Four freshmen lead Bulldogs to cross country Valley League championship

When Ramona High girls cross country coach Steve Albanese addressed the team at the start of the season, he wasn’t sure what to expect.

 Not only was he taking over for the first time, there were barely enough runners for a full varsity squad (seven). He didn’t even recognize most of them.

 That’s because four — half of the candidates — were freshmen.

 But, having coached off and on since 2000, he knew there wasn’t much he could do about the small numbers and had to make the best of whoever came out.

 You never know.

 Those four freshmen led the Bulldogs to the Valley League championship and with a little good luck, maybe even into the state championship depending upon how they do Saturday in the San Diego Section Cross Country championships at Balboa Park’s Morley Field.

 The girls will toe the line for the start of the Division 3 title race at 10 a.m.

 Albanese wasn’t even thinking about coaching cross country at this time a year ago.

 “(Ramona High AD) Damon Baldwin sent out an email to all the teachers saying the school needed a girls cross country coach,” he recalled. “It was at the end of the school year and one of the senior girls, Isabella Accardi, mentioned to me they needed a coach.

 “I have four kids of my own but I was very excited about doing it, so I asked my wife what she thought. She thought it would be a good idea.”

 Still, it was so late in the school year, Albanese didn’t have time to plan summer workouts or even talk up running for the school in the fall.

 What he didn’t know was Ramona boys coach, Mike Pendergraph, had a daughter, Keira, who ran and that spring had started an AAU club team, the Ramona Runners, or that in addition to Keira, he would get another experienced runner off that team, Charlee Coerper.

 Two more freshmen, Yaretzi Rivera and Amelia Conkel, were part of the eight potential runners and, as it turned out, key members.

 Keira Pendergraph finished second in the Valley League championships, covering the Guajome Park 5,000 meter (3.1 miles) course in 18:56.2 and three places back was Coerper 21:06.2. Rivera also cracked the top 10 in ninth place at 21:37.0 and Conkel was four places back in 13th, barely missing breaking 22-minutes at 22:00.3.

 In cross country, the top five finishers for each team count toward the total points and, like golf, low score wins.

 The four freshmen amassed 29 points and Accardi, who got the ball rolling, was 21st, giving the Bulldogs 50 points. Fallbrook (75), San Marcos (76) and Valley Center (77) were bunched well behind Ramona.

Pendergraph had one focus in the race and achieved her goal.

 “I gave the team two points,” said the 14-year-old who dominated the league meets. “We wanted to win league, so I was just happy to be part of the team. I got a PR (personal record) by six seconds and at the finish line I was feeling it.

 “Most of all I was happy for the team; we all had it on our minds to really push. I love helping us win the championship.”

 As is the case on most cross country teams in San Diego County, most of the girls are multi-sport athletes, which may put a crimp in the Bulldogs’ chances for qualifying for the state meet. The first four teams in girls Division 3 advance and while Cathedral Catholic and La Costa Canyon are prohibitive favorites to move on, the other two spots are up for grabs.

 “Some of the girls play club soccer and one is a triathlete and there is a conflict,” Albanese said. “If we’re at full strength, I think we can make it to Woodward Park in Fresno. But we might not even have enough runners for a full team. We’ll see.”

 Either way, Pendergraph will definitely run and Albanese believes she has a very strong chance to qualify for state and if Coerper runs well, she could also move on.

 “My goal individually is to break 18 minutes,” said Pendergraph. “I’ve run 18:20 and with the competition, I can almost guarantee it will happen. I’ve run the course before and I like it. Qualifying for state is No. 1 for the team and me, but breaking 18 would be great.”