Yesterday, our boys Cross Country team won league for the first time since 1990. The team was ranked ninth and knocked off Redwood, who was ranked sixth in the valley. The boys struggled against Redwood all year and beat them in the league championship, and now Coach Salas believes the rest of the season looks promising. If the boys make it to state it would be the third time he has led a team to the state championship.

Salas mentions “It feels good now to beat my alma mater,” he said, since this is the first year his team has outperformed them during his coaching career. Coach Salas is now in his eighth year of coaching and this season has been one of the strongest. Coach Salas takes pride in joining the team every day as they run six to seven miles.

Notably, Coach Salas is an accomplished runner, and actually ran Division 1 Cross Country at UC Davis (where he earned his college degree). He also won in his age group for the 2025 Porterville Veterans Day 5ooo Meter Run.

For Mr. Salas, the best part of coaching the Porterville High Cross Country teams has been building them into a respected and competitive program. He pushes them to stay consistent, work hard and to show up on race day ready to perform. Many runners who have moved on to the next level credit Coach Salas for helping them reach their goals.

When interviewed, superstar runner Aaron Rankin shared his mindset heading into the final stretch of the season. “Right now I’m just coming off an injury, so the biggest goal for me is building my fitness back to where it was,” he explained, emphasizing that personal improvement is his main focus.

When asked about dropping times with the team fighting for a spot at state, Rankin added, “At this point in the season, the time itself isn’t what matters. It’s all about placement and beating as many runners as possible.” After his impressive time of 19:19 in the 5000 meter race his motivation hasn’t wavered. “My teammates and I push each other past our limits every day, and seeing how well everybody is running right now, it’s hard not to get fired up and chase a PR in the upcoming races,” Rankin said.

Our top runner is junior Isaac Saravia, who has put up impressive times like a 16:08 three mile at the Kingsburg Invite and a 9:28 two mile at the Clovis Invite. We also have freshman Jayden Yacuta who brings a strong competitive edge to the team. Even though his main sport is wrestling Coach Salas says that running will build his endurance and help him in the long run.

Next year the Cross Country team is switching from EYL to CYC.

Congratulations, runners! We would like to recognize all our boys and girls Cross Country athletes who ran their hearts out this season and threw it down on the track:

• Miguel Aldaco

• Ivan Almanza

• Esteban Alvarez

• Leslie Bedolla

• Jose Bernal

• Anahi Ceballos

• Jason Chavez

• Perla Estrella

• Rodolfo Gomez

• Alonso Gutierrez

• Jesus Jimenez

• Nicolas Jimenez

• Alex Leon

• Valeria Lopez

• Daisy Maldonado

• Heriberto Martinez

• Giselle Orosco

• Manuel Perez

• Aaron Rankin

• Akira Rodriguez

• Angelo Ruiz

• Lesly Ruvalcaba

• David Sanchez

• Isaac Saravia

• Zaiden Suarez

• Jaden Yacuta