A newcomer to the sport of cross country, Ceres High sophomore Luis Yepez has developed into one of the top runners in the Stanislaus District this fall.
“Honestly, I never expected to get this far because it’s my first year,” he said.
Yepez will represent the Bulldogs at the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III Varsity Boys Championships this Saturday at Willow Hill Park in Folsom.
The meet was supposed to be held on Nov. 10 but was rescheduled due to poor air quality.
"I’m going to try to place very high. It’s going to take a lot of work.”Luis Yepez
“I know it’s going to be hard,” Yepez said. “I don’t have a lot of experience in this sport. I don’t know how I’m going to do. I’m going to try to place very high. It’s going to take a lot of work.”
Luis advanced to sections after finishing in 41st place in a field of 183 at the sub-section finals on Nov. 3 at Frogtown.
Yepez claimed a seventh-place medal at the Central California Conference Championships on Oct. 24 at Ceres River Bluff Regional Park.
“It’s pretty exciting,” he said. “I never thought I’d go to sections. I thought last week would be my last race.”
Ceres High’s frosh-soph girls cross country team will race at the section finals this weekend.
Carmen Ramirez, Gabby Soto, Andrea Contreras, Elizabeth Mercado and Monika Lepe Perez helped lead the Bulldogs to a fourth-place finish at sub-section meet on Nov. 3 at Frogtown.
Mark Aguilar and Elijah Van Dinis will face their toughest challenge of the season when they compete at the section’s frosh boys race.
The varsity boys meet will get underway at 1:45 p.m.
“I’m a little nervous,” Yepez said. “I haven’t been there before. The runners are going to be very good. My main goal is to finish the race. If I get a personal record that will be even better.”
