The San Dimas Saints completed a rewarding fall cross country season with growth, hard work, and dedication, as they placed 5th overall in league. The Hacienda League included tough competition from schools that included: Alta Loma, Colony, Los Altos, and South Hills High School. From the long and arduous training all year long, the Saints have shown their perseverance as athletes throughout the entire season.
The team completed standout performances with growth, ending their season at League Finals and placing 5th overall. The meet was held at Vernola Park on October 9, 2025. Freshman varsity runner, Derek Luna earned First Team All-League honors, earning him a trip to the CIF Divison 4 competition. Additionally, Sophmore varsity runner, Ella Carranza followed with a strong performance which earned her Second Team All- League honors.
When interviewing Luna, he explained that he was shocked to have made it to CIF. “Being that I was the only one on my team to make it let alone a freshman, it really just made me see how much potential I really had. Sure it’s no Junior Olympics but it shows that I am at least half decent at this sport.”
Carranza adds in, “Earning Second Team-All League was honestly such an honor. It’s really exciting for me because it shows that all of my hard work this season, didn’t go to waste. I’m excited for next year because I feel like I have a real shot at making it to CIF, being that I was so close to making it this year.”
An additional accomplishment achieved by Luna, is that he earned Athlete of the Week for Ocotber 6th-10th. To earn this recognition, he ran a 16:50 time for his 3 mile race at the Hacienda League meet; he placed 7th place overall for varsity. Before this he finished as the runner-up at the Pat Hadley Invitational and 3rd place at the Chaffey Invitational.
The captains for this year’s team were Aditiya Parate (Senior) and Mckayla Arteaga (Junior). They led the team by modeling hard work, commitment, and fostering a strong team bond between the runners. Parate describes his favorite thing about the team as being, “how supportive they are to each other and I hope they continue to do that.” As a captain, Parate mentions that he entered this season with an open mind. He wanted to make sure that everyone met their goals and became the best runner that they could be.
Arteaga chimes in and explains her role as a captain, “I tried to prioritize communication and keeping everyone on the same page. I also focused on making sure the team felt connected by having team bondings, such as going out to eat after meets.” Arteaga describes her favorite memory from this season being when the team put together a senior night dinner at Olive Garden; she felt as though the team really connected by putting it all together.
Senior Ryan Li, who has been on the cross country team all four years of high school, shares how Cross Country has shaped his time at San Dimas. He explains that it has taught him how to have a healthy diet, maintain discipline, and how to push through the pain that comes along with running.
Moreover, he states that most importantly, “it gave me such a loving family that I get to share these moments with.” His advice to the younger runners is simple: “There is always going to be someone who is faster than you, but you’re not competing against them, you’re competing against yourself. There is no need to compare yourself to others.”
Now that the cross country season has come to the end, the team is currently practicing for their upcoming track season that will be in the spring.
