Aydon Stefanopoulos gave it his all at the Central Coast Section Cross Country Championships for boys in Division II a year ago, but he only came in second.
The senior star from Los Gatos High School left a lot to spare on Nov. 16, but he still set a personal record (PR) of 14:51.8 and won his first CCS title at the 3.95-mile Crystal Springs course in Belmont.
Stefanopoulos is the defending Division II winner and will be competing in the CIF State Championships at Fresno’s Woodward Park on November 30. Because he is so fit, Stefanopoulos thinks he can beat last year’s winning time of 14:58.4.
He said, “I’m not going to say how many times, but I’m ready to run fast at state.”
Stefanopoulos beat Yosef Berhan of Piedmont Hill in the last 400 meters of the CCS Championships to win by 3.7 seconds and set the fourth fastest time of the day across all five classes.
For those keeping track, that’s more than 500 participants. Two runners broke the Crystal Springs race record that day, and Stefanopoulos, who was quick on his feet, couldn’t help but think about what might have happened if he had drained his tank.
He said, “My whole plan was to run just enough to win.” “I would have liked to do more, but the race wasn’t about getting a boost for my pride.” It’s enough for me, and I’ll take what I can get.
It was a little sad to see someone else break a record because I didn’t want to run my heart out in front of the state. I knew I could have gone much faster, but I chose not to. It was better for me.
Stefanopoulos’ main goal in CCS was to win, stay fit, and get ready for his biggest goal of the season: to win the state title again.
The boys’ team from Los Gatos came in fourth, just 10 spots behind Piedmont Hills for the third and final spot in the state tournament.
Stefanopoulos said that most of the team was sick, which significantly slowed them down. Other than Flynn Merriman (25th in 16 minutes flat) and Conrad St.
Dennis (28th in 16:04.3), no other Los Gatos runner made it into the top 30. The rest of the team’s points came from senior Adam Wang and youngster Kevin Sacco.
“It’s sad that we missed what would have been our last chance to go to state together,” Stefanopoulos said.
The Los Gatos girls are also going back to the State Championships after failing to make it in 2023. The senior Shea Elmore ran so well that he ended in fourth place in 18:17.7 minutes, and that helped the Wildcats finish third with 127 points.
As it has been all season, Los Gatos’ strong and well-balanced group of runners made the difference. Piper Pyle (29th in 19:37.9) and Elise Greenstreet (27th in 19:30.4) both set new personal records. Seniors Taylor Chesarek and Sarina Salzer-Swartz came in 31st and 32nd, respectively.
Not only did senior Tatum Pyle run well, but so did sophomore Aleida Nunn. They have been very important to the team’s progress this season.
Stefanopoulos told them, “I’m so proud of the girls and happy for them.” “Excited to be going to state with them for sure.”
Stefanopoulos has had a great season. He has won eight of the ten races he has competed in. He came in sixth place at the Asics Clovis Invitational and fourteenth place at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic when he ran his other two races.
In two races, Stefanopoulos ran well against some of the best runners in the country. Because the sport makes people more likely to get hurt, Stefanopoulos has limited his mileage in the hopes that it will keep him fit for his last cross country season.
