Covina Track inched closer to sweeping Valle Vista League titles with big wins against Northview on Wednesday. The frosh-soph boys and the girls had comfortable wins, but the boys varsity team had to battle until the very end, closing out the meet with a huge victory in the 4x400 relay. Kevin Mejia led a sweep in the varsity 1600, as did Joey Centeno in the frosh-soph race. Alondra Elizalde and Vanessa Hernandez had to come from way back to go 1-2 on Northview's Hayley Vanetta. Freshman Daniel Salazar led a varsity sweep in the 800, and Ricky Vargas led the frosh-soph boys. Vargas came back later with a spectacular anchor leg in the 4x400 bringing the Colts from behind in that race. It was Demi Marine and Ruby Medina going 1-2 in the girls 800. Finally, Kevin Herrera led a much-needed varsity sweep in the 3200, helping seal the boys varsity victory. The frosh-soph boys and varsity girls also swept the 3200, leading to a final distance score of Covina 79 Northview 2. If Covina defeats Wilson next week, they will once again be league champions.

The Covina frosh-soph boys team, who have been unbeatable throughout the year, claimed another win, this time at the very competitive San Gabriel Valley Championships at West Covina High School. Defeating teams from Division I and II, the boys had another balanced effort, with contributions from sprints, field events, and distance runners. Highlighting the action was red-hot sophomore Kevin Herrera, who not only lowered his 1600 time to 4:31, but broke away with a 64 final lap to win the 3200 in a new meet record time of 9:50. The effort was more amazing given that the lead pack came by the first mile at about 5 minutes. The boys and girls will attempt to take a big step toward defending their league titles next Wednesday at Northview.

Another successful running of the Covina Invitational is in the books, and so is another victory for the red-hot boys frosh-soph team. Covina won the overall frosh-soph boys title, pulling away from Damien toward the end of the meet, and as they have all season, it was distance runners making a major contribution to the point total. Kevin Herrera was named Athlete of the Meet after scoring two wins and two personal bests in the 1600 (4:38) and the 3200 (9:57), but he wasn't the only Colt turning in a p.r. on Saturday. Joey Centeno lowered his p.r. in the 1600 (4:54) and Daniel Hernandez lowered his in the 3200 (10:11), as both runners added key points to the boys frosh-soph total. The boys also shined in the 800, with Tony Parks (2:05), Daniel Salazar (2:05), and Ricardo Vargas (2:07) placing 2nd, 3rd, and 5th.

Other highlights from Saturday were Kim Lamadrid running a 12-second p.r. in the 1600 (5:39), and Kevin Mejia turning in two personal bests in the 1600 (4:28), and 800 (2:04). Covina has now had a runner break 4:30 at the Covina Invitational three years in a row. Also, with Marcos Vega and freshman Edgar Guadalupe running 4:59, the Colts now have 13 boys under the 5 minute mark this season. Covina will be right back at the stadium at West Covina for a mid-season dual meet after spring break.

The Covina boys continued their 2013 assault on the frosh-soph record books by shattering the 4x1600 school record at the Chino Relays. Running as a B-team, the quartet of Ricky Vargas, Joey Centeno, Tony Parks, and Daniel Salazar each were under 5 minutes, finishing in a total time of 19:51. The old record was 20:18. For Vargas and Centeno, it was their first time under 5 minutes. The record-breaking performance was one of many highlights for the distance runners as they helped the Covina team sweep the Chino Relays. Yet again, the Colts won the boys Division 2 title, the girls Division 2 title, and the overall sweepstakes title for the best boys-girls combined program. While the frosh-soph boys were breaking their record, the A-team of Richard Reyes, Kevin Herrera, Daniel Hernandez, and Kevin Mejia were running away from the field in the 4x1600 in a time of 18:45, the 3rd fastest time ever run by a Covina team. The boys had to come from behind to defeat a surprising effort from league rival Wilson. Hernandez ran a personal best (4:43) on his leg, as did Kevin Mejia (4:34). The girls team of Ruby Medina, Vanessa Hernandez, Kim Lamadrid, and Alondra Elizalde also were victorious in the 4x1600, running 23:26, 2nd fastest all-time behind last year's school record. Later, the boys also won the sprint medley with Herrera coming from way back to nip Coachella Valley at the line on the final 800 leg (2:05, a personal best). And another win came in the distance medley with Reyes, Gus Lopez, Nick Lomeli, and Mejia crossing the line in 11:14, more than 30 seconds ahead of the next team. Covina's next competition is Thursday against San Dimas and Nogales on the brand new track at San Dimas.

Covina track had the weekend off, but two Colts were in action at the Great Oak Distance Carnival in Temecula on Saturday. The Kevins (Mejia and Herrera) both traveled to the meet to compete against some of the top distance runners in the state in the meet which consisted of only distance races and relays. Mejia was entered in the varsity invitational 3200 and Herrera was in the frosh-soph invitational 3200. The younger Kevin accomplished his goal of breaking 10 minutes, going 9:58 after coming through the first mile in a very fast 4:48. He finished 9th in the very strong field of 18 runners. His previous best was 10:08. The older Kevin lowered his Arcadia-qualifying mark of 9:46, this time running 9:42. Mejia ran brilliantly, moving up in the field in the second half of the race to finish in 3rd. The two Kevins, along with the rest of their teammates, will be in action again next Saturday as the Colts attempt to defend their boys and girls team titles at the Chino Relays.

The Covina Track frosh-soph boys continued their strong start to the season by winning the team title at the Grizzly Invitational at Los Osos High School. The Colts defeated several Division I schools including Etiwanda, whose distance runners ended up in two spectacular battles with Covina's boys. Highlights of the day were Kevin Herrera's dramatic win in the frosh-soph boys 1600, and Daniel Hernandez's 4th place in the same race. Joey Centeno, who had been home sick all week, had a wire-to-wire win in the second heat of the 1600. And in two highly anticipated races, the frosh-soph boys shattered school records in the 4x800 and distance medley relays. It was Daniel Salazar, Ryan Cavaness, Ricky Vargas, and Daniel Hernandez running 11:33 in the dmr, and Vargas, Salazar, Tony Parks, and Herrera running 8:45 in the 4x800. Covina opens league competition this Thursday against Baldwin Park and Pomona.

Coming off of boys and girls cross country league titles in the fall, the Covina distance runners stormed out of the gate in the 2013 track season by dominating Northview and South Hills in the annual District Meet on Thursday at APU. The girls team won back the overall team trophy from South Hills, while the boys (by an ever so slim margin) were forced to hand it over to South Hills. But, on both the girls side, the boys side, and the boys frosh-soph side, the distance runners were brilliant. Sophomore Daniel Hernandez won the boys frosh-soph 1600 by nearly 20 seconds with a p.r. of 4:49, with Edgar Guadalupe, Joey Centeno, and several others sweeping past the Huskies and Vikings. In the girls race, Alondra Elizalde (who just began training 3 days ago) won a thriller in 5:42, barely holding off a late-charging Husky. Vanessa Hernandez was 3rd in a p.r. of 5:43. Kevin Mejia dominated the boys varsity race as expected, pulling away on the 2nd lap to cruise to a win in 4:40. Sophomore Kevin Herrera (4:43), Manny Cruz, and Richard Reyes completed a 1-2-3-4 sweep.

In the 800, it was freshman Daniel Salazar winning in 2:09 in another thriller, freshman Victoria Covarrubias placing 3rd in the girls race (2:36), and Kevin Herrera (2:06) and Nick Lomeli (2:08) placing 2nd and 3rd in the boys varsity race. And capping things off in the 3200, Kevin Mejia left the field behind after the first mile and brought home his 2nd win in 10:05, with Cruz and Carlos Jimenez placing 3rd and 4th. Daniel Hernandez had his second win of the day (10:39) and Vanessa Hernandez was the winner in the girls race (12:30) followed in 2nd by Kim Lamadrid. The Colts compete again on Saturday at the Cougar Classic at APU.

Kevin Mejia traveled to UC Riverside on a recruiting trip on the Presidents' Day holiday. He met with Coach Irv Ray and his staff and also joined the current UCR athletes for a 6 mile run. As many of you know, Coach Ray has history at Covina High School, having started his career there and coaching school record holders Kevin Berko, Tim Kearns, Erik Starkey, and Adam Shanks. Ray also coached Berko and Starkey at Azusa Pacific, and Covina record holder Andrew Tachias at UCR.

Pictured here is the 1986 Covina Cross Country frosh-soph team. Current head coach Erik Starkey is in front and on the left. The Covina team in the mid 80's was coached by Irv Ray who went on to a highly successful career at Azusa Pacific, Cal Baptist, and, currently, UC Riverside. The varsity team was one of the top teams in their division during Coach Ray's tenure, and the 2012 team broke a long drought as they were ranked as high as #8 in Division III during the season.

The Colts' season ended on Saturday at CIF Prelims for both the boys and girls teams. Needing to place in the top 5 in their respective races to move on to CIF Finals, the boys placed 7th and the girls placed 9th. On behalf of the coaching staff, Coach Starkey would like to thank his wife, Gretchen, the Booster Club and all the parents, and all who made a contribution to another great season for Covina Cross Country. We look forward to defending our league titles and continuing the push to CIF Finals in 2013. The awards banquet will take place on Tuesday, December 4th in the cafeteria. All runners eat for free. Athletes, please reserve a spot now if you have guests who would like to eat that night. E-mail Coach Starkey if you have any questions about the banquet.

After being crowned Valle Vista League Champions, the Covina boys and girls teams now head to CIF Prelims at MSAC on Saturday afternoon. The boys will race at 1:50 and the girls toe the starting line at 3:13. The girls will be attempting to advance to Finals for the first time in school history and the boys will be looking to go to Finals for the first time since 1993. Both teams will need to place in the top 5 in their respective races to advance. We will see you there.

Freshmen Desiree Valadez and Daniel Salazar and seniors Alondra Elizalde and Manny Cruz have been named Covina Cross Country Athletes of the Week for their performances at Valle Vista League Finals. Desiree was the clinching #5 girl (24:50) as the girls JV team completed an undefeated season in league. Salazar (pictured) had a huge personal best of 18:35 in the boys frosh-soph race as they lost another nail-biter to Baldwin Park. Alondra Elizalde battled Baldwin Park's Susie Garza nearly to the death before finishing second (19:14), but did earn the coveted Valle Vista League MVP and led the girls team to their 4th league title in 5 seasons. And Cruz, who has been the model of consistency all season, earned All-League honors for the second year in a row, placing 4th in a time of 16:34. Congrats to these outstanding Colts.

In 2011, Covina Cross Country suffered three bitter defeats at the hands of cross-town rival Northview, ending the girls team's 3-year league winning streak. It was no secret that the mission of 2012 was to reclaim that league title, much like the girls track team reclaimed their lost title this past spring. The girls completed an impressive undefeated run through the Valle Vista League on Tuesday and finally earned the title of League Champions as they defeated Baldwin Park for the third race in a row, this time with a a score of 35-54. Not only did the girls win the league title, but they also avenged their loss to Baldwin Park exactly one year ago at the 2011 finals. Alondra Elizalde finished second to Baldwin Park's Susie Garza, but it was Alondra who was named Valle Vista League MVP after she finished 2nd, 1st, and 2nd at the three meets. The Colts had 6 girls make the All-League team: Alondra (19:14), Kim Lamadrid 6th (20:03), Maria Castello 8th (20:15), Melissa Covarrubias 9th (20:18), Vanessa Hernandez 10th (20:19), and Ruby Medina 11th (20:19). The girls will compete at CIF Prelims next Saturday at MSAC.
The boys team added another league title to their growing list of accomplishments, making it 4 in a row, as they defeated Baldwin Park 24-45. Interestingly, the last (and only other) time Covina Boys Cross Country had a 4-year league wining streak, that team advanced to CIF Finals (1993). The boys have had solid performances from start to finish in 2012, no matter what the circumstances, and different boys have stepped forward to make sure that the job was done. This time it was sophomore Roman Esparza who placed 2nd to Pomona's Abraham Aldaraca, running 16:09 and finishing just ahead of teammate Kevin Mejia (16:18). Mejia was named Valle Vista League MVP for the 2nd year in a row, an accomplishment we have not seen by any runner in the league since the days of Covina's Andrew Tachias. Like the girls, the boys had 6 runners make the All-League team: Manny Cruz 4th (16:34), Carlos Jimenez 7th (16:48), Richard Reyes 8th (16:49), and Daniel Hernandez 12th (16:58). Kevin Herrera, rounding into form for CIF after a severe shin injury, finished right behind Hernandez in 13th. The boys look ahead to CIF Prelims and the chance to go where no Covina team has gone since 1993-Finals. More info to come on CIF.
Freshman Edgar Guadalupe (p.r. of 17:31) and sophomore Nick Hernandez led the way for the frosh-soph boys as they suffered another narrow loss (6 points this time) to Baldwin Park. Senior Adrian Munoz was the JV boys league champion for the second year in a row, but it wasn't enough for the boys as they were dealt another 1-point loss at the hands of BP. And finally, the girls JV team completed their own undefeated season, led by Serena Almanza (league champion as a freshman) and Demi Marine (also a 9th grader). We will see you at CIF.

Roman Esparza, Nick Lomeli, Victoria Covarrubias, and Kim Lamadrid have been named Covina Cross Country Athletes of the Week for their performances at League Meet #2. Lomeli, a senior in his first cross country season, has steadily improved throughout the season, and finished as the Colts #1 man in the JV race at League Meet #2. He was 2nd overall as the Colts fell to BP by one point. Girls team captain Kim Lamadrid has been on two league title teams but wasn't a varsity scorer on those teams. That has dramatically changed this season. Along with frontrunner Alondra Elizalde, Kim has been the most valuable Colt in 2012, spearheading the girls' effort to erase the disappointment of losing the league title in 2011. She was Covina's #2 girl and finished 5th at League Meet #2. Esparza, the sophomore who joined the Colts to be on a winning team, had his most important performance of the season, with a determined and focused effort from start to finish at League Meet #2. He overtook Pomona's Abraham Alderaca in the latter stages of the race and finished 8 seconds behind teammate Kevin Mejia to help seal Covina's most important league win in years. Freshman Victoria, who has been steadily climbing into the top 7 all season, finally cemented her place as a scorer, finishing as the Colts' #5 runner when the Colts needed her most. With a less than 100% Ruby Medina on the course, and another scorer, Maria Castello, being forced to drop out of the race, Victoria finished 12th, sealing victory for the girls in the crucial league race. Congratulations to these determined Colts.

Covina Cross Country entered Valle Vista League Meet #2 with the opportunity to essentially clinch the league title for both the girls and boys varsity teams, as well as the girls JV team. But no one said it would be easy. The Colts came out on top in 3 out of 5 races on the hot afternoon at Bonelli Park, and when it was over the boys were firmly in the driver's seat for their 4th straight league championship and the girls were in the same position for their 4th in 5 seasons. And there was enough drama throughout the afternoon for a Hollywood movie.
The girls JV team went to the start line without #2 runner, Berenice Valle, but quickly took control of their race as their opponents struggled on the hills and in the heat. Freshman Serena Almanza, who had taken a sizable lead in the first mile, took a wrong turn and found herself more than a minute behind mid way through the race. She was able to come all the way back and finished right behind winner Demi Marine. Jessica Carlos and Susana Hernandez held their positions throughout the race, and Selena Spray finished as the crucial 5th scorer. The girls defeated Baldwin Park 24-45.
The combined JV & Frosh-Soph boys race was a nail-biter from start to finish. Two Nicks (Hernandez and Lomeli) stepped forward with huge performances for their teams, but in the end the Colts fell short in both races by seconds. Freshman Edgar Guadalupe had another brilliant perfomance, finishing 2nd overall, but the boys frosh-soph team lost to BP 25-30, setting up a winner-take-all race at league finals. The JV team lost by one point, 27-28, also to BP, clinching the league title for the Braves.
The girls varsity team, dealing with their fair share of adversity in the last two weeks, lined up to re-claim the league title they lost to Northview a year ago. Alondra Elizalde pulled away from San Dimas' Emily Smith and Alyssa Martinez after the first hill, and never looked back, rolling to a dominating win in 19:35. #3 girl Maria Castello was forced to drop out early in the race with a calf injury, but by then team captain Kim Lamadrid had already put herself in firm position to make sure Covina would get the victory. She eventually finished 5th. Usual #2 Ruby Medina, sick all day on Monday, did all she could to stay in contention, but it was Melissa Covarrubias (6th), Vanessa Hernandez (7th), and freshman Victoria Covarrubias (12th) who covered for Medina, securing a 32-53 victory over Baldwin Park. The girls can complete an undefeated season at league finals in two weeks.
Finally it was time for the boys varsity race to add to the Hollywood theme of the day. Before boarding the bus, the team found out that #5 man Richard Reyes would be forced to sit out the race (Reyes will return for league finals and CIF). Injured Kevin Herrera, scheduled to sit out, decided on the bus, without hesitation, that he would be at the start line with his teammates. Kevin Mejia, again challenged early by Pomona's Abraham Aldaraca, made a strong move after the first hill and cruised to an easy win in 16:31. Roman Esparza, sensing that Alderaca's early effort may have cost him, continued to close the gap, going past in the last mile and coming in right behind Mejia in 2nd, earning his stripes as a Covina Colt. Herrera, running on nothing but heart, finished 5th. Manny Cruz was 8th, and Carlos Jimenez was huge again finishing 10th and covering for the missing Reyes. The boys won 26-36, and can win their 9th league race in a row at finals. The Colts don't compete again until League Finals in exactly two weeks. See info about the car wash and booster club meeting tonight.

Junior Selena Spray and seniors Kevin Mejia and Carlos Jimenez have been names Athletes of the Week for their performances at the SGV Invitational at MSAC. Selena has emerged this year as a key scorer for the girls JV team and broke 26 minutes on the hilly MSAC course on Saturday. Jimenez was moved up to #5 man with Kevin Herrera out of the lineup and came through with a big breakthrough, running 16:58 and securing a 3rd place plaque for the boys team. Mejia, who has led the Colts in every race this season, and nearly every race since his sophomore year, powered to an outstanding 15:49 on the SAC course, his first time (and first for any Colt since Andrew Tachias in 2003 and 2004) breaking 16 minutes on the famous course. He is pictured here talking to recruiters from Cal State Eastbay. Congratulations to these outstanding runners.

The Covina Cross Country Booster Club will meet on Wednesday at 6:00 pm in H-1. All parents are encouraged to attend. Items to be discussed are the upcoming car wash, t-shirt sales, bumper sticker sales and more. The annual car wash takes place this Saturday at 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at Carl's Jr. on Azusa Ave. The team will meet for practice at 7:00 at Hollenbeck Park and run from there to the car wash. E-mail Coach Starkey if you have any questions.

With the girls varsity team resting for upcoming league competition on Tuesday, it was up to the boys to bring home the hardware from the SGV Invitational. Despite running without #2 runner Kevin Herrera, the boys brought home a 3rd place plaque and improved nearly two minutes over last season's team time at the same meet. (And we all remember how last year's boys team finished the season.) The varsity boys ran in 5 separate races in the unique format of the meet which matches up each team's #1- #5 runners with each other. Team captain Kevin Mejia became the first Colt since Andrew Tachias in 2003 and 2004 to break 16 minutes on the MSAC course with a stellar 15:49 performance. Manny Cruz (16:30), Roman Esparza (16:39), and Richard Reyes (17:02) were all solid in their respective races, but it was Carlos Jimenez who perhaps had the best performance of his career. Stepping up in Herrera's absence, Jimenez ran a MSAC personal best of 16:58 in the #5 race, which had a dramatic finish with four runners still in contention to win it on the final turn. The boys team time was 82:57, a nearly 2-minute improvement over last season's performance of 84:50. They finished behind SGV rival Glendora and were nipped by 2 seconds by cross-town rival South Hills.
With the varsity girls team sitting out, sophomore Jessica Carlos was the top finisher for the Colts, coming in at 24:50. Next up is League Meet #2 at Bonelli Park on Tuesday.

Freshman Alex Lomeli and sophomores Joey Centeno and Vanessa Hernandez have been named Covina Cross Country's Athletes of the Week. Alex ran 19:43 and was the Colts' #3 freshman at the Central Park Invitational. Joey ran 18:33 and was Covina's #2 non-varsity sophomore. He has been averaging 4-5 minute improvements on his times from last season. Finally, Vanessa had her biggest performance of the season, stepping up to finish as Covina's #2 varsity runner at the Central Park Invitational. Watch for these youngsters in the coming years.

On Sunday Covina coaches Bert Sandoval and Erik Starkey both competed in separate 5k races. Coach Sandoval competed at the Santa Monica 5000 and earned a 2nd place medal for the 5000 Championship and also a separate medal for placing 2nd in his age group. Coach Starkey placed 8th overall and 1st in his age group at the Azusa Golden Days 5k. Also competing was former Covina star runner Chris Maldonado who placed 2nd overall and won his age group. Chris is now competing at MSAC. A great weekend for Covina Cross Country.

Covina Cross Country continued to bring home the hardware in 2012, this time doing it at the Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach. The JV boys team, who had been looking to make a statement, started things off by placing 2nd in their race, led by Cristian Guzman and Adrian Munoz. The Colts had solid 4th place finishes in their next 3 races with Demi Marine leading the JV girls, Edgar Guadalupe leading the freshman boys and Daniel Hernandez leading the sophomore boys. Up next were the varsity races. Team Captain Kim Lamadrid arrived minutes before the start (from taking the SAT), and was Covina's #5 girl as they earned a 4th place trophy. Alondra Elizalde was 6th overall in 19:22, and sophomore Vanessa Hernandez (in her first year running cross country) stepped forward to finish as #2 girl. Covina finished one place behind Esperanza who is currently ranked #11 in Southern Section Division III. The boys varsity team continued their great run, winning their race convincingly with a score of 58 to 2nd place Santiago's 112. Kevin Mejia (who also arrived from the SAT right before the gun) placed 2nd overall in 15:55. Mejia has not placed lower than 5th in any race this season. Sophomore Kevin Herrera ran another gutsy race, leading the next 4 Colts who came in within seconds of each other to seal the win. Next up is the SGV invitational at MSAC on Saturday, followed by League Meet #2 at Bonelli on Tuesday.

Two sophomores and a freshman have been named Athletes of the Week after their performances at League Meet #1. 10th grader Jessica Carlos had her top performance of the season, running aggressively and finishing as the crucial #5 runner as the girls JV team took first place. Sophomore Daniel Hernandez looked very strong in the boys frosh-soph race, going to the front right at the start, and finishing 2nd to lead the frosh-soph boys to an important victory over Baldwin Park. Right behind him was freshman Edgar Guadalupe, who raced like a veteran as the frosh-soph boys took the first step toward being league champions. Congrats to these 3 young Colts!

Covina Cross Country continued to prove that they are the class of the Valle Vista League with a dominating performance in League Meet #1 at Bonelli Park. The action began with a 1-2-3-4 finish in the girls JV race (Victoria Covarrubias, Berenice Valle, Demi Marine, Susana Hernandez), and a score of 23 points. Wilson was 2nd with 55. Covina started down the road to redemption after losing the league title to Baldwin Park last year. The boys frosh-soph team also claimed a measure of payback, soundly defeating defending champions Baldwin Park after being punished by them the last two seasons. Daniel Hernandez and Edgar Guadalupe led Covina to a 2-3-4-5-8 finish and a score of 22 points to BP's 37. In an unexpected development, the boys JV team was defeated by Baldwin Park 20 to 35. BP went 1-2-3-4-10, while the Colts finished 5-6-7-8-9.
Speaking of redemption, the girls varsity team has been waiting for it for a year, after having their 3-year league winning streak ended last season by Northview. Threatened by frontrunners from multiple teams, but clearly having the superior group, the Colts won this one with a score of 34. Baldwin Park and San Dimas tied at 58, and Northview was 4th at 69. Alondra Elizalde chased San Dimas' Alyssa Martinez the whole way, finishing 2nd in 19:17. Covina then finished 5-8-9-10. Ruby Medina was 5th (20:23), Maria Castello was 8th (20:27), Melissa Covarrubias was 9th (20:35), and Vanessa Hernandez moved up several spots in the last half mile to finish 10th in 20:37.
The boys varsity team finally got the chance to run together in a race, and could not have shined more brightly, sweeping Baldwin Park with a score of 19, and nearly achieving a perfect race. Kevin Mejia pulled away from the field mid-race to win the league opener for the second year in a row (15:58). Pomona's Abraham Alderaca was 2nd, but he was followed by 4 black jerseys with horseshoes on them (Kevin Herrera 16:17, Roman Esparza 16:21, Richard Reyes 16:23, Manny Cruz 16:24). Baldwin Park had 6 runners finish behind Covina's Cruz to score 49 points for 2nd place. In case you hadn't heard, Covina is currently ranked 8th in CIF Southern Section Division III. Our next competition is the Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach next Saturday the 6th. Directions can be found on this site.

With Covina not competing this weekend, 5 Colts took the opportunity to travel to the Bell-Jeff Invitational at Griffith Park in Los Angeles to meet 800 meter Olympic finalist Duane Solomon. Solomon placed 4th in the epic Olympic final just this past summer, a race which has been called the greatest 800 ever run. All 9 finalists achieved personal bests, led by Kenya's David Rudisha who broke his own world record (1:40.9). If you have not seen this race, get on You Tube right away. If you can take your eyes off of Rudisha, you will see Solomon moving into 4th place on the final straightaway.
Duane Solomon competed at Cabrillo High School, where he won the Division III CIF title in the 800 meters on the same day Covina's Andrew Tachias won his first Division III CIF title in the 3200 meters. Solomon went on to win the state title that year (2003), while Tachias placed 3rd in the state the following year. Solomon continued his career at USC, and has steadily improved his times, culminating with his stunning 1:42.8 at the 2012 Olympics, the 2nd fastest time ever run by an American. The American record is held by Solomon's coach, Johnny Gray. Pictured with Solomon are Coach Starkey and Covina runners Alondra Elizalde, Richard Reyes, Chris Maldonado (now competing at MSAC), and Jhonatan Reyes.

The latest Southern Section CIF rankings were published on Monday, and the Covina boys find themselves ranked #9, right behind their cross-town rival #8 South Hills in Division 3. Last year's Division 3 state champions, Palos Verdes, are ranked #1. This is the first time a Covina cross country team has been in the CIF rankings since the 1980's teams of Covina legends Kevin Berko, Adam Shanks, and Tim Kearns. (By the way, Coach Starkey ran with those guys, or at least tried to. He was nowhere near them, but yes they were teammates.) Look for the CIF rankings each week at www.prepcaltrack.com.

Junior Melissa Covarrubias, senior Marcos Vega, and sophomore Nick Hernandez have been named Covina Cross Country Athletes of the Week. Melissa was #3 girl for the Colts at Woodbridge, and backed up her prediction to break 20 minutes. Vega had a big p.r. of 17:06, and will run in his first ever varsity race at League Meet #1. Hernandez went from 18:36 at Bosco to 17:41 at Woodbridge, and was the all-important 5th man for the boys sophomores as they took home a 4th place plaque. Congrats to these Colts!

It was a magical night for Covina Cross Country at the Woodbridge Invitational Friday night. Although the Colts were coming off of a boys and girls win at Don Bosco the week before, the feeling amongst the team was that we could and would run much better in our next race. Consider that mission accomplished. Running in grade level races throughout the night, the boys team put together a smoking team time of 79:03, a big improvement over last year's 80:32 at the same meet. It was the second fastest team time ever run by a Covina team, bested only by last year's performance at CIF Prelims on the MSAC rain course. Kevin Mejia continued his brilliant leadership, running 15:19 in the senior race. Sophomores Roman Esparza and Kevin Herrera had a great night, running 15:33 and 15:35, and leading the Covina sophomores to a 4th place plaque. Esparza was with the leaders the whole way, but Herrera had to come from behind in the last half mile to catch his best friend and teammate. And the Colts' 4th place finish would not have been possible without huge breakthrough performances from Jhonatan Reyes (17:40) and Nick Hernandez (17:41). Manny Cruz ran a p.r. of 16:04 in the senior race, and Richard Reyes was the Colts' 5th man at 16:33 in the junior race. Look below for the top 10 times of the day.
The girls also had a significant improvement over last year's team time of 99:49, as they ran 99:20 Friday night. Just like the boys, it was the second fastest team time ever run by a Covina team (last year's performance at CIF Prelims is the record). Alondra Elizalde led the Colts at 19:16, followed by Ruby Medina at 19:57. Melissa Covarrubias made good on her prediction to break 20 minutes, finishing in 19:59. Kim Lamadrid (20:03) and Maria Castello (20:06) gave the Colts the solid 4th and 5th runner the team sorely missed last season. Top 10 times are listed below. Covina's next competition is League Meet #1 at Bonelli Park on Thursday, September 27th. The girls will be looking to reclaim the league title, which would be their 4th in 5 seasons. The boys hope to take the first step toward a 4th straight championship.
Kevin Mejia 15:19 Roman Esparza 15:33 Kevin Herrera 15:35 Manny Cruz 16:04
Richard Reyes 16:33 Carlos Jimenez 16:40 Marcos Vega 17:06 Adrian Munoz 17:09
Daniel Hernandez 17:18 Cristian Guzman 17:23
Alondra Elizalde 19:16 Ruby Medina 19:57 Melissa Covarrubias 19:59 Kim Lamadrid 20:03
Maria Castello 20:06 Serena Almanza 20:07 Vanessa Hernandez 20:13 Berenice Valle 20:36
Victoria Covarrubias 20:41 Demi Marine 22:42

Sophomore Kevin Herrera and freshmen Charles Johnson and Serena Almanza have been chosen as Covina Cross Country Athletes of the Week. At the Don Bosco Tech Invitational, Herrera remained in a group of three (including teammate Roman Esparza) for the entirety of the sophomore boys race before pulling away at the end to win it in 16:04, a personal best for him. Serena had a solid performance in the first race of her career, running 21:06 and finishing as the #6 girl on the team. And Johnson, also in his first ever cross country race, finished in 19:29. Congrats to these Colts.

Last season the Covina boys cross country team opened the season with a second place finish at the Don Bosco Tech Invitational, and went on to have a record-breaking season. In 2012, 2nd place just wasn't going to be good enough, and the boys defeated division rival Damien (who won this meet last year) in taking 1st place in the medium schools division. Not only were the boys 1st in their division, they were the 2nd fastest team in all three divisions at the meet. Team Captain Kevin Mejia led the way (15:31) in taking 5th place in the senior boys race. Sophomores Kevin Herrera and Roman Esparza were as stellar as expected, as Herrera won the sophomore race, and Esparza took third. The top 5 was rounded out by Manny Cruz and Richard Reyes. The boys will compete next at the Woodbridge Invitational on Friday night. Click on directions to Estancia High School.

The Covina girls cross country team, entering the 2012 season with big goals, kicked things off the right way by taking 1st place in the medium schools division at the Don Bosco Tech Invitational on Saturday. The girls finished ahead of league rival (and defending league champion) Northview in winning an invitational for just the second time in school history. Team captain Ruby Medina (19:49) was the top finisher for the Colts, and the top 5 was rounded out by Maria Castello, Melissa Covarrubias, team captain Kim Lamadrid, and freshman Serena Almanza, who ran in separate grade level races but earned the victory based on their team time. Covina's next competition is the Woodbridge Invitational at Estancia High School this Friday night. Directions to the meet can be found on this site.

The 2011 Covina Girls Cross Country team featured the three fastest girls in Colts' history. Despite the presence of these stars, the girls did not quite have the depth to defend their streak of three straight Valle Vista League titles, or advance to CIF Finals. In 2012, two of those stars return, and they are joined by what is without question the most talented group of female distance runners Covina has ever seen. This group has trained all summer with two goals in mind: reclaim the Valle Vista title, and return to CIF Prelims and, this time, outrun their opponents into Finals. Pictured at Camp French in Arroyo Grande are, from left, freshman Victoria Covarrubias, freshman Serena Almanza, junior Melissa Covarrubias, senior captain Ruby Medina, sophomore Berenice Valle, junior Maria Castello, junior Alondra Elizalde, sophomore Vanessa Hernandez, senior captain Kim Lamadrid, and freshman Demi Marine.

The 2012 Covina Boys Cross Country team has returned from Camp French in Arroyo Grande, and will now prepare to continue their rapid ascent which began in 2009. Before that season, the boys had not won the Valle Vista League title since 1993. Entering the 2012 season, they will be going for their 4th title in a row. More importantly, this boys team is eager to get back to the place where their finest moment (of many) took place in 2011. That was CIF Prelims, where despite a valiant performance, the boys fell just short of their goal of advancing to Finals. From the looks of this team, things could be different this season. Pictured with their coaches are, from left, sophomore Nick Hernandez, sophomore Daniel Hernandez, senior Marcos Vega, senior Jonah Cotto, sophomore Kevin Herrera, senior captain Kevin Mejia, senior Carlos Jimenez, junior Cristian Guzman, and junior Chris Mejia. Not pictured but ready to run fast are junior Richard Reyes, seniors Adrian Munoz and Manny Cruz, and sophomores Ricardo Vargas and Roman Esparza.

The schedule for the 2012 season is now posted. Runners and parents, please take note that several changes have been made from the original schedule handed out earlier in the summer. The date of the SGV Invitational is 10-13, we will compete in the Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach on 10-6 (this is a new meet for us), and we will not compete at the Sunny Hills Invitational. Directions to all venues can be found on this site, and a more detailed schedule with bus departure times will be handed out before the season. E-mail Starkey if you have any questions.

Sat. 9-8 Don Bosco Tech Invitational @ Santa Fe Dam
Fri. 9-14 Woodbridge Invitational @ Estancia High School (evening competition)
Fri. 9-21 PICTURE DAY@ 2:00
Thurs. 9-27 League Meet #1 @ Bonelli Park
Sat. 10-6 Central Park Invitational @ Huntington Beach
Sat. 10-13 SGV Invitational @ MSAC
Tues. 10-16 League Meet #2 @ Bonelli Park
Sat. 10-20 Covina Cross Country Car Wash 8am-1pm
Tues. 10-30 League Finals @ Bonelli Park
Sat. 11-10 CIF Prelims @ MSAC
Sat. 11-17 CIF Finals @ MSAC
Sat. 11-24 State Championshps @ Woodward Park (Fresno)
9-29, 10-27 Saturday practice @ 7:00 am
11-3 Saturday practice @ 7:00 am (varsity only)

Natalina Lopez, who earned Valedictorian honors at graduation, is headed to Yale University. This is the second time in three years that a graduating Covina distance runner has been accepted to Yale. Natalina will join former teammate and team captain Alex Interiano on the Yale campus. Natalina, while compiling one of the most outstanding academic records in Covina history, also found time to have a stellar running career. She was a varsity scorer on all three of the Colts' cross country league championship teams, including the first ever in 2008. During her sophomore season she placed second overall in all three Valle Vista league cross country meets. She also qualified for CIF three times in track. She is pictured in green, third from the right. World, watch out because here she comes.

Covina Cross Country has completed its search to fill the position vacated by long-time and beloved assistant Coach Bert Sandoval. Joining Coach Starkey will be Coach Alan Craig Henry who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Covina's staff.
Coach Henry competed in cross country and track at Carson High School, and later, at Long Beach City College and CSU Long Beach. He has personal bests of 1:49 (yes, that's two seconds faster than Coach Starkey), 4:17, and 9:28. His cross country p.r. is 19:47 (4 miles), achieved while competing at LBCC. At the age of 51, he continues to compete, and recently ran the 800 meters at the 2011 World Masters Track and Field Championships in Sacramento. He has coached at Santa Fe Springs Christian School and Valley Christian School. Coach Henry also has coached the SRLA (Students Run L.A.) Marathon team, and as a soon-to-retire LAPD officer, has been the captain of his division's distance running team in the famous Baker to Vegas relay race. Covina Cross Country welcomes our newest coach!

For the third time in five seasons, a Covina coach has won the San Gabriel Valley Tribune Coach of the Year award for track and field. Coach Mae Wong, in only her second season as the head coach of the girls team, was recognized by the Tribune after a record-breaking season in which the girls reclaimed the Valle Vista League title, and had four different girls break school records during the season. The girls also won trophies at the Cougar Classic Invitational, the Covina Invitational, and were champions at the Chino Relays. The season was capped off when Emily Sanchez (who Wong developed for four years in long and triple jump) placed in the top 6 at CIF Finals. Coach Erik Starkey won this award in 2008, and Coach Kevin Glaspy won the award for boys track in 2011. Congratulations to Coach Wong and to the girls and boys track teams for a remarkable season.

In case you were wondering what became of Covina's Favorite Son Remontay McClain, the answer is he's still winning. McClain, who became a legend in winning 4 state sprint titles in 2010 and 2011, has now triumphed at the next level, winning the NAIA national title in both the 100 and 200 meters. He also anchored Azusa Pacific's school-record 4x100 relay team, which placed second at Nationals. These crucial points led the Cougars to a runner-up finish for the team title. Also, McClain has tentatively qualified for the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon after running a personal best of 20.57 in the 200 meters in a qualifying meet at UCLA. He is currently the 30th fastest sprinter in the country. Covina Cross Country salutes Remontay and looks forward to continued greatness.

After a record shattering season in three sports, Ashli Baddorf has been named Covina Athlete of the Year. Ashli finished her career as the school record holder in the 1600, the school record holder in cross country, and a member of the following school record relay teams: sprint medley, distance medley, 4x800, and 4x1600. Scroll down to other articles to see her long list of accomplishments. Never has a female athlete at Covina been so dominant for the entire school year. We wish her the best at Cal State San Marcos.

Three of Covina's distance runners were honored along with the most outstanding athletes from Covina, South Hills and Northview at the CVUSD Board Meeting Monday night. Junior Kevin Mejia was recognized for his outstanding cross country season in which he was named Valle Vista League MVP. Mejia led the boys to their 3rd straight league title and was the #1 man (15:17) on the boys' record-breaking performance (78:17) at CIF Prelims. Chris Maldonado was the #3 man on that team, and went on to dominate the district and league in the spring, running 4:29 and 9:50 before a stomach virus cut his track season short at league finals. Chris finished his career as a member of the following school record relay teams: boys frosh-soph 4x800, boys frosh-soph distance medley, boys frosh-soph 4x1600, boys varsity 4x1600 and boys varsity distance medley. He will join the outstanding distance program at MSAC. Ashli Baddorf established herself as the most outstanding distance runner in Covina history in both fall and spring. Ashli set a new girls record in cross country (18:52), then shattered that record at CIF Prelims (17:58). She led the girls to the highest CIF finish and fastest team time in school history (97:23). During the winter, Ashli led the basketball team to the league title, the best CIF finish in school history, and was named League MVP. In the spring, she broke the school record in the 1600 (5:27) and then shattered it (5:20) at league finals, as she won that event along with defending her title in the 800. She ran 2:23 in the 800 at CIF, missing that school record by less than a second. She led the girls to their first league title since 2008. Yes, it's quite a list of accomplishments! Ashli will run for Coach Steve Scott at Cal State San Marcos this fall.

Covina Track celebrated its record-breaking season at the annual awards banquet in the brand new Covina gym. The Colts swept the Valle Vista League this year, winning the boys frosh-soph, girls varsity, and boys varsity titles. The girls reclaimed the title they lost in 2009 after a run of 4 straight, and the boys won their 10th in 11 seasons. Unlike other seasons, this year featured major contributions from Covina's distance runners who have won 6 cross country league titles in the last 4 seasons. Pictured here are Kevin Mejia who won Most Improved Athlete after improving his times to 4:38, 2:06, and 9:59, and Chris Maldonado, the Most Outstanding Distance Runner, who dominated the league and the district, running the fastest mile time (4:29) and 2-mile time (9:50) in the league and district. Also honored was Ashli Baddorf who was league champion in the mile and the 800. She also broke the school record in the mile (5:20), and ran 2:23 in the 800, missing that school record by less than a second.

Ashli Baddorf has done it again. At Valle Vista League Finals at Nogales High School, the senior took home the title in the 1600, and also defended her title from last year in the 800. Ashli pulled away from San Dimas rival Alyssa Martinez in the last 200 meters, setting yet another school record of 5:20.63. Earlier in the season, Ashli had set the record at 5:27 then watched it be broken by teammate Alondra Elizalde, who also ran 5:27. In the highly anticipated 800, Ashli narrowly defeated Baldwin Park rival Alyssa Ortega, after losing to her the last two times the two raced. Running a p.r. of 2:24.01, she inched closer to the school record of 2:22.
Joining Ashli at CIF Prelims will be teammates Elizalde, Paul Gonzalez and Kevin Mejia. Elizalde placed 4th in the 1600, but will compete in the event at CIF with Ashli only running the 800. Elizalde also ran a personal best of 12:10 in the 3200 to place second and move on to CIF in that event. Paul Gonzalez was second in the 1600, and Kevin Mejia was third in the 3200. Congrats to the CIF-bound distance runners.

Covina cross country and track record holder Ashli Baddorf will attend Cal State San Marcos University and run under legendary American miler Steve Scott. San Marcos has won the last two NAIA national championships in cross country. Head coach Steve Scott has run more sub-four minute mile races than any runner from any country in track history. He held the American record for decades until it was recently broken by Alan Webb. Scott also ran at Upland High School and UC Irvine. Ashli earlier this season broke the Covina school record in the mile, and also became the all-time fastest cross country runner at Covina. She has also been a star basketball player, leading this year's team to the league title, but will focus on running in college.

On Thursday, Covina Track and Field finished the 2012 dual meet season by soundly defeating Baldwin Park at all three levels and winning the Valle Vista League title. For the boys varsity team it was their second straight championship and 10th in the last 11 seasons. The girls team completed their quest for redemption after relinquishing their 4-year reign in 2009 to San Dimas. Since that year, the girls have rebuilt quickly, thanks to a vastly improved distance crew, and were dominant in league all spring. And the expected frosh-soph showdown between Baldwin Park and Covina never materialized. The Colts stormed out of the gate in the 4x100 relay, and it was soon apparent that Covina had no plans to lose to anyone on this day.
As they have done all season, the distance runners made a huge contribution to all three victories. Richard Reyes left the field mid-race in the frosh-soph 1600 to easily win, and further diminish Baldwin Park's chances at victory on the frosh-soph level. Reyes later scored in the 800 and was victorious in the 3200. It was noteworthy that the varsity and frosh-soph races were run together, and Reyes finished first overall. The girls took the top 4 spots in the 1600, led by Alondra Elizalde and Ruby Medina, with Maria Castello and Kim Lamadrid breaking 6 minutes for the first time this season. And Kevin Mejia led a boys sweep in the varsity race, dominating that one wire to wire. Other contributions came from miler and half-miler Ashli Baddorf who won the 3200, and Paul Gonzalez who surprised everyone with a 2:04 in the 800 to finish second. Covina now prepares for Valle Vista League Prelims and Finals next week.

Covina Cross Country observers may remember Ashli Baddorf setting a new all-time mark (18:52) in the first meet of the season, only to have Alondra Elizalde tie that mark a week later. At CIF Prelims, Baddorf re-set the record book with her 17:58, while Elizalde lowered her mark to 18:42. This pattern appears to be continuing in what has been a stellar track season for Covina's distance runners. Ashli set a new school record (5:27.64) at the Covina Invitational earlier this season, and now that mark has been eclipsed by Alondra, who ran 5:27.51 at the San Gabriel Valley Championships on Saturday. It was another great finish for Alondra, who sprinted past runner after runner in the last 200 to place 2nd in the girls frosh-soph race and run a 10 second personal best. With Valle Vista League Finals and CIF still to be run, we will see if this latest record holds up.

Covina Track took a giant step toward clinching both the boys and girls varsity and the boys frosh-soph league titles after soundly defeating Northview at home on Thursday. The Colts, who were expecting big contributions from their strongest group of distance runners ever, were not disappointed as the final distance score was Covina 73-Northview 8. The boys frosh-soph team, led by Daniel Hernandez and Ricardo Vargas, began the meet by sweeping the 1600. In the girls race, Ashli Baddorf cruised to victory, and was followed by hard-charging Alondra Elizalde who outleaned Northview's Diana Favela at the finish line, holding the Vikings to one point. In the boys race, Northview's Roman Esparza stayed in it all the way, but Northview was held scoreless, as Covina's Chris Maldonado, Paul Gonzalez, and Kevin Mejia went 1-2-3.
The frosh-soph boys followed their 1600 sweep by doing the same in the 800. In the girls race, it was Ashli Baddorf again leading it all the way, followed by Melissa Covarrubias who surprised Northview's Devinie Elizondo by finishing second. Again, Northview was held to one point. The boys race was a heated battle all the way to the end. Chris Maldonado doubled back from the 1600 and was joined by Zaw Naing and Enrique Hernandez in another 1-2-3 sweep.
The boys frosh-soph team completed the 27-0 shutout by sweeping the 3200, and avenging the 2011 season in which Covina and Northview tied for the league title. The girls race appeared to be in doubt as Northview's Elizabeth Esparza took a commanding lead and held it for nearly 7 laps. But, Elizalde methodically closed the gap, overtaking Esparza before the final lap bell sounded, and going on to win it. The boys varsity race was almost identical to the 1600 with Esparza giving a valiant effort for his team, but falling behind Paul Gonzalez in the latter stages of the race, and being out-sprinted by Chris Maldonado, who was running his third race of the day. If the Colts can defeat Wilson, Pomona and Baldwin Park, the boys will claim their 10th league title in 11 years, and the girls will reclaim the title they relinquished in 2009 after a 4-year winning streak.

Covina Track was victorious (again) at the 2012 Chino Relays on Saturday. The Colts have traditionally been dominant at Chino, using an all-around attack from sprints, field events, and distance runners. This year, the distance boys and girls were particularly dominant as the boys took the Division II title and the girls did the same. This ensured that Covina would earn another Sweepstakes plaque for best boys and girls combined performance. The boys 4x1600 relay team of Paul Gonzalez, Kevin Mejia, Enrique Hernandez, and Chris Maldonado started the day by not only winning the Division II title, but defeating all teams in both divisions, coming first across the line in 18:46. Later, the boys 4x800 team of Zaw Naing, Mejia, Richard Reyes, and Hernandez placed second. And at the end of the day, the distance medley team of Gonzalez (1200), Ryan Bedford (400), Naing (800), and Maldonado (1600) took first, and shattered the school record in this event by 25 seconds, running 11:06.
The girls had a strong performance, setting two school records, and staying a step ahead of league rivals Northview throughout the cold, cloudy day. The 4x1600 team of Ruby Medina, Alondra Elizalde, Melissa Covarrubias, and Ashli Baddorf took first place, and broke last year's school record by 27 seconds, going 22:52. Trailing Northview for most of the race, Ashli led the Colts past Northview's anchor Johnnie Zambrano in the last 200 meters, splitting 5:32. Later, the girls also narrowly defeated Northview in the 4x800. The team of Medina, Covarrubias, Baddorf, and Monica Gonzalez also set a new school record in this event, going 10:35.

Senior Ashli Baddorf, who emerged in the fall as the Colts all-time fastest cross country runner, has now etched her name in the track and field record books as well. In only her second season as a distance runner, Ashli broke Marleny Cifuentes' 2008 school record in the 1600, running 5:27 at the Covina Invitational on Saturday. Pictured with Ashli is league rival Alyssa Martinez of San Dimas, who Ashli narrowly defeated twice on Thursday, to help the Colts crush the Saints, who had stripped the Colts of their 4-year hold on the Valle Vista League title back in 2009. Martinez finished right behind Ashli on Saturday as well. Ashli came back later to place 2nd in the 800 to help the girls take home a second place trophy from the meet.

The "Big 3" of Ashli Baddorf, Alondra Elizalde and Ruby Medina led Covina Cross Country to a record-breaking season in the fall, but have now set their sights on helping the track team recapture the league title. Their performance at the Rosemead Distance Carnival showed that they will be a force this spring, as they left the school record in the distance medley relay in tatters. Ruby led off in the 1200, followed by a recently powerfully improved Belle Chiu in the 400. Ashli ran a seasonal best on the 800 leg, and Alondra anchored the team in the 1600. The girls ran away from the field in 13:13.

Covina distance running isn't just a fall affair, as the boys showed Friday night at the Rosemead Distance Carnival. Extending their fall success into the spring, the boys 4x1600 team of Paul Gonzalez, Chris Maldonado, Kevin Rios, and Kevin Mejia took first place in 18:37, and dipped under the Arcadia qualifying standard as well. The waiting game now begins, as Arcadia entries are not announced until late March.

Covina senior Chris Maldonado kicked off what promises to be a strong spring by winning the 1600 and the 3200 at the annual District Championship between Covina, Northview and South Hills. Maldonado broke away in the last 200 meters in the 1600, and (even with his early celebration) no runner from any of the three schools had a chance to run him down. Later, he separated from the field with a lap to go to also win the 3200. Maldonado's two victories were critical in helping the boys team to hold on to the District trophy for yet another year.

Covina Cross Country ended its season at CIF Prelims at MSAC on Saturday. After years of disappointing post-season performances, the boys and girls were determined to prove they could compete on this stage. Running on the flat and very fast rain course at MSAC, the boys and girls both set school records for team time, but were not able to advance to Finals in a very competitive Division 3. The boys, who had prepared themselves for this moment since June, were brilliant, running a team time of 78:17, a faster time than any Covina team has run on any course. Kevin Mejia (15:17) and Paul Gonzalez (15:17) led the way, finishing 13th and 15th. Chris Maldonado (15:42), Richard Reyes (16:00), Enrique Hernandez (16:01), Manny Cruz (16:24), and Carlos Jimenez (16:34) all ran lifetime bests on the quick course. The boys placed 7th, one spot away from moving on to Finals. This was Covina's highest finish since the 1993 team made it to Finals.
The girls' streak of 3 straight league titles was ended this season, but it was definitively clear who the best team in the Valle Vista League really was on this day. The girls ran a team time of 97:23, three minutes faster than league rival Baldwin Park and five minutes faster than San Dimas and league champion Northview. This was only the second time in school history that a Covina team ran under 100 minutes, this same team having done it earlier this season at Woodbridge. Ashli Baddorf, who was the first Covina girl to break 19 minutes, became the first one to break 18, going 17:58, and narrowly missing qualifying for Finals as an individual. Alondra Elizalde improved her best time by 10 seconds, at 18:42, and Ruby Medina tied her personal best at 19:03. Melissa Covarrubias, who had never broken 22 minutes, finished at 20:41, Denise Arciniega had a seasonal best of 20:59, Maria Castello also broke 22 for the first time (21:23), and captain Monica Gonzalez finished her career at 22:26. The girls placed 8th in their heat, the highest finish ever for a Covina girls team. This was a truly memorable season. Coach Starkey and Coach Sandoval would like to thank their wives, Gretchen and Sylvia, Teresa Elizalde and all the parents who dedicated themselves to this team and finally got our Booster Club up and running, and, finally, every single student-athlete who put on a Covina uniform this season. Watch out in 2012. The awards banquet is tentatively scheduled for Friday, December 2nd. More info to come.

League Finals for the Valle Vista League are concluded, and it was quite an afternoon at Bonelli Park. The girls varsity team, despite losing the first two meets, were poised to win the finale and tie for the league title, but they would need help from another team to do it. The miracle was nearly pulled off. Meanwhile, the boys team was looking not just to win, but to make a definitive statement about what kind of team they are heading into CIF. Led by All-League performances by Alondra Elizalde (19:28), Ashli Baddorf (19:51), and Ruby Medina (20:02), the girls scored 59 points. Baldwin Park stepped forward to score 58, and Northview was able to hold on to their undefeated season, scoring 55. It was a heartbreaker for the Colts, but an effort that showed the conduct of a defending champion, even in defeat. The boys team had no problem dispatching Baldwin Park and Nogales, scoring 29 points to BP's 65 and Nogales' 69. The Colts had all 5 scorers in the top 9, and welcomed back team captain Paul Gonzalez who had a triumphant return, placing 4th (16:22). Kevin Mejia led the Colts with his second place finish (16:13), and was named League MVP. Manny Cruz was 6th at 16:34, Chris Maldonado was 8th at 16:40, and Richard Reyes was 9th at 16:41. All 7 boys were under 17 minutes.
The girls JV team also lost a nail-biter to Baldwin Park by 4 points, despite brilliant performances from Monica Gonzalez (first overall 22:22), Maria Castello (also returning from injury to place second in 22:24), and freshman Susana Hernandez (4th overall 22:47). The boys JV team completed an undefeated season, led by Adrian Munoz (first overall in 17:24). Cristian Guzman was the first finisher for the frosh-soph boys team at 18:27. The boys and girls varsity teams will compete at CIF Prelims on November 12th at MSAC. The girls will race at 8:39 and the boys at 11:38.

On behalf of the entire cross country team, Coaches Starkey and Sandoval would like to thank all the parents and volunteers who helped make the car wash a huge success. We also thank all those who bought tickets, made donations, and gave of their time to help us with this important fundraiser. Finally, we thank Carl's Jr. for the use of their facility. We will be back next year, same place, same time!

On Friday night, Covina Cross Country traveled to Azusa Pacific for the annual Cougar 2-Miler, their last competition before League Finals on Tuesday. The Colts were visited by 4-time state champion sprinter Remontay McClain, who now runs for APU, before hitting the track for the 8-lap race. The boys were led by Chris Maldonado, who came in at 9:56, and was followed by Kevin Mejia (10:02), Richard Reyes (10:12), Enrique Hernandez (10:22), Manny Cruz (10:33), Carlos Jimenez (10:40), and Adrian Munoz (10:49). Ashli Baddorf (12:10) led the girls, and was followed by Alondra Elizalde (12:15), Ruby Medina (12:19), Kim Lamadrid (13:38), Denise Arciniega (13:41, Nathalie Aldaz (13:51), and Melissa Covarrubias (14:00). League Finals is at Bonelli Park on Tuesday, November 1st. Race times are as follows: Boys JV/FS 2:15 Girls JV 2:45 Girls Varsity 3:15 Boys Varsity 3:45.

On Saturday, the Colts had their first opportunity on the famous MSAC course at the rescheduled SGV Invitational. In this unique format, each team's individual top 5 runners race against each other in 5 separate races. Both teams went in expecting to come away with hardware, and both the boys and girls placed second in Division 2. The girls were led by the "Big 3" of Ashli Baddorf (19:31), Alondra Elizalde (20:04), and Ruby Medina (20:29).

The boys team continued their forward march without the soul of their team, Paul Gonzalez, and also placed second in their division. Kevin Mejia (16:26) and Chris Maldonado (16:30) led the way, and Enrique Hernandez returned to form, running away from the field in his race in 17:05. This was Enrique's first varsity win. Another first-time winner for the Colts was freshman Kevin Herrera in the 9th grade race, and it wasn't close. Covina now trains for two weeks in preparation for the Cougar 2-miler, and League Finals. Don't forget the car wash this Saturday.

Bolstered by their first league title in school history in 2008, Covina's girls cross country team then went on to win two more and establish a new winning tradition. The streak will likely end in 2011 as the girls, despite a heroic effort, finished second to Northview in League Meet #2 at Schabarum Park. The title won't be officially decided until League Finals, but the point system puts Northview squarely in the driver's seat. On the other hand, the boys team (who also began a new tradition in 2009 by winning their first league title in 16 years)look likely to clinch their 3rd straight championship after winning this one without top dog Paul Gonzalez.
Ashli Baddorf was the overall winner in the girls race at 21:10. She is in position to win Valle Vista League MVP. Alondra Elizalde followed in 2nd (21:28), and Ruby Medina finished 5th (22:07). The score was Northview 44, Covina 53 San Dimas 71. In the boys race, the Colts went 1-2-3 again, despite Paul Gonzalez(who will return soon)being on the sideline taking pictures.This time it was Chris Maldonado taking the top spot at 16:33, with Kevin Mejia one second behind him. Manny Cruz came up big for his team, finishing 3rd in 17:05. The score was Covina 33 Baldwin Park 44 Nogales 80. The boys will try to make it a second straight undefeated season at the upcoming League Finals. Cristian Guzman had a big performance in leading the frosh-soph boys to a second place finish. Nathalie Aldaz was the Colts' top finisher for the shorthanded girls JV team, and Carlos Jimenez, in a gutsy, gritty effort, led the boys JV team to another win. This Saturday, Covina will compete at the rescheduled SGV Invitational at MSAC.

Parents and athletes, the San Gabriel Valley Invitational at MSAC, scheduled for Saturday, October 8th, has been moved to Saturday, October 15th. Due to the rains earlier this week, MSAC has decided that the course is unsafe for the athletes to run on this weekend. This inconvenience is out of everyone's control, including the meet director, who made every effort to run the meet as scheduled. We have decided to participate in the meet next weekend, but this means we will have to move our car wash from the 15th to the 22nd. If anyone has bought or sold tickets, please be aware of the change and inform anyone you can. It is important for our seasonal goals that we get a chance to run on the MSAC course so, again, we will participate in this meet one week later than originally scheduled. The car wash will take place on the 22nd. E-mail Coach Starkey if you have any questions.

On Saturday, Covina competed at the 2nd annual Top Speed XC Classic at Bonelli Park. The boys and girls teams both had key runners out of the lineup as seniors were taking the SAT test, but the girls were able to put some space between themselves and league rival San Dimas, and the boys put themselves within striking distance of CIF Division III and cross-town rival South Hills, who hosted the meet. South Hills won it, while the Covina boys took 4th, taking more than two minutes off their team time from one year ago. Last year the Colts ran 86:29 (with no boys under 17 minutes), and Saturday their team time was 84:13. Leading the effort was Kevin Mejia, finishing 7th in 16:20. Chris Maldonado was 13th (16:43), Manny Cruz took a leap forward, placing 21st (16:53), and Richard Reyes was 23rd in 16:56.
The girls, who ran without 4 seniors, were led by sophomore Alondra Elizalde. She finished in 20:18, improving 2 minutes on her 22:18 from last year. Ruby Medina went from 21:46 last year to 20:58 on Saturday. Covina will compete again on Saturday at the San Gabriel Valley 1 on 1 Challenge at MSAC. Covina's coaches also competed this weekend. 61-year old Bert Sandoval ran 43:40 for 10K in winning his age group, and Erik Starkey (39 years old) finished 2nd overall at the Azusa Golden Days 5k and won his age group in 18:06.

Valle Vista League action kicked off Wednesday afternoon at Bonelli Park, and Covina Cross Country set out to defend its league titles. Carlos Jimenez (17:35) and Adrian Munoz (17:38) led the JV boys to another win, while the trio of Heather Jimenez (22:45), Nathalie Aldaz (22:50), and Melissa Covarrubias (22:52) did the same for the JV girls.
In the highly anticipated girls varsity race, the Colts fell behind early, and were not able to overcome Northview's pack. In a close race, the score was Northview 44, Covina 56 San Dimas 59. Ashli Baddorf finished second overall in 19:21, and Alondra Elizalde and Ruby Medina placed 5th and 7th. The boys varsity race was never in doubt, as Covina's "big 3" took control of the race in the first mile and never looked back. Kevin Mejia claimed his first varsity win (16:02), and was followed by Chris Maldonado (16:04) and Paul Gonzalez (16:12). Richard "The Killer" Reyes placed 5th. The score was Covina 22, Baldwin Park 47 Nogales 87. Covina will be right back at Bonelli Park on Saturday for the Top Speed XC Classic. Several runners will not be competing due to SAT testing.

Parents, our next Booster Club meeting is on Thursday afternoon at 4:45 in H-1. We have decided to move the meetings to afternoons instead of evenings. 4:45 is right around the time we usually finish practice, so those of you picking up runners from school can stay for the meeting and not worry about coming back later once you have settled in at home. We must have more participation in order for our Booster Club to be successful. We will be discussing the upcoming car wash and other important issues. Please look for a flyer which should be coming home Thursday the 22nd. Also, team pictures are scheduled for Friday, September 30th. We will have a regular practice right after the conclusion of pictures.

Covina Cross Country was in top form for the second week in a row as they competed on Friday night at the Woodbridge Invitational. The grassy new course at Estancia High School was not quite as fast as the Santa Fe Dam course of last weekend, yet several Colts had big personal bests. The varsity girls set a new school record for team time, going under 100 minutes (20 minute average per girl) for the first time. Their team time of 99:49 was 4 minutes better than their 1:43:46 of a year ago. Leading the charge was sophomore Alondra Elizalde who tied teammate Ashli Baddorf's record time of 18:52, which was only set 6 days ago. Ashli and Ruby Medina were close behind in 19:01 and 19:03. The top 7 girls times are listed below. Top 5 runner Belle Chiu (wisdom teeth) did not race.
On the boys' side, all the races were run at grade level, and Covina was strong in every single race. The freshman boys were led by Kevin Herrera, who took 3rd in 16:34. Jhonatan Reyes had a p.r. of 18:08, and Ricardo Vargas and Daniel Hernandez both came in under 18:30. Overall, the varsity boys ran a team time of 80:32, which was nearly 3 minutes faster than their 83:18 of one year ago. Team captain Paul Gonzalez was the top dog at 15:45 in the senior race, and Kevin Mejia ran 15:48 in the junior race. Covina now has 9 boys who have run under 17 minutes this season. The top 8 times from Woodbridge are listed below. Pictured above is school record-holder Ashli Baddorf and Harvard-Westlake mega-star Cami Chapus. The defending state champion ran 16:20 to win the girls sweepstakes race. (Watch out, Richard Reyes-she's on your tail)
Alondra Elizalde 18:52 ('10 22:15) Ashli Baddorf 19:01 ('10 20:56) Ruby Medina 19:03 ('10 20:36)
Denise Arciniega 21:21 ('10 dnr) Monica Gonzalez 21:32 ('10 22:23) Kim Lamadrid 21:51 ('10 22:15)
Heather Jimenez 22:07 ('10 23:59)
Paul Gonzalez 15:45 ('10 16:33) Kevin Mejia 15:48 ('10 16:38) Chris Maldonado 16:07 ('10 17:18)
Richard Reyes 16:19 ('10 dnr) Enrique Hernandez 16:33 ('10 16:46) Kevin Herrera 16:34 (frosh)
Manny Cruz 16:57 ('10 18:03) Carlos Jimenez 16:59 ('10 17:46)
Covina's next competition is League Meet #1 at Bonelli Park on Wednesday 9-28. Practice for all runners at 7:00 am this Saturday.

The Covina boys promised big things in their 2011 debut, and they more than backed up their words at the Don Bosco Tech Invitational on Saturday. As expected, 3 boys ran under 16 minutes en route to a stellar team time of 79:37, one of the fastest team times ever run by a Covina boys team, and a 3:52 improvement over last year's performance. The boys brought home a 2nd place plaque, their first time to earn hardware at this meet. The top 7 times are listed below, with comparisons to last year's times. Next up is the Woodbridge Invitational. Parents, please note that this race is on Friday night and takes place at Estancia High School. Directions can be found on this site.
Kevin Mejia 15:37 ('10 16:22) Paul Gonzalez 15:38 ('10 16:40) Chris Maldonado 15:49 ('10 17:02)
Enrique Hernandez 16:07 ('10 16:57) Manny Cruz 16:26 ('10 18:07) Richard Reyes 16:26 ('10 dnr)
Kevin Herrera 16:31 (freshman)

The Covina girls cross country team continued its year by year improvement with a very strong start to the season at the Don Bosco Tech Invitational on Saturday. The girls' team time (top 5 runners) was 1:40:25, a 3:26 improvement over their performance last season. Ashli Baddorf, in only her second year of cross country, led the girls with a time of 18:52 in the senior girls race. Ashli's time was the fastest ever run by a Covina girl in a cross country race. Junior Ruby Medina also ran into the record books with a time of 19:27, and #3 runner sophomore Alondra Elizalde came in at 20:10. The top 7 performance are listed below with comparisons to last year's times. The girls race again this Friday night at the Woodbridge Invitational at Estancia High School. Directions to this meet and all meets can be found on this site.
Ashli Baddorf 18:52 ('10 20:53) Ruby Medina 19:27 ('10 20:57) Alondra Elizalde 20:10 ('10 dnr)
Belle Chiu 20:59 ('10 22:19) Denise Arciniega 21:00 ('09 21:45) Kim Lamadrid 21:02 ('10 22:27)
Monica Gonzalez 21:17 ('09 21:59)

The Colts are pictured at the top of the brutal Enigma Hill after repeats on the hill located just outside their campground. How bad can MSAC be after this?

During their stay at camp, Covina joined with the Arroyo Grande cross country team for a run at the beach and a game of "capture the flag". Before the run, both teams were treated to a talk from Arroyo Grande assistant coach Philip Reid. Reid, a former state champion at Rio Mesa High School, spoke of overcoming injuries during his collegiate career and his recent breakthrough. Reid ran a 13:39 5000 meters for his current team the Asics Aggies. That's pretty fast.

The 2011 boys varsity team is pictured here at Camp French after a superb summer of training. They are favored to win a third straight league title, but have made it clear that they are focused on bigger things in November. From left are junior Nick Mannino, senior Paul Gonzalez (All-League in 2010), junior Manny Cruz (2010 frosh-soph champ), freshman Kevin Herrera, senior Chris Maldonado (All-League in 1600), junior Carlos Jimenez, junior Adrian Munoz, senior Enrique Hernandez, and junior Kevin Mejia (All-League in 2010 and Covina CC MVP). Depth won't be a problem for the Colts. Not pictured are projected #2 man senior Kevin Rios, projected top 7 runner sophomore Richard Reyes (4:56 in 1600), and senior Zaw Naing who ran 4:59 during track season and has had a very strong summer. Let the season begin.

The 2011 girls varsity team is pictured here on their last day at Camp French in Arroyo Grande. Stronger than ever, the girls plan to contend for a fourth straight league title, knowing that this will be their most challenging title defense yet. Several girls have returned from injury-plagued track seasons to put together a solid summer of training. Pictured from left are sophomore Alondra Elizalde (All-League in 2010), junior Ruby Medina (All-League in 2010), senior Heather Jimenez, senior Ashli Baddorf (All-League in 2010, 800 champion), senior Monica Gonzalez, senior Denise Arciniega, senior Belle Chiu, senior Natalina Lopez, junior Kim Lamadrid, and sophomore Maria Castello.

The following is a tentative schedule for the 2011 cross country season. Stay tuned for possible changes. Click on Directions for maps to all venues.
Monday 7-11 Varsity Practice Begins
Monday 7-25 Practice for all Athletes Begins
Friday 7-29 Time Trial for Camp
Monday 8-15 through Friday 8-19 Camp in Arroyo Grande (Top 10 boys and girls)
Saturday 9-10 Don Bosco Tech Invitational @ Santa Fe Dam
Friday 9-16 Woodbridge Invitational @ Estancia High School (Evening Competition)
Wednesday 9-28 League Meet #1 @ Bonelli Park @ 3:15
Saturday 10-1 Super XC Classic @ Bonelli Park
Saturday 10-8 SGV One-on-One Challenge @ MSAC
Wednesday 10-12 League Meet #2 @ Schabarum Park @ 3:15
Friday 10-28 Cougar 2-Miler @ APU (Evening Competition)
Tuesday 11-1 League Finals @ Bonelli Park @ 2:00
Saturday 11-12 CIF Prelims @ MSAC
Saturday 11-19 CIF Finals @ MSAC
Saturday 11-26 State Championships @ Woodward Park (Fresno)

Cross country and distance track star Rachel Falomir has been selected as Covina's female Athlete of the Year. (As expected, Remontay McClain won the honor for the boys) This award is voted on by all coaches at CHS. During Rachel's career, she was All-League in cross country 3 years in a row, including undefeated League MVP in 2009. Her personal best of 19:36 in cross country is one of the top times ever run by a Covina girl. She has also been All-League in track, in the 1600, 3200, and pole vault, including a runner-up finish in the 1600 in 2010. Her p.r. of 5:38 in the 1600 is, again, one of the top times in CHS history. Rachel will continue her running career at Vanguard University.

The class of 2011 will always be remembered for the great Remontay McClain. But, departing along with him will be several seniors who have made a significant impact on the Covina Cross Country program. These runners were here as Coach Andy Frogue started the program on its path to success, and they leave with Covina CC clearly on top of the mountain. Farewell Remontay, Justin Salcedo (pictured), Kevin Medina, Richard Stephenson, Jose Gonzalez, Ricky Herrera, Dominic Espinosa, Rachel Falomir, Stephanie Fuentes, Sam Alvarado, and Nancy Contreras.

Covina's superstar sprinter Remontay McClain successfully defended both of his state titles in the 100 and 200 meters in Clovis, California. With a crew of about 20 supporters and coaches on hand, McClain had the largest margin of victory in the 100 meters since the State meet began using automatic timing. He later came from behind to win the 200. Remontay is only the second sprinter in history to win back to back state titles in these two events. In other words, it is a nearly impossible feat. He has been a huge inspiration for our cross country program and we all wish him the best as he continues his career at Azusa Pacific.

The boys quartet of Justin Salcedo, Paul Gonzalez, Chris Maldonado, and Kevin Medina competed in the invitational heat of the 4x1600 at the MSAC Relays, and blew away their old school record by 17 seconds. The boys had run 18:52 earlier in the season at the Chino Relays. Salcedo led off with a p.r. of 4:32, and Maldonado and Gonzalez also ran personal bests. The new record of 18:35 is an average of 4:39 per mile. Not to be outdone, the girls lined up the very next morning on the same track and also set a new school record. Rachel Falomir (5:38), led off with a p.r. The stick then went to Ruby Medina, Stephanie Fuentes, and finally to Ashli Baddorf who also ran a p.r. (5:42) The new record is 23:19, an average of 5:50 per mile.

As Covina's boys and girls teams prepare for CIF prelims, they were treated to a visit from one of the great cross country/track coaches in California, UC Riverside's Irv Ray. Coach Ray began his coaching career at Covina High School where he coached Kevin Berko(school record 1600,4x800), Adam Shanks(school record 800,4x800), Tim Kearns(school record 4x800),and Erik Starkey(school record 4x800). Coach Ray also coached Covina legend Andrew Tachias(Covina school record 3200) during his 4-year career at UC Riverside, and Coach Erik Starkey during his 4 years at Azusa Pacific. Among his accomplishments are helping APU to several national titles and coaching several All-Americans, coaching Cal Baptist University to its first and only national title in track (including a nation-leading 4x800 and distance medley relay team), and coaching world-class runner Brenda Martinez at UC Riverside. He also guided the high school training of Big Bear runner Ryan Hall, now a world class marathoner, and is currently coaching Ryan's brother, Chad. Coach Ray has even had a hand in the current success of the Covina program, as they are training under his "Run With the Best" training system. The Colts will be back on the MSAC course for CIF Prelims on Saturday, November 13th. Race times to come.

2-Time CIF Champion Andrew Tachias, who is now a police officer with Inglewood PD, returned to Covina this summer to train with the Colts as they prepare for the upcoming season. Tachias has a personal best in cross country of 14:30, and also holds the school record in the 3200. He was CIF Champion in the 3200 in 2003, and CIF Masters Champion in 2004 and placed 3rd at the State Championships that year. He is pictured right in the middle in the red shirt. By the way, during his training at the police academy, Andrew broke the academy record in the mile and a half run. No surprise there.