Buchanan girls roll to 24th straight conference title, led by a surprising TRAC champion
Buchanan High senior Stefania Sesock – whose busy week included signing a letter of intent to run cross country and track at the University of San Diego – topped it off with a surprise at the TRAC cross country championship meet at Woodward Park on Thursday.
Clovis North senior Carter Spradling got a surprising challenge in the boys race over the 5-kilometer course.
Both were crowned individual champions as teams prepared for the upcoming CIF Central Section championships on Nov. 16 on the same course. The state meet will be Nov. 25, also at Woodward Park.
Sesock missed last season with a broken femur
Sesock, who usually fills Buchanan’s seventh spot, trailed the leaders through the first mile before hitting her stride. Her 17:56.89 winning time was a personal best.
“Going into the race, I did not expect to get first,” said Sesock, who missed last season due to a broken femur. “I just wanted to try my best and just have fun out here with my team. I did that, so it was really rewarding.”
Buchanan head coach Brian Weaver was “pleasantly surprised” by Secock’s victory.
“I’m happy for her senior year. That’s what a senior should do,” said Weaver. “She knows how to run. She knows what to expect.”
Sesock, who led a 1-2-3-4-5 finish to help Buchanan win its 28th conference championship (and 24th in a row), said with her high school cross country career winding down she wanted to attack the course.
“I had a good, solid plan going into this race, and I felt like I just attacked it,” said Sesock. “I tried to stay with my teammates, and it really helped me.”
Sesock felt she had the race won when she ran by the tollbooth about 800 meters from the finish. “It was a weird experience not having people around me, but I knew my teammates would be there for me at the end,” she said.
Junior Sierra Cornett was second in 18:06.12, followed by sophomore Kynzlee Buckley (18:09.11), junior Avery Hutchison (18:29.46), and freshman Molly Sundgren (18:31.8).
“I was excited for the future,” said Sesock. “I was just excited to race because I didn’t get to race it last year.”
No. 1 runner Elle Lomelí, a junior, did not run due to an illness, so Sesock and her teammates filled that role.
Weaver wasn’t that concerned.
“There are some other tough, young ladies out there,” he said. “Anything can happen with the talent those girls have.”
Team depth is a luxury for Buchanan, the defending Division I champion and currently ranked No. 8 in the nation.
Buchanan posted a perfect 15 points to outdistance Clovis North (60 points) and Clovis West (95 points).
Spradling believes he’s rediscovered his top form
Spradling said he has not run well since clocking a 14:08 for three miles at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic on Sept. 16.
Wednesday, he trailed Clovis North senior Teg Pandher through the first two miles before he was able to break away to win in 15:25.42. Pandher was second in 15:32.1.
“I haven’t been 100% the entire season,” said Spradling. “After Woodbridge, I had to take a little bit of time off. Being able to come back, it means something to me. It’s special.”
Last year, Spradling was second in the TRAC championship.
“To come here and do what I came here to do is pretty special,” said Spradling, who closed the gap against Pandler with about half a mile to go.
“There’s no turning back once you get to the tollbooth,” said Spradling.
The Buchanan boys, thanks to placing four runners among the top 10, captured their 11th conference title by squeezing past Clovis East, 45 to 49. Clovis West was a close third with 55 points.
Junior Luke Sanders led Buchanan with a fourth-place finish (15:32.38). Sophomore Jensen Geyer (5th, 15:39.59), junior Max Jauregui (8th, 16:06.07) and junior Deaglan Givan (9th, 16:08.14) helped.
“That was pretty amazing for our boys,” said Weaver. “They just keep working and encouraging each other.”
Freshman Andrew Ray (19th, 16:37.69) played a key role as the fifth-scoring runner for Buchanan. “He was a big scorer for us, which was really important,” said Weaver.