KING CITY — The Chalone Peaks Middle School cross-country team continued its impressive second season on Oct. 17 at the Rotary Elementary and Middle School Cross Country Championship.
Competing against runners from schools throughout the region, the Colts delivered outstanding performances, including a race victory, several top-10 finishes and personal-best times across the team.
One of the day’s biggest highlights came in the fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ race (1.0 miles), where Yessenya Ramirez captured first place, completing the course in an impressive 6 minutes, 22 seconds. Her victory marked the second consecutive year that a Chalone Peaks runner has won the girls’ race at the Rotary Championship, an exciting achievement for a cross-country program competing in only its second season.
Ramirez was not alone in delivering a strong performance. Fellow sixth grader Bethanny Diaz finished fifth in 7:01.7, while Emily Arreola placed 11th in 7:54.8. Vanesa Aguirre (14th, 8:05.5) and Jaylin Ochoa (15th, 8:10.7) gave the Colts five runners among the top 15 finishers. Additional contributions came from Stephanie Lopez (24th, 9:45.0) and Adilene Merino (26th, 10:18.6).
The fifth- and sixth-grade boys were equally competitive, placing four Colts among the top 10. Kevin Chavez led the team with a fourth-place finish in 6:12.4, followed by Jose Lizardi in seventh (6:29.5), Jenrry Mendez in ninth (6:32.6), and Iker Valadez in 10th (6:33.3).
The team’s depth was evident as Jesus Perez finished 12th (6:47.7), Joshua Ramirez 14th (6:53.1), and Alejandro Moreno 15th (6:59.9). Other strong performances included Josue Arriaga (17th, 7:01.3), Manuel Hernandez (18th, 7:05.0), Preston Diaz (19th, 7:08.3), Jonathan Garcia (28th, 7:46.4), Armando Cortez (30th, 7:54.5), Jose Dominguez (31st, 8:06.9), and Emmanuel Vasquez (32nd, 10:16.1).
In the seventh- and eighth-grade competition, the Colts continued their success over the 1.35-mile course. Leading the boys was eighth grader Hector Mandujano III, who earned an impressive ninth-place finish in 7:56.0. Fellow eighth grader Damian Rangel followed in 22nd place at 8:11.1, while seventh grader William Miguel finished 40th in 8:35.3.
The seventh- and eighth-grade girls also delivered an impressive showing, placing two runners among the top 10 and five among the top 20.
Seventh grader Vanessa Ayala-Gaxiola led the way with an outstanding fourth-place finish in 8:20.8. Fellow seventh grader Yaneli Fernando followed with a ninth-place finish in 8:38.1.
Eighth graders Alexa Chavez Silva and Janelle Mendoza finished 16th (8:58.6) and 17th (9:03.1), respectively. Seventh grader Rocio Guzman completed the team’s top five with a 19th-place finish in 9:14.6.
The Colts continued to demonstrate their depth with strong performances from Molly Dominguez (25th, 9:48.1), Angelin Martinez (29th, 10:02.7), Daleysa Velazquez (38th, 10:18.3), and Valerie Andrade (39th, 10:22.7).
Additional finishers included Janeth Cortes-Mendoza (50th, 10:40.6), Jayme Cortez (51st, 10:43.3), Kimberly Ordaz (73rd, 11:49.2), Magali Silva (75th, 12:02.4), Julie Montelongo (93rd, 13:30.5), Annabell Zavala (101st, 14:08.6), and Lazmi Garcia (102nd, 14:11.8).
One particularly encouraging performance came from eighth grader Janeth Cortes-Mendoza, who returned to the same championship where she ran 11:22.2 the previous year. This season, she completed the course in 10:40.6, improving by more than 41 seconds and demonstrating the progress that comes from consistent effort.
For a program competing in only its second season, Chalone Peaks continues to establish itself as a competitive presence in regional middle school cross-country. The back-to-back girls’ race victories, numerous top-10 finishes, and personal records demonstrate the growth of a team that continues to improve with every competition.
“Beyond the individual placements, the Rotary Championship reflected the team’s collective progress. From first-place finishes to athletes achieving personal milestones, the Colts demonstrated that success in cross-country is measured not only by medals and finishing positions, but also by improvement, perseverance and commitment,” according to the program.
