Season Blog
Jackie Henderson Invitational
Skyline Highlights:
Highlights
The day out strong for the Titans. The first racing group was led by freshman Olivia Hopkins (24:49) who moved up over 45 places in the 2nd and 3rd miles. Junior Viviana Gonzalez (29:02) improved her pace by 1:23 per mile, making her time almost 4 ½ minutes faster (converted 5k to 3mile time). The frosh / soph boys race followed. Freshman sensation Andy Ixtabalan (16:55) had a strong start and didn’t back down, earning himself a medal with a 5th place finish. Sophomore Leo Mates-Muchin (20:35) ran a tactically much better race than his previous, running 19 seconds faster per mile. Freshmen Milo Nichols (24:16) ran an incredible race with the biggest improvement on the boys team shaving off a minute and fourteen per mile making it almost a 4 minute improvement (converted 5k to 3mile time)! Freshmen Anthony Nguyen (24:21) and Jack Emely (27:43) ran their first race with the Titans both looking super promising and strong. The team placed 19th out of 31 teams. The junior varsity girls ran next with the dynamic duo senior Monkaia Scott (25:47) who had a strong start and junior Sabrina Nguyen (27:46). Collectively these two took off 1:44 per mile! The junior varsity boys ran next senior Steven “Speedy” Phan (20:37) ran a lifetime personal record, besting his 2018 time by 30 seconds! Alex Yao (22:18) ran a very strong race staying engaged with a race group the whole time. In the final and fastest girls race of the day, the varsity girls, the Titans came to make a stand. Senior Eleanor Wikstrom (17:28) took straight to the front pack, and less than 2 minutes into the race decided she wanted to take control. Upon reaching the first hill, she took the lead and never looked back, winning the race by almost 40 seconds setting the meet record by 1:21. Running second and third for the Titans was junior Greta Glueck (19:23) who finished her last half mile lightning fast and sophomore Silvia Kambouridis (19:29) who ran a strong race, despite being dehydrated. Senior Maya Nichols (22:14) rounded out the scoring team with a 83rd place finish. The final race of the day was the varsity boys who ran strong races to earn a 14th place finish. Senior William Boyd (16:08) placed 19th by improving his 2018 3 mile time time by 1:20. Also running with great improvements was sophomore Durell Freeman (18:08, junior Owen Klein (18:30), and senior Ricky Liu (19:29) who improved their from their 2018 times by 59 seconds and 63 seconds respectively.
Meet Write up:
See the whole thing HEREMeet Preview:
Skyline High School received 4 shout outs! See the whole thing HERELive results of the meet can be found HERE
Welcome to the 2019 Cross Country Season!!
Yoshaany Rahm Invitational
Ukiah High School, Ukaih, CA
October 20, 2018
Junior Varsity Girls Win Team Time! 12 Titans Medal
What started out as a super foggy morning turned out to be a super sunny day with a peak temperature of 80 degrees. The coaches got the day started for the titans by medalist 4 of their runners and easily taking the team title for the community race.
Highlights
In the first actual competition of the day, the Varsity Boys placed 2nd with 86 points. In his first time placing first for the Titans, William Boyd placed 6th place. In his first varsity invite of the season, junior Emmett O’Brien stepped up big time by running 4th for the Titans and solidifying his spot on the varsity roster for the rest of the season. Senior Hong Tan ran a consistently strong pace for the entirety of the race. At 11:30, the Varsity Lady Titans took the course. Underclassmen duo Freshman Sylvia Kambouridis and Sophomore Greta Glueck stormed straight to the front. Senior Ariella Katzman ran a solid race moving up throughout the duration of the race. The Junior Varsity boys ran 16 runners in the 12:15 race. Sophomore Andrew Scannell lead the jv boys with a 7th place finish. Senior Terran Smiley represented true Titan spirit with a strong finish to his race. Senior Jess Hutcheson-Wilcox and Junior Ricky Liu moved up significantly through the second half of this tough and enduring race. Senior Darren Son also had a strong race stepping up big time to be the Titans number 7 runner. Freshman Nghia Nguyen ran a personal best on a really hilly course. Freshman Jaylen Mitchell had a lightning quick finish, beating out another runner at the line. In the final race of the day under the scorching sunlight, the JV lady Titans showed true toughness and grit by enduring the elements and taking 1st place overall! The group was led by sophomore Astrid Boyd who ran a gutsy race and finished 1st for the Titans. Fellow sophomore Emma Pitstick overtook a Ukiah runner in the final meters of the race. Junior duo Bailey Brothers and Monkaia Scott worked well with each other as they pushed each other to a top 11th-12th place finish. Lone freshman Luna Garcia rounded out the scoring 5 with a strong and consistent run, fighting all the way to the finish line.
Clovis Invitational
Woodward Park,Clovis, CA
October 6, 2017
Titans Sport Fresh New T-Shirts! Nichols, Yu, Kambourdis, Brothers, and Hutcheson-Wilcox chase down multiple runners in their last mile!
The Titans endured the long morning drive to Clovis, skipping the overnight pleasantries to compete at the annual Clovis Invitational with some of California’s best. The weather was typical Central Valley weather, as the sun was out all day and the temperature was in the mid to upper 70’s.
Highlights
Junior Maya Nichols (22:30) started the trend in the first race of the day, as she “hunted” down 13 runners in the last mile of the Girls’ Varsity Medium School Division Race. Senior Ariella Katzman (22:59) also followed suit by running down 8 runners of her own, and Senior Monkaia Scott (30:10) improved from last year’s time by nearly 20 minutes! In the Boys’ Varsity Medium School Division Race, Senior Alvin Yu (19:25) led the way by striking down 16 runners in the last mile, setting the tone for the Varsity Boys who had a solid performance against caliber competition. In the Girls Frosh Soph Race, Freshman Silvia Kambouridis (21:54) represented true Titan spirit as she cut down 14 runners in the last mile of her race. In the Boys’ JV race Senior Jess Hutcheson-Wilcox (21:22) turned out a compelling performance as he improved his time from last year’s Clovis Invitational by over 2 minutes, his place by over 100 runners, and all while running down a gargantuan 21 runners in the last mile! #CatchDeezFeet! Junior Nyjel Todd (19:39) pumped out a sub 20 minute run in his first race of the year and Senior Terran Smiley (22:33) ran in their first race of the season, showing grit and promise for the rest of the season. Junior Cezar Rojas (25:13) also ran incognito as he turned out a gutty performance on a sore knee. In the last race of the day, the Boy’s Frosh Soph Division Sophomore Andrew Scannell (19:47) pumped out a top 50 performance in his first race of the season and Sophomore Owen Klein (20:19) devoured 6 runners in the last mile.
Most Improved (vs 5k) Greta Glueck -8:30 Cezar Rojas -13:25
Outstanding Performance Eleanor Wikstrom (18:28) Leonardo Brennan (16:58)
Titan Pride!
Skyline High School
Titans Cross Country 2018
Oyster Bay Regional Meet
Oyster Bay, San Leandro, CA
October 3rd, 2018
Winters Places 2nd! 4 Titans Finish First Race!
The week of Clovis many folks are getting ready to travel across the state, but a select group of Titans are preparing to represent our school at the Regional Meet at Oyster Bay. The weather was warm and condition were right for running fast.
Highlights
Junior Steven “Speedy” Phan (20:49) set a lifetime best in the 5k with a time of 20:49.3, dripping under 21 minutes for the first time. Senior Jeff Mai (22:08) ran his first full 5k of the season. He was followed closely by freshman Nghia Nguyen (23:01) finishing a the 3rd fastest freshman in the varsity race and having a huge Pr of over 9 minutes from his first race of the season. Fellow Freshman Maddux Reid (27:17) ran his second race, and first 5k of the season looking strong and confidant running 14 seconds faster per mile than his last race. The final 2 runners for the Titans all ran in their first official race with Skyline senior Paul Phelan (29:19) and freshman Carlos Barrios (30:38). On the ladies side senior Cymone Winters (23:49) had an amazing race placing 2nd of 51 of Oakland finest runners. Running second for the Titans was up and coming freshman Luna Garcia (28:15) who placed 15. The final two Titans who ran in their first race ever was sophomore Francesca Lapid (32:52) and in a gallant effort freshman Faith Stagner (41:20).
Most Improved
Nghia Nguyen
Cymone Winters
Outstanding Performance
Steven Phan
Cymone Winters
Athletics Regional Meet
Crab Cove, Alameda, CA
September 19, 2018
O’Brien, Kambouridis Grab Individual Wins! Varsity Girls Claim Title!
The Titans ventured through the tube to Alameda. Where on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon they competed against 13 other teams from Oakland Section at Crab Cove, Crown Memorial State Beach. It was a warm sunny day with a slight breeze from the waters.
Highlights
In the first dual meet of the season, the Titans proved their dominance in the Oakland Section. The junior varsity races started first at 3:00 PM. 10 Titans represented. The boys were lead by senior Darren Son (21:13) with an impressive 5th place finish. Junior Alex Yao (22:08) race a faster 3 mile pace than he did for 2 miles, only 1 week ago. Freshman Bryce James (22:09) made his 3 mile debut, placing 10th in a race of 78. Freshman Maddux Reid (27:07) ran his first race as a Titan, looking very strong through the finish line. On the girls side sophomore Emma Pitstick (27:59) ran her first race since the 2017 season and freshman Luna Garcia (29:16) ran her first race ever, placing 6th overall (and one team ran their whole varsity team in JV). Up next was the boys varsity race with junior Emmett O’Brien (18:38) overpowering his competition with a explosive second half of the race to claim the individual victory. Freshman Durell Freeman (21:03) ran in his first varsity race all season and placed an amazing 23rd place of 72 varsity boys. Junior Adrian Torres (21:54) rounded out the team with a very strong race. In the final race of the day, the varsity girls, Skyline was dominate. Freshman Silvia Kambouridis (22:39) ran her first varsity race ever, and won her first varsity race ever. She worked closely with sophomore teammate Greta Glueck (22:41) who finished right behind her in 2nd. Junior Bailey Brothers (26:45) rounded out the scoring team with a 3 mile PR and 14th place finish of 51 girls!
Skyline High School
Titans Cross Country 2018
De la Salle Invitational
Newhall Park, Concord, CA
September 15, 2018
Boys’ Varsity Places 17th out of 32 teams. First Year Runners William Boyd, Adrian Torres, Durrell Freeman, Silvia Kambouridis turn out strong performances.
The Titans traversed the Caldecott tunnel on their way to sunny Concord to compete at the De la Salle Nike Invitational. The morning weather at first looked to be a serious factor with temperatures in the low fifties and strong winds.
Highlights
In the first race of the day for the Titans the junior varsity boys ran in the junior varsity boys limited race with 6 runners. Junior Emmett O’Brien set the tone running a fast pace of 6:20 per mile. The first race of the day for the lady Titans was the varsity girls, sophomore Havana Rooke led her team through subpar conditions with a time of 22:36. On the varsity boys side senior Leonardo Brennan turned in a top 45 finish. But probably the most surprising performance was Junior William Boyd who put the OAL on notice with a blazing time of 17:26. The varsity Titans are much more than their strong trio of seniors. Both of these performances helped the Titans seal up a quality 17th team placing out of 32 teams. Feeding off the momentum of the previous race, the junior varsity girls ran solidly in the junior varsity limited race. Senior Cymone Winters had a solid performance with a run of 15:40. The frosh / soph race which was ran solo by Freshman Silvia Kambouridis, who killed it with a top 50 finish. Her time of 15:03 put her in the conversation for Varsity consideration for the rest of the season. In the frosh soph boys race sophomore Owen Klein led the way for the young Titans with a 13:12 time for the 2 mile race. Freshman Durrell Freeman in his first 2 mile race of the season braved the windy conditions and ran a time of 14:03. And in the last race of the day for the Titans Junior newcomer Adrian Torres repped hard for the Titans with a time of 14:13.
Skyline High School
Titans Cross Country 2018
Titan Time Trial
Lake Temescal, Oakland, CA
August 25, 2018
First Race at Lake Temescal for the Titans Ever! Scott PR’s by 7 Minutes!
The first time the Titans ran what is growing into becoming the new home course of the Oakland Section Finals, known to many Titans as OUR home course. The morning was sunny and nice. The direct sunlight and slight breeze made for great conditions. Although the masses barbecuing and Northern California fires made the air quality less than ideal
Highlights
The race started promptly at 9:00 AM with a sea of Titans charging down the trail. Senior Jacob Hackett (18:12) went right to the front and didn’t look back taking his first individual W of the season. Junior Eleanor Wikstrom (18:42) after a conservative start placed 2nd overall. Both of these Titan set the unofficial course record. Junior Emmett O’Brien (20:56) in hist first cross race back from major injury looked strong with a promising season ahead of him. Senior Jess Hutcheson-Wilcox (21:48) closed the downhill last mile portion of the race incredibly fast (2:43) for an 8th place finish. Sophomore transfer Andrew Scannell (22:53) ran his first race as a Titan. Sophomore Havana Rooke (24:40) and junior Maya Nichols (24:40) worked well together to run sub 8 minute pace. Freshman sensation Silvia “WontGiveUp” Kambouridis (25:19) had an explosive run laying the foundation for an incredible first year. Freshman Bryce James (26:55) had a very consistent 5k displaying high race IQ. Junior Bailey Brothers (31:21) looked strong after a few short weeks of training, she is looking at a strong upcoming season. Junior PR Master Monkaia Scott (33:00) ran 7 minutes faster than her sophomore season best and ran 15 minutes faster than her last season race opener. Junior Cezar Rojas (38:38) ran a consistent race pushing all the way through the 3.1 miles.
Welcome to the 2018 XC Season!
Things you need to know:
All student athletes need a physical on THIS form before they start any running
There are no try outs on cross country, just come out and run
We do not cut based on ability, as long as your attend and give your best you are on the team!
Practice is 6 days a week
If you have any questions contact Coach Kohles at seankohles@gmail.com
Foot Locker West Regional Cross Country Championships
Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA
December 2, 2017
Wikstrom and Berrol Medal! Pattillos Sets Course PR!
Foot Locker West is a pre-national meet at the historic Mt. SAC course. Mt. SAC is often called the most difficult course in California, although all Oakland kids know that isn’t true. It is very difficult nonetheless. The course was slightly altered due to some stadium construction, so times were slightly slower than normal. It was very chilly in the morning, but nice by race time.
Highlights
The races ran by grade, boys first and girls after. Sophomore Eleanor Wikstrom (19:29.8) finished her record-setting season with yet another school record (Diana Choi - 2003) and a 4th place finish, which is the best a Skyline athlete has done at this meet. The junior boys were represented by Jacob Hackett (17:59.7) and Daniel Perry (18:15.8). They ran very competitively aggressive races, Hackett starting out strong to earn the #5 Titan performance all-time and Perry moving up over 20 places throughout the race. Senior Diana Pattillos (22:30.9) was the only Titan representing who had run this course before (2015). She broke her previous time by 18 seconds on a much slower course. The final Titan race of the day was the senior boys. Avshalom Berrol (17:41.4) placed 43rd, earning a medal and making him the second fastest Skyline senior to run the course. Donald Liu (18:15.9) followed, placing 75th out of 340 boys.
Titan Pride!
California State Cross Country Championships
Woodward Park, Clovis, CA
November 25, 2017
Wikstrom Sets School Record! Majority of Boys PR!
For its 30th running, the CIF State Championships were held among the rolling hills of Woodward Park. Race day conditions were cool, sunny, and nice.
Highlights
The varsity boys started the day with senior Avshalom Berrol (17:06.7 #22 AT) tumbling into the fastest race of the day, the Division I boys. Berrol was jostled into an early-race spill but was still able to tough it out and lead the varsity squad for a season best 23 seconds faster than his Clovis Invitational time. Berrol moved up 25 spots after passing the mile mark. He was followed closely by juniors Daniel Perry (17:33.7 #38 AT) and Jacob Hackett (17:44.6 #46 AT), who worked well together, moving up over 10 spots in the second mile. Perry took 10 seconds off his Clovis time and Hackett 37 seconds. Senior Donald Liu (17:56.8 #55 AT) took 1:21 off his Clovis time, running a very measured race and being a pillar of consistency for his teammates. Senior Derrick Naidu (18:57.0 #62 AT) ran a lifetime best by 30 seconds. He has been a reliable #6 all season, but for the 2nd week in a row, his team needed a 5 and he was there to deliver a powerful performance. Junior Leonardo Brennan (18:57.0 #81 AT) battled through some lower leg pain to finish 6th for the Titans. Rounding out the Titan team was junior Bryce Harrison (19:17.9 #89 AT), who set a lifetime best. Running directly after the boys in the Division II girls race were sophomore Eleanor Wikstrom (18:55.2 #1 AT) and senior Diana Pattillos (21:58.3 #51 AT). Wikstrom set the Skyline school record, breaking that of Emily Dixon (19:04 in 1996). This 21 year-old record has stood 25 seconds ahead of any opposing time until now. With this school record time, Wikstrom placed 36th in the race, which is the 3rd best placing in school history. Pattillos followed, breaking her previous state time by 1 minute and 34 seconds and moving up throughout the entire race.
Most Improved (vs. Clovis)
Diana Pattillos - 2:31
Donald Liu - 1:21
Outstanding Performance
Eleanor Wikstrom (18:55.2)
Avshalom Berrol (17:06.7)
Titan Pride!
Oakland Section Finals
Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland, CA
November 18, 2017
Boys Reclaim Title! Berrol Individual Champion! Girls 2nd Place! Wikstrom Sets School Record!
For the 20th year in a row, Oakland Section Finals was held at Joaquin Miller Park, arguably the most brutal course in the state of California. It was muddy from heavy rain earlier in the week, but race day was sunny and nice. Conditions were solid for competition, and the Titans came to compete. The boys ran the 3rd fastest team time in school history and the girls the 8th fastest.
Highlights
The varsity boys started the race in dominant Titan fashion. Led by senior Avshalom Berrol (19:00 #8 AT, #8 Sr), the boys started out with 6 in the top 10. Berrol took 56 seconds off his 3rd place time from 2016, taking the victory this year by over 20 seconds. Juniors Leonardo Brennan (19:31 #10 AT, #5 Jr), Jacob Hackett (19:54), and Daniel Perry (21:03), and senior Donald Liu (20:10) ran as a pack to greatly out-strength their opponents. Brennan took a spill mid-race and was still able to tough it out for a 3rd place finish, followed closely by Hackett and Liu, placing 4 Titans in the top 5. Senior Derrick Naidu (21:01) ran a tactically wonderful race, staying just behind his teammates. Naidu took 2 minutes off his time from 2016 (and 7 minutes off his 2015 time) to place himself in the top 10 and seal the win for the Titans. Junior Bryce Harrison (22:06) ran strong, finishing almost 90 seconds before ANY other 7th runner, displaying the depth of the mighty Titans. The Lady Titans ran next, led by sophomore Eleanor Wikstrom (21:23 #1 AT, #1 So), who placed second overall and destroyed the school record by 31 seconds as only a 10th grader (beating the sophomore record by 2:35). She was followed by senior Diana Pattillos (24:53 #10 Sr), who has had a season of continuous improvement which didn’t stop today and, because of her 8th place finish and state bid, will continue next week in Fresno! Freshman Emma Pitstick (26:28 #8 Fr) was in a fierce battle with the Unity #1, until she broke her on the hills (so badly that 3 more Titans caught her). Junior Ariella Katzman (27:29) was able to fight through major back pain and land a 12th place finish. Sophomore Hannah Sanchez (28:02) and senior Aminah Yeargin (28:07) worked very well together to move up spots on the hill loops, passing all the opposition in front of them and sealing the 2nd place finish for the Titans. Freshman Lauren Mitchell (29:13) had a speedy finish to kick down the Unity #2.
Most Improved (vs. 2016)
Eleanor Wikstrom -1:08
Derrick Naidu -2:00
Outstanding Performance
Eleanor Wikstrom (21:23)
Avshalom Berrol (19:00)
Titan Pride!
Oakland Section Write Up.docxOakland City Finals
Junior Varsity Section Finals & Varsity League Finals
Skyline High School, Oakland, CA
November 4, 2017
Junior Varsity Boys Section Champions! Varsity Boys League Champions! M. Nichols Wins Junior Varsity Race!
This was the first race at Skyline this season. It was a dreary morning that turned into a warm afternoon, with the first race shooting off at 1:30 PM. There were a lot of talented athletes present, but the Titans proved that they are still be a force in Oakland cross country.
Highlights
The boys junior varsity race was first, with both the scoring and unlimited divisions running at the same time. Senior Kweka Bor (19:47) placed second in the race after a very competitive duel with a rival Bulldog. This was the beginning of a long day of heated Skyline / Technical competition. Sophomore Lucas MacHardy (20:06) secured the next scoring spot for the Titans. He was followed closely by senior Oscar Miguel (20:12) who literally only had an 8-minute warm up after taking the SAT. Sophomore Steven “Speedy” Phan (21:00) ran a very strong race after being added to the team at the very last minute, taking 1:33 of his 5k time. Junior Hong Tan (21:28) pushed through severe pain to seal the 27-32 win over Technical. Rounding out the team were seniors Edi Pablo (22:06) and Adrian Balatbat (22:29). The unlimited boys were the most dominant force of the day, placing all 7 athletes before every other runner (with the exception of one misplaced varsity boy). Junior Jess Hutcheson-Wilcox (21:09) ran the fastest time of his season by 2:37. Sophomore Ricky “Jr” Liu (21:33) set his 5k PR by 1:33. Juniors Jeff Mai (21:51) and Alvin Yu (21:52) worked well together throughout the race to make huge personal improvements. Junior Kevin Liu (22:34) worked through immense shoulder pain to set a season best by over 3 minutes. Rounding out the team were junior Darren Son (22:35) and senior Haomin Liu (22:51), who also displayed great teamwork by running a majority of the race together. The junior varsity girls started 5 minutes after the boys. Sophomore Maya Nichols (24:23) ran a very tactical race to claim the victory. Sophomore Nisaa Yeargin (27:12) beat her Skyline course time from 2016 by over 4 minutes. Sophomore Bailey Brothers (27:25) broke her 5k PR from earlier in the season by almost 6 minutes, placing in the top 10. Sophomore Wendy Matias Berduo (27:25), in her 5k debut, ran almost as fast as her 3-mile time. She was followed closely by senior Irma Matias (27:41), who was the final Skyline scorer, and sophomore Asata Spencer (28:00), who took 3:29 off her previous 5k race time. In the unlimited division, Skyline was represented by freshman Cecilia Maldonado (29:34) and sophomore Monkaia Scott (44:00), who took 6:51 and 5:54 off their previous times, respectively. The varsity girls ran next, led by sophomore Eleanor Wikstrom (19:14), who set the Skyline course record, taking it from Clarisse Wikstrom (20:07 - 2016). She was followed by senior Diana Pattillos (22:07), who took 2:21 off her 5k season best. Junior Ariella Katzman (22:54) and freshman Emma Pitstick (22:07) ran well together for the whole race. Pitstick had a major kick, running two Technical girls down at the line. Sophomore Hannah Sanchez (26:02) did a great job of setting up teammates Lauren Mitchell (25:44 - freshman) and Aminah Yeargin (25:55 - senior). In the final Titan race of the day, the varsity boys defended their league title for the 3rd year in a row. The group was lead by senior Avshalom Berrol (17:16), winning his first XC league championship. Junior Leonardo Brennan (17:48) placed 3rd, taking 3:11 of his Skyline time from 2016. Fellow junior Daniel Perry (18:00) ran close behind him for a 5th place finish, leading a string of Titans. Junior Jacob Hackett (18:31) placed 6th, senior Donald Liu (18:36) placed 7th to seal the win, and senior Derrick Naidu (18:38) took over a minute off his 2016 Skyline time. Rounding out the team was junior Bryce Harrison (19:39), who placed 12th out of 30 athletes.
Most Improved 5k
Cecilia Maldonado (-6:51)
Alvin Yu (-2:26)
Most Improved Course
Nisaa Yeargin (-4:12)
Leonardo Brennan (-3:21)
Outstanding Performance
Eleanor Wikstrom (19:14)
Avshalom Berrol (17:16)
Titan Pride!
Crab Cove Regional Meet
Vs. Unity, Fremont, Bay Tech, Life, Lionel Wilson, CCPA, and John Henry
Crab Cove, Alameda, CA
October 28, 2017
Junior Varsity Boys Take Top 12 Spots! Junior Varsity Girls Take Top 6 Spots!
Crab Cove was the final regional meet of the season. A chilly morning was not enough to stop the Titans from performing tremendously. The Crab Cove course was slightly muddy but not enough to put a damper on the times. The Titans won all divisions handedly.
Highlights
The setup of this regional meet was different from the last one. It was broken down into 3 different races with about 6 teams in each race. All the varsity and junior varsity athletes in our race ran at one time. The boys ran first at 9:25 and the girls followed closely at 9:30. The Titans greatly outnumbered all other team in depth and performance. The varsity boys did not run any seniors so 3 of the junior varsity boys had to step up. Skyline finished all 6 of the varsity runners in the top 7. This team ran 1 minute and 13 seconds faster collectively than the Skyline varsity team of 2016. Junior Leonardo Brennan (17:11) won the race, beating the closest non-Skyline athlete by 1:42. Junior Bryce Harrison (19:02) finished 4th for the Titans, followed closely by sophomore duo Emmett O’Brien (19:10) and Lucas MacHardy (19:40). The junior varsity boys were the most dominate force of the day. Every Skyline runner finished before ANY opposing first runner. The group was lead by senior Kweka “KB” Bor (18:34) who improved his 3 mile time from last week by 48 seconds. Sophomore Steven Phan (21:17) placed 5th sealing with win for the Titans. Sophomore Ricky “Jr” Liu (21:40) placed 7th with a very solid race. Junior Kevin Liu (23:10) was the final finisher for the Titans beating his closest opponent by almost 2 minutes. The varsity girls race was a face off against the closest ranked team below Skyline, and they handled it easily, winning 20-37. The freshman duo for Skyline had huge PR’s. Emma Pitstick (22:32) placed 3rd overall and took 21 seconds off her 3 mile time from last week. Lauren Mitchell (24:16) had a stellar performance, bettering her time from last week by a minute and 7 seconds. The junior varsity girls team was a commanding force as well. Placing 6 in the top 6 their team time was the 3rd fastest girls time of the day (including all other varsity teams). Sophomore Wendy Matias Berduo (27:17.79) and senior Yesica Martinez (28:06) had their cross country race debut and ran like seasoned veterans, beating all other opponents in the race.
Most Improved
Lauren Mitchell -1:07
Kweka Bor - 0:48
Outstanding Performance
Eleanor Wikstrom (19:19.91)
Leonardo Brennan (17:11.54)
Titan Pride!
34th Annual P. Wilder-Mariner Invitational
Hayward High School, Hayward, CA
October 21, 2017
Nearly All Titans Run Fastest Times of Season! E. Wikstrom Holds Own Against Bay’s Top Girls! Varsity Boys All Run Sub 7-Min Pace!
After bearing through days of hampered training from heavy smoke pollution, the Titans were able to stretch their muscle at the vaunted Hayward High course. Sunny blue skies, a slight breeze, and breathable air welcomed a day full of PRs for the Titans.
Highlights
The Varsity Girls started the morning off on the right foot. Leading the charge was the Varsity Girls where sophomore Eleanor Wikstrom (18:02.38) ran a striking race against some of the top girls in the East Bay and grabbed 8th place in her race. Wikstrom also blew out the school record for this course by four minutes! Next to etch her name into the record books was senior Diana Pattillos (21:06.79). Pattillos continued her recent successes and set the senior record and snatched the all-time 2nd fastest mark for the course. Junior Ariella Katzman (22:06.86) was not far behind, running just a few seconds shy of the junior school record. Freshman Emma Pitstick (22:53.79) and sophomore Hannah Wohl-Sanchez (23:20.52) were quick to follow. Pitstick set the freshman course record and Wohl-Sanchez snatched 9th place on the list of Skyline all-time marks for the course. The Varsity Boys continued the trend with all five of the scoring varsity runners earning spots on the Skyline all-time top ten list for the course. Seasoned veteran Bryce Harrison (18:26.28) led the top chunk of his teammates to sub-nineteen-minute performances! Harrison himself ran the second fastest course time in school record. Sophomore Emmett O’Brien’s (18:27.69) impressive race set the school’s sophomore record. Sophomore Lucas MacHardy (18:54.14) took 5th place on the all-time list followed closely by senior Oscar Miguel (18:56.46) who set the senior course record. Junior Hong Tan (20:02.54) and freshman Owen Klein (20:26.43) made their varsity debuts and rounded out the team’s collective sub-seven-minute pace effort. Next for the Titans were the Junior Varsity Girls. All of the Titans on this squad improved their race paces compared to their last races. Led by freshman Lauren Mitchell (25:23:00), the team set some notable personal records. Sophomores Asata Spencer (27:02.46) and Bailey Brothers (27:43.42) both improved their race paces by over a minute. Freshman Cecilia Maldonado (29:56.09) cracked the thirty-minute barrier. Sophomore Monkaia Scott (39:52.59) stepped up for a stirring race, shaving almost 2:30 off of her race-pace and a nine-minute improvement over her previous race! In the Junior Varsity Boys race seniors Edi Pablo (20:12.17) and Adrian Balatbat (20:38.46) raced up front and knocked off significant chunks of time compared to their last races almost a month prior. Junior Jeff Mai (21:06.63) had his season debut with a stupendous career best for a three-mile race. Fellow juniors Jess Hutcheson-Wilcox (21:07.28) and Alvin Lu (21:43.62) ran over 30-seconds faster per mile than at the Clovis Invite, with Hutcheson-Wilcox posting the largest improvement of the team from Clovis by 2:41. In the final race of the day sophomores Bryant Khao (15:14.75), Steven Phan (15:23.51), and Ricky Liu (15:26.21) ran a tight race, working together to put on average 100 positions between each of them and their closest Oakland Section competition.
Most Improved
Monkaia Scott - 2:28/mile
Edi Pablo - 0:43/mile
Outstanding Performance
Eleanor Wikstrom (18:02.38)
Bryce Harrison (18:26.28)
Titan Pride!
Yoshaany Rahm Invitational
Ukiah High School, Ukiah, CA
October 21, 2017
Varsity Boys Win! The Whole Scoring 5 Finish in the Top 10!
The Ukiah course is hilly and tough but the Titans showed that Oakland can run hills well if not better than the teams of hilly Northern California. The weather was warm and perfect for running.
Highlights
This was the first appearance ever for the Titans at the Yoshaany Rahm Invitational. Entering as an unknown team they made their statement early. From the start of the race the Titans were utterly dominating of the field with all 6 of the competing Titans in the top 15. As the race progressed the locals started commenting about how out-of-towners don’t know how to run the tough course, and the Skyline kids would crack. As the race continued, the Titans proved to be uncrackable. Senior Avshalom Berrol (17:48) was in a solid 2nd place the whole race. Junior Leonardo Brennan (18:07) who was coming back of an injury ran a very tactical race for a 3rd place finish. Junior duo Jacob Hackett (18:16) and Daniel Perry (18:18) worked together through the whole race for a solid 6th and 7th place finish. Locking down the win with an 8th place finish was senior Derrick Naidu (18:49) who ran a very solid race finishing only 61 seconds behind Berrol making him the 5th runner for Skyline and he beat every other team's 3rd runners. Rounding out the team was senior Donald Liu (19:07) placing 11th of over 50 athletes.
Most Improved
Donald Liu (19:07)
Outstanding Performance
Avshalom Berrol (17:48)
Titan Pride!
Oyster Bay Regional Meet
Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline, San Leandro, CA
September 23, 2017
N. Yeargin Sets a PR By 1:21! Miguel Runs Sub-7 Minute Pace! Varsity Boys 2nd Place!
The Oyster Bay course was new to the Titans, as the OAL did not run at this location last year. Along with sunny blue skies and 70 degree weather, the wind stayed down to make for very good race conditions.
Highlights
The varsity boys started the day out at 9:00 AM sharp. 6 of the usual suspects sat out this week, but the JV boys stepped up. Senior Derrick Naidu (19:25.83) led the group through a solid first mile and closed his final loops just fast enough to set a personal best. Junior Bryce Harrison (19:52.80) dipped under 20 minutes for the first time over 5000 meters. Sophomore Emmett O’Brien (20:28.31) had a huge run, closing his final mile in 6:24 to finish in 10th place overall. The varsity girls ran at 9:45 AM as the day started to warm. Senior team captain Diana Pattillos (23:11.05) ran a very solid race, leading a string of Titans through the finish line and sealing a 2nd place finish for the team. Junior Ariella Katzman (24:12.33) ran her first race of the season. Rounding out the team was sophomore Mina Robitaille (28:17.89), who ran a very consistent race for a 23rd place finish out of 71 girls. The combined junior varsity race was the final competition of the day for the Titans. Senior Oscar Miguel (21:22.43) finished first for the Titans with a sub-7 minute average pace. Owen Klein (22:40.87) was the first freshman to finish in the race, pacing very consistently and finishing with a final mile of 7:10. Junior Alvin Yu (24:19.43) made his XC debut, placing 25th of 64 boys in the race. On the girls side, junior Irma Matias (30:30.49) made her cross country debut, placing 9th in the race. Running in a solid trio for the first mile were sophomores Bailey Brothers (32:04.59), Asata Spencer (33:14.93) and freshman Cecilia Maldonado (36:33.74).
Most Improved
Nisaa Yeargin - 1:21
Bryce Harrison - 0:46
Outstanding Performance
Diana Pattillos (23:11.05)
Derrick Naidu (19:25.83)
Titan Pride!
3rd Annual Oakland Section Cross Country Invitational
Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland, CA
September 16, 2017
Berrol Wins First Race of Season! JV Boys Blow Out Competition! Pitstick 2nd Place With Sub 30 Performance!
The 3rd Annual Oakland Section Invitational was the largest it has ever been, with over 160 athletes competing! The Skyline Titans showed they are still a dominant force in Oakland cross country. Both the boys teams won, and the individual winners in 3 of the 4 divisions were Titans. The weather was warm and ripe for racing. Sunny skies and a home team cheering squad made for great conditions.
Highlights
The varsity boys started the day with an outstanding solo performance by senior team captain Avshalom Berrol (19:45.1 #10 Sr). Berrol was followed by a 2-3-4 Skyline finish led by junior Jacob Hackett (20:20.0). Senior Ricky Fong (21:47.8) had a very strong race to round out the varsity team in 9th place. The varsity girls ran at 9:45 with another solid solo performance for the Titans by sophomore Eleanor Wikstrom (22:11.9 #3 AT, #1 So). She was followed by sophomore Hannah Sanchez (30:20.6), who persevered through pain and stepped up to be the team’s number two finisher. Close behind was senior Aminah Yeargin (31:17.7). Working well with A. Yeargin for much of the race was sophomore Maya Nichols (31:48.1) in her 2017 XC debut. Rounding out the team was sophomore Nisaa Yeargin (34:45.4). In a team of 5, there was no room for error by any of these ladies, and they each ran solid races to earn a second place team finish. In the most dominant team performance of the day, the Titan junior varsity boys claimed 14 out of the top 20 places, and 10 of the top 12. The team was led by junior Bryce Harrison (22:32.4), running a very impressive first hill loop, and senior Kweka Bor (22:25.1), in his XC race debut. Junior Hong Tan (25:57.9) made his XC season debut after not racing for almost 7 months. Senior Oscar Miguel (25:25.4) and freshman Owen Klein (26:40.4) worked well together for much of the race in their own XC debuts. Junior Darrin Son (29:46.8) dipped under 30 minutes in his first XC race. The final race of the day was the junior varsity girls, shooting off at 11:15 AM. Freshman Emma Pitstick (29:38.8) ran a phenomenal race, placing second in only her second race of the season. She was followed by fellow freshman Lauren Mitchell (33:34.7), who moved up 3 spots throughout the race.
Most Improved
Aminah Yeargin - 4:41
Haomin Lu - 5:54
Outstanding Performance
Eleanor Wikstrom (22:11.9 #3 AT, #1 So)
Avshalom Berrol (19:45.1 #10 Sr)
Titan Pride!
93% of Titans set a best vs. last season!!!
Improvement from 2016:
0-30 sec: Avshi, Eleanor
31-60 sec: Jacob, Speedy
61-90 sec: Donald, Bryce, Emmett, Lucas
1:31-2:00 - Hong
2 min plus: Leo (3:31), Bryant (4:05), Ricky F (4:21), Aminah (4:21), Haomin (5:54)
33rd Annual Ed Sias Cross Country Invitational
Hidden Valley Park, Martinez, CA
September 9, 2017
E. Wikstrom Sets School Record! Every Titan who ran in 2016 sets a new PR! Varsity Boys Smallest Spread in History!
A very exciting start of the season for the Skyline Titans. The Titans traveled to Martinez, CA to compete in the Ed Sias Invitational. The weather was warm, especially for the final races of the day. The competition was tough, but the Titans were ready.
Highlights
The junior varsity boys started out the day for the Titans and ran the 2nd fastest JV team time in school history, led by juniors Bryce Harrison (13:02.1) and Jess Hutcheson-Wilcox (13:57.6). Hutcheson-Wilcox improved his time from last season by 1:15. He was followed by junior Kevin Liu (14:37.0), who had a very aggressive start. Junior Adrian Balatbat (15:02.9) and senior Edi Pablo (15:10.6) worked together well throughout the two miles. Senior duo Haomin Lu (15:39.0) and Beverly Bibiano (16:14.7) rounded out the team. Lu bested his 2016 time by 1:47, and Bibiano made his XC debut. The frosh / soph boys ran next for the Titans, led by power sophomore duo Emmett O’Brien (13:22.7) and Lucas MacHardy (13:52.4), who worked together well for the majority of the race. O’Brien had the largest boys PR of the day, taking off a whopping 2:14 from his 2016 time. Also running as a solid pair were sophomores Steven Phan (15:18.3) and Ricky Liu (15:19.8). The excitement did not stop there. The varsity boys closed out the male races with a dynamic performance. With a 1-5 spread of 37 seconds, they had the smallest team spread in Skyline history at Ed Sias. Their team time was just under an hour, making them the 5th fastest varsity team in school history (and the fastest team since 2009). They were led by senior team captain Donald Liu (11:37.6), who was followed closely by junior Leonardo Brennan (11:45.1). Close behind were juniors Daniel Perry (11:53.4) and Jacob Hackett (11:56.3), both running very controlled races to dip under 12 minutes. Rounding out the team were senior team captain Derrick Naidu (12:15.5) and senior Ricky Fong (12:29.7), who sealed the 7th place finish for the Titans. The first female Titan race of the day was the varsity girls. Sophomore Eleanor Wikstrom (12:28.4) placed 3rd overall, breaking the Skyline course record of 12:37 held for 10 years by Amy Cordisco (2007). She was followed by team captain Diana Pattillos (15:31.0), completing her first race back after major time off. Rounding out the team was senior Aminah Yeargin (17:33.0) who bested her previous personal best by 42 seconds. In the final Titan race of the day, the frosh / soph girls represented well. The group was led by sophomore Hannah Sanchez (16:02.2) in her cross country debut, who missed the sophomore top 10 list by only 1 spot. She was followed by freshman Emma Pitstick (17:42.0), who ran fantastic in her own XC debut. Sophomore Nisaa Yeargin (19:20.4) had the biggest improvement of the day for the Titans, taking 6 minutes and 20 seconds off her 2016 time. Rounding out the team - also in her XC debut - was freshman Lauren Mitchell (19:50.2) who kicked someone down for an exhilarating finish!
Most Improved:
Nisaa Yeargin - 6:20
Emmett O’Brien - 2:14
Outstanding Performance:
Eleanor Wikstrom - 12:28.4 (#1 AT)
Donald Liu - 11:37.6 (#26 AT)