This will be the second year in a row that SHCP’s cross country team will be bringing both its teams to the State Meet. Last year was the first in school history in which this happened, and it seems the Irish are beginning a new streak. At the CCS Championships last November 12th, the men’s team placed second and the women’s team third.
“I felt very good about both teams’ chances for qualifying for the State Meet,” said Coach Andy Chan. “Both teams were running well and there was no reason to think that we wouldn’t place in the top three to qualify.” The Irish maintain a reputation for stepping up at the big meets; indeed, each runner pulled it together for a single team success.
The boys ran first. With spectacular races from Austin Quach and Brendan Foti, the Irish created a strong pack from early on. (Pack running in cross-country can prove vital when a team is competing for points.) The hero of the day, however, was Frank Xiao, who managed to pass two more runners with less than 100 meters to go. “I knew we were in a close battle with Saratoga for second place,” said Chan. “Frank passed one and I remember yelling, ‘That’s one but we need both. Pass the other one.’ And Frank did…. That’s a story I’ll be telling for a while to remind people to keep fighting all the way to the finish line.” The boys came away with not only a qualifying spot to State, but second place, the highest finish in school history, earning the men’s team a trophy.
The girls raced soon after them. Kellie Redmond led the Irish with a shattering personal record of 19 minutes and 1 second on the 2.95 mile course, earning her a seventh place individual medal. Some essential pack running from Katherine Tse and Emily Hipp, as well as a 38 second personal record from Olivia Jacobo, also helped carry the girls to a third place finish to qualify. After a celebratory water shower (from the ice cooler) on Coach Chan, the Irish looked now to the State Meet.
The race is less than a week away, and the Irish will run the 5K course at Woodward Park in Fresno this coming Saturday November 26th. Roughly 2000 runners from 200 teams will cross that finish line, and the Irish feel honored to be among them. “Qualifying to run as a team at the California State Meet is the ultimate for a high school cross country runner,” says Chan. “Lots of people strive to make it to State but not everyone does. It’s an honor to race there. And once you’ve done it, no one can ever take that achievement away from you.” Coach Chan’s first priority on Saturday is for his runners to take in the excitement of the experience. As for racing, he hopes for his teams to run smart early, and “be fearless” in that last mile.
Anticipation is surely rising as the days count down. SHCP’s runners will enjoy that Thanksgiving dinner, and be on the road the next day. Most Americans anticipate the turkey and sweet potato pie; the Irish have their minds on Fresno.
