Cross country squad seeking consistency

Cross country is an individual sport, but unlike most other solo quests, a lot of the success stems from how the individuals co-exist on the course.

This said, the Porterville cross country team might be fighting an uphill battle.

The Panthers, who finished fourth and fifth (girls) in the EYL last season, draw from several areas such as Springville, Terra Bella and other areas down Highway 65. Because of this, coach Juan Jimenez said, getting the runners to regularly attend a summer conditioning program is more difficult.

“With the kids coming from so many different areas, it’s hard to get them together in the summer to get any kind of real team continuity and learning to run with each other,” Jimenez said. “Even though cross country is an individual sport, it’s scored as groups. And if you don’t know how to run in packs, sometimes that can get you.”

This got the Panthers last year.

“We lost several close matches last year in part because we did not have that chemistry,” Jimenez said. “We didn’t have that sense of running as a pack that some of these other schools that get their kids from a closer, more compact drawing area have.”

The Panthers had a select few attend Jimenez’s morning offseason workouts due to many scheduling conflicts like summer school, vacations or jobs, so this week has been the first practices as a team.

To compensate for this, Jimenez has introduced motivational scenarios in practice to simulate group running and competition.

“If you don’t have somebody to push you, you’ll just kind of go through the motions,” he said. “This sport, unlike others where you can maybe hide a weak link, you can’t hide a weak link here. You can’t have somebody overcompensate for a weak No. 4 or a weak No. 5.”

Jimenez will have runners start late with the specific purpose of putting pressure on another runner. That runner’s job is to not let them pass.

The runner who probably fares well in this drill is returning junior Josh Beer, who was the Panthers’ No. 2 runner last year. Beer finished 27th at the EYL meet last year. Joining Beer in the Panther top seven are seniors William Samarin, Shaughn Galloway and Jose Madrigal. Galloway returns after skipping last season to focus on other things, while Madrigal only started running as a junior.

On the girls’ side, seniors Ivette Romero and Heidi Adams will be expected to place near the top of fields. Hailey Schrader will also be in the varsity top five.

As for the league race, Tulare Western (boys) and Tulare Union, with the Tallon twins, Ashley and Hailey (first and third place at the EYL meet), returning, are again the favorites. Monache lurks behind them. For Porterville to be on the Mustangs’ and Redskins’ level perennially, this group will have to start the foundation, prompting others to follow in their path.

“Success breeds success. And until someone knocks them off their pedestal, we’re still clawing to get after them,” Jimenez said. “When you have the success that they have then they’re gonna have the numbers. That’s what we’re trying to build here. We’re trying to build some success and trying to build some numbers so we can challenge those schools.”

Identity Wanted

Panthers trying to keep pace with EYL’s top-tier programs

2008 Record: Boys: 4th in EYL, girls: 5th in EYL

Playoffs: No Valley qualifiers

Top Returners: Jr. Josh Beer, sr. William Samarin, sr. Heidi Adams, sr. Ivette Romero

Departures: Pablo Flemate, Cameron Zavala, Kelsey Bean, Talena Hayse

Breakout Performer: Josh Beer