11.30.19 – Capping a trailblazing season, both Menlo cross country teams raced at state with the girls capturing second and the boys taking 15th Saturday at the CIF Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Menlo took second in the state cross country meet Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno. Top row, from left, Kyra Pretre, Charlotte Tomkinson, Pia Gallo. Bottom row, Marissa Castagna, Alexandra McCusker, Cameron Boom, Katie Aufricht, Amanda Foster. Credit: Margot Gallo

A projected Div. IV power, the girls’ cross country team executed to a tee and rose to take silver among the 25 qualifying teams across the state. Senior Kyra Pretre was the top finisher for the Knights, placing 13th in 18:27.2 on the 5,000-meter course. Pretre has qualified for state every season for four years and improved her time from last year by 1:20.
“It was the first year that we were going into the state meet as one of the front-runners, which was a change from the past years when there weren’t a whole ton of expectations, and no one really knew who we were,”Pretre said. “It was also the last high school cross country race for a lot of us, and the last one for this particular team, so I think that made this year even more special than the past ones. Emotions were running high, but I think we did a good job of channeling that into our race in a positive way.”
Menlo senior Kyra Pretre was the Knights' top finisher, leading the Knights to a second-place finish at state. Credit: Steve FosterPretre and fellow senior Charlotte Tomkinson, who is injured, led the Knights to its first CCS title in 2018 and the team followed up adding another section championship and state bid this season.
They are two of a senior quintet which led Menlo to one of its greatest cross-country seasons in school history. Katie Aufricht, Cameron Boom and Amanda Foster were crucial to the team’s success this season and in past seasons, and made sure the Menlo “pack” stayed within arm’s reach. Juniors Alexandra McCusker and Marisa Castagna and sophomore Pia Gallo will be back for Menlo’s title defense.
Menlo juniors Calvin Katz, left, and Kamran Murray led the Knights at the state meet. Credit: Firouzeh Murray“The girls ran it perfectly,” Menlo coach Jorge Chen said. “They were the fourth at Mile 1 and second at Mile 2.”
McCusker, who placed fourth at CCS, was the Knights’ second finisher in 18:47.5. Foster and Boom came in 34th and 37th, respectively, followed by Castagna, Aufricht and Gallo. Menlo had 121 points; Sage Creek of Carlsbad took gold with 44 points, and Lutheran Orange was third with 153.
“As we came across the finish line, we had no clue what place we were in until a few parents started to yell that we were in second place,” McCusker said. “We didn’t know our points or times but we just ran our race to the best of our ability. We ran it for each other and for Jorge, and we’re amazed and so proud that we were able to get second.”
It was the first time both teams qualified for state in the same season.
“This year was truly special because of the team,” said Menlo junior Kamran
Murray, who placed 19th in the boys’ race in 15:56.1. “I can’t say enough my proud I am of each and every one of these boys and girls who race after race, pushed their bodies to the brink for each other, for the team. Having both full teams at state was mind-blowing and made my proud to represent Menlo. Personally, having my team around me helped so much I could warm up and start the race with them instead of doing both alone in my thoughts. Seeing how much work they all have put in to this since June inspires me every day.”
Calvin Katz, also a junior, took 29th in 16:09.1, improving his time from last year’s state meet running for Sacred Heart Prep, by 20 seconds. Justin Pretre, Kyra’s brother and running in his first state meet as a freshman, finished in 16:57.4.
Menlo runners stayed in their own pack in the top fourth of the field. Credit: Robert TomkinsonThe conditions were ideal - cool and the course neither dusty from being too dry nor muddy from rains - a far cry from two years ago at Woodward Park when the heat was an issue.
“This year was, as expected, a fast competitive race,” said Murray, who ran a conservative first mile as planned. “I pushed the second and third miles as much as I could and passed a fair amount of people but unfortunately it just wasn’t my day, and I couldn’t go during that last mile like I wanted to.”
Still, Murray improved his time from 2017 by nearly a half-minute. Seniors Jackson Aldrich and Luke Virsik, who were key to the Knights’ third-place finish at CCS, were the fourth and fifth finishers for Menlo with freshman Aidan Deffner and sophomore Nishan Rajavasireddy coming in next to one another - all reaching PRs.
“It meant so much to toe the line for my last high school cross country meet with this team, and end the season on such a high note,” Kyra Pretre said.