the Saddleback Cup, and on Saturday, our seniors will compete at the Pat Hadley Invitational.
Although we are not yet in tip-top race shape and that's exactly where we should be this early in the season. These races will provide everyone with valuable racing experience and give us some insight into where our fitness currently stands. The goal isn't to be at our best right now. The goal is to learn, compete, gain experience, and continue building toward the most important races later in the season. Every race is an opportunity to learn something about ourselves and our teammates. We are looking forward to seeing our Timberwolf families out there supporting the team over the next few weeks! There is nothing better than seeing our athletes hear their teammates, coaches, friends, and families cheering them on along the course.
❤️ We have great parents!!!!!
Thank you to our parents for continuing to support the team, especially through the heat and busy start to the school year. Your encouragement, transportation, hydration, nutrition, and support behind the scenes make a tremendous difference.
Let's keep the momentum going!
One team. One goal. Keep getting better.
Have a great week!
