CIF-SS Finals: Taylor Made for a Trip to the State Meet
Freshman, Taylor Jones, became the 2nd Lady Mat in school history to qualify for the CIF State meet by finishing 12th at the CIF-SS Division II Finals. To do so, Taylor had to move up from the 50th spot, behind teammate, Celinda Manzo, as the girls entered the daunting switchbacks. Using the downhills to her advantage, Taylor moved up to 30th just before "poop-out," and was gaining ground on the chase pack. By the time she crested Reservoir Hill, she was battling for 20th place with a runner from Whittier High School. Over the last 800 meters, knowing a trip to the championship meet was at stake, Taylor Jones -- itti-bitti to her teammates -- passed 8 competitors and finished with a time of 18:08, good enough to ensure a spot on the starting line in the CIF Division II State Championship Race! This year's race begins at 8:45 a.m. at Woodward Park in Fresno.

CIF-SS Finals: Lady Mats give it their best
For the Lady Mats, the focus of the 2009 season was on one race: CIF-SS Finals. Each member of the 2008 team was eager to prove to others what deep down she already knew: "We are not a last place team." Memories of the 2008 Cross Country season and the disappointment they felt at CIF-SS Finals, motivated many of them to take their training to a new level. Using the 2008 race as an impetus, they stepped up their effort throughout the summer and entered the season ready to roll.

After months of running more quality miles than ever before, they knew they were prepared. No longer content to run "junk miles" or to simply complete a workout, they vowed that each day and every mile they ran would take them to their goal. By now, every race was treated as a stepping stone. League races were viewed by the front pack as hard workouts; just another strong tempo run to add to the mix. Invitationals became their new focus--Bosco Tech, Woodbridge, Dana Hills, Warren Stauffer, Apache, and Mt. SAC. As one-by-one they were crossed off the list, these races earned them new team time records, PRs, or a top 3 finish. Each one offered a new experience, a new lesson, and hope of future success. For their efforts, they were ranked amongst the "Top 10" teams in Division II nearly the entire season and established themselves as the fastest girl's team ever from La Mirada High School.

Unlike previous years, CIF-SS Prelims was no longer their obstacle. This season it seemed more like a nuisance than something to fear. Qualifying for Finals was an assumption each girl shared. Since 2005, the Lady Mats have been represented at the CIF-SS Division II Finals meet on four occasions. Still, this would be only the 2nd time they advanced to finals as a team. It was only when the week finally arrived that they realized -- collectively -- how deeply afraid they were. "Are we good enough?" "Can we really run that fast?" Questions, self-doubt, and fear filled their minds. Then suddenly Thursday afternoon, it lifted. Fear turned to desire and doubt transformed itself into passion and fire.

When the race started a pack of Lady Mats were gobbled up inside a pack of surging runners and pushed to the rear. Once again, they were in last place. But unlike 2008, this year's team held on and fought back. Methodically, Taylor Jones and Celinda Manzo moved into the top 50. Nearing the runway, Taylor took off and moved into the top 30. Emily De Boer and Lauren McIntyre worked side-by-side over the hills, trading positions as they ran up and down the rolling terrain. Nicole Hammonds found herself in front of Ashley Casanover for the first time this season and bravely stepped up to the challenge. Paulina Tapia, after sitting out close to two weeks with an injury, rounded out the team.

After a long wait, the results were finally posted. Taylor, Emily, Lauren, and Nicole established new PRs for the prestigious Mt. SAC course. Five girls ran faster than 20 minutes and in the process set a new school Team Time Record of 1:35:22 for the course. Moreover, they had beaten the #10 ranked team in the state and come within one point of beating the #8 ranked team. Still, they were in 10th place, three places and 28 points short of qualifying for the State Meet. In the end, they went home knowing that a trip to Fresno was within reach. With a new season coming up, with new lessons learned, each returning member of the team vows that 2010 will be the year they GET TO STATE as a TEAM!

Suburban League Finals: Four Races & Four Individual League Champions
Hickman, Reyes, Jones, Garcia lead the way, Chavarria & Manzo Runners-up
Thursday, November 5, 2009 was a perfect day for the Matadores to race their final race of the season.  Having trained since early July, each athlete knew this would be their final opportunity to test themselves in a race before the championship portion of the season began.  As is the tradition in the Suburban League, the JV teams contest the first races of the day followed by the varsity teams.

A pack of JV Lady Mats led by Ambar Hickman, Aja Labasan, and Charlene Gantan took the early lead on the 3.07 mile course.  Having finished 2nd for 5 consecutive years, the girls were hoping to earn their first league title since 2003.  As the race neared the finish, the early leaders were joined up front by the Chavarria sisters, Liana and Maria, whose frenetic finish enabled Liana to place second and Maria fifth.  In the end, the Lady Mats placed 7 girls in the top 10 spots and took home first place with a unbeatable score of 15 points.

Up next were the JV boys.  Their goal for the day: 2nd place at league finals and move into the 3rd spot in the league standings.  Leading the way for the boys were juniors, Raul Reyes, Louie Lozano, and sophomore, Eric Wong, all of whom were predicted to finish in the top 10.  As the race progressed, the big question for the coaches was, "Is any other JV boy going to break into the top 20?"  Entering the last mile, it didn't look promising.  Freshman, Mauricio Pavano had other thoughts, however.  With a finish that propelled him past four runners, he moved in 18th place and closed the gap on the leaders.  In the end, the boys finished behind Cerritos, one point short of 2nd place.

Since 2000, when they were overtaken by Bellflower at League Finals, the varsity Lady Mats have put together a streak of 102 consecutive league wins.  Still, when they made their goals for the 2009 season, a league title was never mentioned.  There was a more important agenda: the CIF-SS championship season was their ultimate goal and would be their true test.  Having been ranked in the "Top 10" most of the season, the girls knew they would qualify for CIF prelims even with a less than quality performance at league.  It wasn't until freshman Taylor Jones was told the week of League Finals that she might not race, that the girls seriously considered the consequences.  With a renewed commitment, each of the varsity seven did what needed to be done to secure the top spot in league.  With Jones and last year's league champion Celinda Manzo cruising up front just ahead of the chase pack, the girls held on to 7 of the top 9 spots as the race passed the first mile.  Entering the 500 meter straightaway along the riverbed, Ashley Casanover and Emily De Boer worked together to keep 4 Lady Mats in the top 5.  Close behind, in 7th place, was sophomore, Nicole Hammonds.  In the end, the top seven girls finished under 20 minutes with Hammonds at 20:02 in 8th place. Just a month ago, the individual time for the Lady Mats averaged 20:33, a full minute slower than their average of 19:28 for this race.  With their performance, the girls extended their league winning streak to 108 league meets and secured their 9th consecutive league title.