The high school cross country season will enter a busy phase for the “Running Jags” this week, starting a stretch that will feature weekly races highlighted by league meets in the newly aligned NBL Redwood Division and culminating in the post league events leading up to the prestigious CIF State Championships.
Other teams in the Redwood Division include Analy, Cardinal Newman, El Molino, Elsie Allen and Rancho Cotate. Windsor will host its only meet of the league season on Tuesday, Oct. 16 against Elsie Allen.
Head coach Pete Stefanisko has liked what he’s seen from his charges so far, a team that features a solid group of underclassmen along with some of the top runners in the North Bay.
“Both the boys and girls teams are running well,” Stefanisko reported. “We have a practice meet against Piner at Foothill Park on Wednesday (Sept. 26, 3:30 p.m.) and then the team will travel to San Francisco for the Westmoor Invitational (on Saturday, Sept. 29).
Leading the way for Windsor has been four-year season standout Lucas Chung, a returning state qualifier and one of the top runners in the North Coast Section. Also running well this season are junior Hunter Larsen, seniors Michael Freitas and Adrian Burger, juniors Steven Vail and David Cruz, sophomores David Kvamme, Nathan Beck and Ben Kvamme, and freshman Dustin Smith and Valentino Bugica.
An interesting addition to the varsity girls squad is freshman Lilja Chung, who’s already emerged as the team’s top runner. Joining Chung on the varsity squad are junior Erin O’Mara, sophomore Nataleigh Johnson, juniors Kalianna Brown and Jayda Pignataro and freshman Prisilla Tucker.
This Saturday, Sept. 29, both Lucas and Lilja Chung will compete in the Stanford Invitational meet in Palo Alto, a great litmus test against many of the top runners in the region.
“That is a great chance for both to run against some of the best and I look forward to seeing what they can do,” Stefanisko said.
