Downey cross country program running toward something special

It’s championship Saturday in the Sac-Joaquin Section, and seven Stanislaus District teams in water polo and boys soccer have reached the finals and will try to bring home a coveted blue felt banner.

Local teams and athletes also will compete at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters cross country meet. But unlike most of the fall sports lineup, cross country championships aren’t won by advancing through a bracket. The top 10 teams and top 10 individuals in each division from last week’s sub-section meet earned entry into today’s race.

Downey High School’s varsity boys and girls squads – its frosh-soph girls also qualified – are among 24 local varsity teams and 35 individuals who will make the trip to Folsom’s Willow Hill Reservoir.

It wasn’t that many years ago the Knights’ program was in shambles.

“When I first started here, we only had 15 to 20 kids … in the whole program,” said Downey graduate Jana Osgood, now in her eighth season as coach. “I said to myself, ‘This is not good.’”

Osgood forged ahead with the rebuilding project and a few years ago added to her staff former Modesto High standout Paulo Carvalho, thanks to a chance meeting between her son, Andrew, and Carvalho at the MJC track.

Their work has paid dividends this year as both girls teams – “probably a year or two ahead of the boys at this point,” Carvalho said – cruised to Modesto Metro Conference titles with undefeated records. The boys took third behind league champ Modesto and Gregori.

“All of a sudden, we’re ‘happening,’” Osgood said. “Paulo comes from a program that is accustomed to success, but we’re just out here working hard and doing our thing. It hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

The girls’ goal before the season was to win league. They exceeded expectations by doing it without a loss and then doubled down by qualifying for the Division II Masters meet.

“Our No. 1 goal is for the program to be successful,” said Carvalho, who ran collegiately at Cal Poly-SLO and then professionally before returning home to manage the family dairy. “Then, it’s just a matter of where that success takes you.”

It could take the Knights all the way to the state meet in two weeks time at Fresno’s Woodward Park, though the target all along has been 2015, when virtually the entire team returns.

“As a team, everybody has to have their best race,” junior Esther Limon said. “But looking at the results from subs, there’s not a huge difference between fifth and seventh (place). I think we might even be able to get fourth. That would be nice.”

Either way, these Knights know they’re laying a foundation for future success.

“If we can come this far in three years, then just imagine the possibilities over the next five,” ” said junior Haylee Osgood, the coach’s daughter.

Who knows? Just as Central Catholic is known in town for football success and Modesto Christian for basketball, maybe Downey could become a cross country power.

“That would be nice,” Jana Osgood said.

In addition to Downey, Atwater sends both squads to the D-II race, while Modesto and Gregori will send boys teams to compete in D-I.

In Division III, Manteca and Sierra send both squads, as does Riverbank, Escalon, Sonora, Bret Harte, Amador and Calaveras in Division IV. Hughson’s boys and Ripon’s girls also will run in D-IV.

In D-V, Argonaut’s boys and Ripon Christian’s girls will compete.

Amador‘s girls, who won the sub-section meet in D-IV, have the best shot to advance to state. Sonora (fourth) and Riverbank (fifth) have work to do. On the boys’ side, Sonora was second at subs, Bret Harte third and Riverbank fourth, giving each a legitimate shot to move on. In D-III, Manteca was third last week.

Individually, the Stanislaus District has a slew of runners who will fight for a top-five finish.

Sonora freshman Cassi Land won a sub-section title (18:52), finishing ahead of Bret Harte’s Kaela Dishion, Calaveras’ Hannah Hull, Amador’s Anastasia Karnaze and Ripon’s Ellie Waters, while Riverbank’s Kim Ruvalcaba was seventh.

On the boys’ side of the D-IV ledger, Hughson’s Daniel Yanez was fourth last week, behind three Dixon runners. Yanez was tailed by Bret Harte’s Marc Behiel, Amador’s Matt Conrardy and Summerville’s Chris Hoffman-Brady. Riverbank’s Adan Chavez and Emmanuel Chavez, Sonora’s Shaan Michael French, Amador’s Gabe Loader, Calaveras’ Devin Scheidt, Ripon’s Alex Norling were part of a cluster of runners within 10 seconds of fifth place.

Manteca’s Mahir Pepic was third (16:23) in the boys D-III race, seven seconds behind the winner, and Sierra’s Haley Silva was second, four ticks back of the girls’ champ.

In Division I boys, Modesto’s Andrew McWilliams and Orlando Cardenas, and Merced’s Daniel Ambriz were within 20 seconds of the top five.

This story was originally published November 14, 2014 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Downey cross country program running toward something special."