California Interscholastic Federation is a governing body for high school students in California. CIF’s mission, as its website explains, is “to developing student-athletes of character.” Therefore, the federation gives opportunities to high school students who have shown steadfast efforts as athletes and as students. For the last three months, Yorba Linda High School’s fall sports players have worked with perseverance and passion.
Boys’ Cross Country team advanced to the CIF Prelims after finishing 3rd in their League Finals competition. At the CIF Prelims, they finished in 9th place in their heat (against 14 other schools). Although the team didn’t move on to the CIF Finals, some players were outstanding throughout their races. The boys that ran the CIF Prelims varsity race were Franco Chen (Senior), Kevin Clack (Junior), Mike Franczyk (Senior), Kyle Stowell (Senior), Niko Turcaz (Junior), Scott Doyen (Junior) and Jack Thurston (freshman). Some notable players that Coach Miller specifically mentioned were: Franco Chen, a senior, who ran a 15:40 over 2.91 miles to finish as number one runner and 37th overall in his heat and Kevin Clack, who also broke 16 minutes for this race running a 15:56 and finishing 46th overall in the race.
As far as the Girls’ Cross Country team, they advanced to the CIF Prelims after becoming League Champions, which is the first time YLHS has won a League title in XC. They then went on to the CIF Prelims and finished 3rd in their heat, qualifying them for the CIF Finals meet the following week. At the CIF Finals, the girls’ varsity team finished in 9th place, 2 spots away from going on the State Championship meet. Coach Miller named some notable players: “Francesca Vaccaro was our most notable girl placing 8th in the CIF Prelims and 18th in the CIF Finals. Samantha Serna, a freshman, was able to finish both CIF competitions as our number two runner, with very fast times for such a young athlete.” The girls that ran both the CIF Prelims and then came back a week later to run the CIF Finals were Francesca Vaccaro (Senior), Samantha Serna (Freshman), Anna Torrence (Junior), Amanda Stevens (Junior), Kayla Darnbrough (Junior), Karisa Hirahara (Junior) and Ana Tapia (Sophomore).
Coach Miller tells, “This year both teams dedicated their season, including post season, to Coach Curt Kisner who lost his battle with cancer in January of 2011.”
Tiffany Ha Yeung Yang
Senior in Yorba Linda High School. Editor of Community Services of the JSR Program. Features reporter in Wranglers Newspaper.
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