It was a very busy week for members of the Oakdale High School cross country program. The team competed in three races during the week.
Oakdale participated in the Valley Oak League #1 race on Wednesday, Sept. 13 and on Saturday, Sept. 16 a group of Mustangs went to Concord for the De La Salle Invitational. On that same day, other Oakdale runners competed in the Frogtown Invitational in Angels Camp.
In the Valley Oak League #1 the teams in the league went to Mistlin Park in Ripon. Oakdale’s varsity boys took first place in the five kilometer race. Three Oakdale seniors took the top three overall spots as Omar Alsaidi placed first overall with a time of 15:52. Seniors Jackson Oliveira and Mason Oliveira finished second and third overall with times of 15:53, and 15:54. The varsity girls placed second overall and had three top 10 finishers. Bradie Evans, a sophomore, placed first overall at 20:25. Senior Brady Wylie took fourth overall at 20:53. Ava Calandro, a junior, took eighth place with a 21:33 finish.
Frosh/Soph boys placed first place as a team. Freshman Quinn Baca placed first overall in the two-mile run at 11:30. Second place went to sophomore Jaxton Marler at 12:05. Sophomore Camden Knight took sixth overall at 12:29. The girls team also took first place in the two-mile race. Three Mustang representatives took the top three spots. Zeidy Cornejo placed first at 14:54. Taylor Reams finished in second at 15:19. Third place went to Susanna Orr at 15:28.
“Great showing even though we were missing some athletes due to illness. All their hard work is starting to pay off but we will still have a lot work to do,” said coach Guy Fowler.
Saturday, Oakdale took their varsity boys to compete in the prestigious De La Salle Invitational. As a team the boys placed third overall in the three mile run. Alsaidi fished second overall at 15:13. Just steps behind him was Jackson Oliveira, who finished third overall at 15:15. Rounding out the top 10 was Mason Oliveira, who placed tenth overall at 15:39.
“The varsity boys that competed in the De La Salle meet ran against some of the best teams in Northern California and we are still not a full strength. his season looks very exciting for them,” noted Fowler.
In Angels Camp, the varsity girls took first place in the three-mile course. Oakdale had five athletes place in the top 40. Evans placed ninth overall at 21:11. Wylie placed 13th overall at 21:59. Junior Aubri Scott cracked the top 25 with her 23rd place overall finish with a time of 22:26. Calandro placed 35th overall at 23:09 and Jordan Wylie placed 40th overall at 23:21.
In a two-mile run the girls frosh/soph team placed first overall. Oakdale had five runners place in the top 15. Cornejo placed fifth overall at 15:41. Reams finished sixth at 15:47. Freshmen Unique Sanders placed ninth overall at 16:08. One second separated 10th and 11th place finishers Summer McGinnis (16:10) and Susanna Orr (16:11).
Oakdale’s varsity boys team placed ninth overall and had one top 25 finisher as Logan Daley, a junior, placed 24th overall at 18:32.
“Both girls teams at Frogtown surprised us with first place team finishes. Our varsity boys team at Frogtown was comprised of mostly our frosh/soph boys team that we moved up to the varsity and they ran some really good times considering it was the first time they ran three miles,” said Fowler.
Oakdale’s next race will be held Friday, Sept. 22 at Woodward Park in Fresno for the Clovis West Invitational.
