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Hawks' cross country team first-place in WAC
Rojo the Hawks first-ever conference-MVP winner
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Five members of Central Valleys varsity boys cross country team earned all-Western Athletic Conference honors. Pictured (left to right): Enrique Martinez, Isaiah Sanchez, Andres Rojo, Chase Bogart and Favio Gonzalez. - photo by Contributed to the Courier

Andres Rojo, Isaiah Sanchez, Chase Bogart, Favio Gonzalez and Enrique Martinez all medaled while leading Central Valley's varsity boys cross country team to a first-place finish at the Western Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 25 at Ceres River Bluff Regional Park.

"I couldn't be happier for them," head coach Veronica Moreno said.

Rojo placed first with a time of 18 minutes, 02 second on the 3.1-mile course en route to capturing the WAC Most Valuable Player award.

Andres became the Hawks' first-ever conference-MVP winner.

"My goal was to win the WAC team banner," Rojo said. "I really didn't care about individual success."

Added Moreno: "He wanted everybody to do well, not just himself."

Sanchez (second place, 18:18), Bogart (third, 18:42), Gonzalez (fifth, 18:57) and Martinez (eighth, 19:01) earned first-team all-conference honors based on their individual placing.

"I'm not surprised," Moreno said. "All of them were extremely focused."

Central Valley made program history this fall by claiming the WAC overall championship.

The Hawks compiled a perfect 5-0 record during the conference dual-meet season.

The Hawks collected wins against Livingston (18-37), Los Banos (15-45), Pacheco (15-70), Patterson (23-32) and Ceres High (17-54).

Central Valley finished fifth at the conference finals and dropped all five of its WAC dual meets in 2016.

"It's a big turnaround," Rojo said. "I don't think you see that too often. I still can't believe it."

"They all had a vision for what they wanted their end of the season to look like," Moreno added. "I'm extremely proud of them."

Rojo and Sanchez will be lost to graduation in June.

Bogart (Jr.), Gonzalez (So.) and Martinez (So.) will return to the team.