FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunnyvale, CA - The third SCVAL (Santa Clara Valley Athletic League) cross country meet of the 2024 season delivered outstanding performances across both varsity divisions at the challenging Baylands Park course on October 22nd. With 125 boys and 108 girls competing over the demanding 3.1-mile distance, the meet showcased the exceptional depth and talent throughout the league.
Boys Varsity Podium
1st Place
Aydon Stefanopoulos
Los Gatos (Senior)
15:37.5
2nd Place
Sam Hurst
Los Altos (Junior)
15:45.5
3rd Place
Dominic McMahon
Santa Clara (Senior)
15:53.5
Girls Varsity Podium
1st Place
Kinga Czajkowska
Palo Alto (Senior)
18:18.9
2nd Place
Amaya Bharadwaj
Palo Alto (Junior)
18:20.0
3rd Place
Shea Elmore
Los Gatos (Senior)
18:26.2
Boys Varsity Race Highlights
Senior Aydon Stefanopoulos of Los Gatos claimed victory with an impressive 15:37.5, maintaining a consistent 5:02 per mile pace. Los Altos junior Sam Hurst finished strong in second place at 15:45.5, while Santa Clara's senior captain Dominic McMahon rounded out the podium with a 15:53.5 performance. The boys race featured incredible team depth, with Los Altos edging Los Gatos by just one point in the team championship.
Girls Varsity Race Highlights
Palo Alto senior Kinga Czajkowska took the individual title with an outstanding 18:18.9, followed immediately by teammate Amaya Bharadwaj at 18:20.0 - separated by just 1.1 seconds in a thrilling finish. Los Gatos senior Shea Elmore completed the podium with 18:26.2. Despite the individual success from Palo Alto, Los Altos dominated the team competition with an exceptional 34-point performance, showcasing remarkable team depth and consistency.
Meet's Most Remarkable Statistics
- Closest Individual Finish: Girls 1st and 2nd place separated by only 1.1 seconds (Czajkowska 18:18.9, Bharadwaj 18:20.0)
- Closest Team Battle: Boys Los Altos (52 points) vs Los Gatos (53 points) - 1-point margin!
- Most Dominant Team Performance: Girls Los Altos with 34 points and smallest spread of 49.8 seconds
- Sub-16 Minute Elite: Only 3 boys broke 16 minutes (Stefanopoulos, Hurst, McMahon)
- Sub-19 Minute Club (Girls): 12 girls finished under 19:00
- Freshman Phenoms: Tarun Nikhil (Gunn boys) 6th overall, Fiona Lee (Mountain View girls) 16th overall
Team Championship Results
Boys Team Standings
| Rank | Team | Score | Avg Time | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Altos | 52 | 16:19.7 | 1:10.2 |
| 2 | Los Gatos | 53 | 16:22.5 | 1:03.5 |
| 3 | Lynbrook | 106 | 16:47.7 | 0:32.7 |
| 4 | Gunn | 112 | 16:51.1 | 1:30.6 |
| 5 | Mountain View | 157 | 17:11.3 | 0:43.2 |
, CA Girls Team Standings
| Rank | Team | Score | Avg Time | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Altos | 34 | 18:59.4 | 0:49.8 |
| 2 | Los Gatos | 71 | 19:35.4 | 1:52.4 |
| 3 | Palo Alto | 80 | 19:43.2 | 2:29.6 |
| 4 | Mountain View | 125 | 20:24.3 | 2:18.2 |
| 5 | Lynbrook | 142 | 20:43.7 | 1:38.7 |
Girls Champions: Los Altos Eagles
Score: 34 points
Average Time: 18:59.4
Scoring: Soobrian (4th), Symon (5th), Allanic (6th), Witteles (7th), Lewis (12th)
Boys Champions: Los Altos Eagles
Score: 52 points
Average Time: 16:19.7
Scoring: Hurst (2nd), Kadiyala (5th), Halpin (8th), Sijstermans (11th), Barbou-des-Places (26th)
Age Group Excellence
Boys Age Group Leaders
Freshman (Grade 9):
1. Tarun Nikhil (Gunn) - 16:10.4 (6th overall)
2. Kevin Sacco (Los Gatos) - 16:35.1
3. Harish Paschapur (Lynbrook) - 16:36.4
Sophomore (Grade 10):
1. Hisham Mohammed (Lynbrook) - 16:29.5 (10th overall)
2. Miles Sijstermans (Los Altos) - 16:34.0
3. Randy Zhong (Gunn) - 16:50.2
Girls Age Group Leaders
Freshman (Grade 9):
1. Fiona Lee (Mountain View) - 19:46.9 (16th overall)
2. Eliana Witteles (Los Altos) - 19:58.5
3. Camden DeOliveira (Mountain View) - 20:29.9
Sophomore (Grade 10):
1. Aziza Acosta (Milpitas) - 19:17.8 (9th overall)
2. Miranda Hsu (Monta Vista) - 19:40.0
3. Yixuan Yang (Lynbrook) - 19:44.3
Key Storylines
- Los Altos Double Championship: The Eagles became the first school to win both varsity team titles at SCVAL #3, demonstrating exceptional program depth across both genders.
- Palo Alto Girls Domination: Despite finishing 3rd in the team standings, Palo Alto claimed the top two individual spots with Czajkowska and Bharadwaj in an epic 1.1-second finish.
- Historic Boys Team Battle: The 1-point margin between Los Altos and Los Gatos represents one of the closest team finishes in recent SCVAL history.
- Freshman Standouts: Both Tarun Nikhil (boys 6th) and Fiona Lee (girls 16th) showcased exceptional talent as first-year high school runners.
- Consistency Champions: Lynbrook boys achieved the smallest team spread (32.7 seconds) while Los Altos girls dominated with the smallest spread (49.8 seconds) and lowest team score.
Complete Meet Statistics
Boys Varsity
- Participants: 125 runners
- Sub-17:00 Performances: 42 runners
- Average Winning Time: 15:37.5
- Winning Margin: 8.0 seconds
Girls Varsity
- Participants: 108 runners
- Sub-20:00 Performances: 43 runners
- Average Winning Time: 18:18.9
- Winning Margin: 1.1 seconds
The SCVAL cross country season continues to build exceptional momentum as teams prepare for league championships and CCS (Central Coast Section) qualifying meets. The performances at Baylands Park demonstrate the remarkable competitive depth across both genders in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting championship season.
For complete results and additional meet information, visit LynbrookSports.com