History was made on Saturday, November 18, as six members of the Pacifica Christian Girl's Varsity Cross Country team raced in the CIF-SS Division 5 finals, a first for the Girl's program and the farthest any cross country team has gone in school history. According to sixth-year Head Coach, Josh Espinoza the goals for the day were simple, "run your best, and the rest will take care of itself". The Tritons did just that. Running a modified course at Mt. San Antonio College due to rain over the weekend, the Orange and Navy ran one of their best overall team races of the year, and by doing so, made history again by clinching a spot in the CIF State Finals next weekend in Fresno, California. "I couldn't be prouder of how the girls raced today," said Head Coach Josh Espinoza. "Being at the Southern Section Championship was an honor, and our entire coaching staff is excited and looking forward to competing in a CIF State Championship Final next weekend."

 

Just 24 months ago the Pacifica Christian Girls Cross Country team was a team of four, not enough for a full team, but a group that had the makings of an up-and-coming program. That year the program gained freshman standout Ashley Gundlach, currently a Junior, who helped bring stability and consistency to a program that had just lost three significant seniors the year before. That same year, the team saw the additions of now Juniors Akyli Maze and Katie Fischer, who were significant pieces for the program to maintain its competitiveness, as it looked to grow and compete at the top of the Division 5 table. 

 

"We have always wanted strong girls cross country program at Pacifica Christian", said Director of Athletics & Student Life Brandon Gonzalez. "Our boy's program has been consistent and competitive over the years, and I am excited to see all the good work Coach Espinoza has done to grow the girl's cross country program paying off." During the 2022 Cross Country Season, the program continued to grow. Adding a handful of new freshmen, the Tritons made history by finishing third in a very competitive San Joaquin League, therefore qualifying for the CIF-SS Prelims. While they did not advance past the CIF-SS Prelims, it was a huge accomplishment and showed a promising future for a program that had no upperclassmen. 

 

Looking at the current 2023 Cross Country season, it was two years of dedication and hard work paying off. New additions to the team this year are Sophmore Lila Glidewell and Freshman Azaio Maze who were part of the core six who ran today with still, a very bright future as the program only loses one senior.  The Orange and Navy finished the year ranked #10 in the final CIF-SS Division 5 polls out of 205 schools in the division. The girls finished in the top three from the San Joaquin League, reached the CIF-SS Finals, and advanced as a top seven team in Division 5 to compete in the CIF State Finals in Fresno on Saturday, November 25. Out of the top seven that qualified for state, three of those schools were from the San Joaquin League, making it the most represented and competitive league in the division. 

 

On top of having an unprecedented year as a team, the Cross Country program also came home with a CIF-SS Division 5 Individual Championship with Senior Ella Murray bringing home the gold with a time of 17.52. This past season Ella has helped elevate the Girls Cross Country program. During her senior season, Murray had a first-place finish at the Triton Invitational, 1st Team All-League, Individual League Championship, a CIF-SS Top 10 ranking, 1st Team All CIF, and an Individual CIF-SS Division 5 Champion. Ella is also a highly sought-after recruit, being recruited by a handful of NCAA II Universities, including Vanguard University, Concordia University, and Biola University.