Islander Head Cross Country coach, Pete Wilson, details the team’s performance at the Grit and Grind Invite on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Coronado High School cross country delivered one of its strongest meets of the season Saturday at the 5th Annual Grit and Grind XC Challenge. The inspiration may have started three days earlier with Coronado’s younger runners.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Coronado High School cross country team traded racing for cheering, heading to Tidelands Park to support the middle school runners at the first South Coast meet of the year.
The Coronado Middle School girls delivered an impressive team performance, finishing third overall with 55 points, just one point behind second-place Santa Fe Christian. Eighth-grader Amelia Arnaudy led Coronado with a fifth-place finish in 9:53 over 1.5 miles. She was followed by Zoe Bruner, Madison Hyde, Elise Hsiao, and Maeve Ellis.
On the boys’ side, sixth-grader Charlie Smith Olivares led Coronado with an outstanding 11th-place finish in 9:46. He was followed by Bryce Williams, Ryder Kuttenkuler, Robby Joa, and Landon Hellwig.
The high school Islanders lined the course and cheered for the middle school runners, getting a firsthand look at the enthusiasm and determination of athletes who could eventually become the next generation of Islander cross country runners.
Three days later, the high school team brought some of that same energy to Grit and Grind.
Sophomore Evan Russo delivered one of Coronado’s top performances, racing to fifth place overall in a freshman/sophomore race with 193 finishers. Sophomore Diego Ibarra Cruz and freshman Felix Scott also completed the three-mile course, gaining valuable experience in a large field.
Coronado’s juniors Ziggy Raunig and Sebastian Tamariz both produced personal bests. Raunig finished 40th overall in 17:46.9, while Tamariz was just six seconds behind at 17:52.9. It marked the first time both runners had broken 18 minutes for three miles. Raunig’s performance also helped push Tamariz to a remarkable 1:02 improvement over his previous personal best.
Junior Timothy Gilbert followed with a personal-best 20:38 and senior Oliver Surdykowski crossed the line only 1.1 seconds later in a personal-best 20:39.
Gilbert and Surdykowski, both members of Coronado’s NJROTC program, could be heard encouraging each other as they battled toward the finish. Their determination, discipline and commitment to one another reflected the type of character and leadership the NJROTC program works to develop in its cadets.
Amazingly, all four Coronado runners in the boys varsity race recorded personal bests.
Senior Vivian Scott led the Islander girls, followed by senior Maya Wilson. Senior Carly Devore recorded a season-best 21:33, while senior Lily Humphrey ran a personal-best 22:23. Junior Annalei Berke competed in her first race of the season, and junior Ava Schlomer also recorded a season-best performance.
The Islanders now turn their attention toward Eastern League competition beginning October 1, carrying plenty of momentum into the next phase of the season.
Interested in joining Coronado Cross Country? October 1 is the deadline to get cleared. The program offers both 2-mile and 3-mile racing opportunities as well as morning and afternoon practice options. Contact Coach Wilson at [email protected] for more information.
