Sonora’s Land repeats as section champ, and Bee’s Runner of the Year

For the past couple of years, Sonora High School has enjoyed an athletic renaissance of sorts.

The school’s volleyball team has won three consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championships, which included a state title in 2014.

The Wildcats’ football team reached the section title game the last two seasons, falling to an eventual state champ in 2014 and winning it all in 2015.

And then there’s distance runner Cassi Land, who has accounted for three section titles on her own.

The sophomore won her second consecutive Division IV title this season, putting her halfway home to a four-year varsity sweep. She also won the section’s 1,600-meter crown during track season and will soon begin her quest to defend that title.

For her efforts this season, Land is The Bee’s Stanislaus District Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year for 2015.

Now that she’s a repeat champion, other runners will be gunning for her like never before.

“Yeah, I kind of feel like there’s a target on my back,” said Land, who along with Sonora’s Jackson McIlroy teamed to give the Wildcats a boy-girl sweep of the D-IV section titles in 2015. “But I’m still confident.”

Land won her second section crown with a time of 18 minutes, 32 seconds, finishing 29 seconds ahead of the second-place runner, good friend Kaela Dishion of Bret Harte.

At the state meet in Fresno, Land was even better, finishing in 17:59.6 (just off her personal record of 17:56) and securing a top-10 placing for a second consecutive season.

Now the pressure is on.

If Land is good enough to win section crowns and finish in the top 10 her first two years of high school, then it only figures she’ll be able to do it her last two years.

“Since I did it as a freshman and sophomore, I’m hoping I can as a junior and senior, too,” she said. “I practice every single day, I never miss a day. I’m very dedicated and I’ll do whatever the coach says, whatever I can do to get stronger.”

Land, who hopes to continue running in college, averages about 40 miles per week, with a low of about 30 miles and a high of about 50. She also does work on the track, working on her speed and strength.

Come spring, she’ll focus on the 800, 1,600 and 3,200. The latter has become her favorite race.

“I used to like the mile, but now I like the 2-mile more,” said Land, who has PRs of 5:05 in the 1,600 and 10:54 in the 3,200. “I guess I’m just better at long distances.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Sonora’s Land repeats as section champ, and Bee’s Runner of the Year."