The MVTF 2023 season banquet was, as always, a wonderful event. This year we barely squeezed into the student union on a warm, May evening.
Congratulations to all the award and medal winners! There is a copy of the presentation with all the honorees attached.
Thank you to Rajvi Shah and all the parents that made the banquet a fantastic event!
Most Inspirational Athlete
Katie Lee
Most Inspirational Athlete
Joey Suresh
Most Outstanding Athlete
Clara Fan
Most Outstanding Athlete
Denny Dong
Grit Awards
Anika Bhandarkar
Megan Nieh
Most Valuable Sprinter/Hurdler
Yvonne Chen
Most Valuable Sprinter/Hurdler
Ethan Lu
Iron Athlete Award
Hardest Working Sprinter/Hurdler
Lourdes Diaz
Iron Athlete Award
Hardest Working Sprinter/Hurdler
Ryan Liu
Most Valuable Distance Runner
Anika Bhandarkar
Rising Star
Rookie Distance Runner of the Year
Ethan Yang
Rising Star
Rookie Distance Runner of the Year
Ridhima Katare
Iron Athlete Award
Hardest Working Distance Runner
Valerie Ayzenberg
Most Valuable Jumper
Darren Lin
Rising Star
Rookie Jumper of the Year
Lelani Laruelle
Rising Star
Rookie Jumper of the Year
Joseph Han
Rising Star
Rookie Jumper of the Year
Agasthya Kothuri
Most Valuable Thrower
Lavinia Lei
Rising Star
Rookie Thrower of the Year
Gillie Ross
Rising Star
Rookie Thrower of the Year
Fiona Rusak
Central Coast Section Finals
Congratulations to Clara Fan and Denny Dong, who both earned spots on the podium at CCS! Denny ran a PR 1:56.37 which was good for sixth place and a shiny CCS medal! Clara competed simultaneously in the high jump and the triple jump, running back and forth across the field to trade off between the two–a tough double. Clara cleared 5′-1″ in the high jump for a ninth place finish, and followed that up with a 37′-2″ leap in the triple that placed her third! For the second straight year, Clara is heading to the California state championships–she has now qualified for State in two different events!
Well done, Clara and Denny!
And Some Notes
If you make it this far, here are some notes and reminders!
Everyone should run cross country in the Fall! Did you know that our hurdle coach, Tyler Jackson, ran cross country in high school? Yes he did, and he went on to be a collegiate hurdle champion at Washington University St. Louis! Did you know that even Coach Emma ran cross country at Monta Vista, while throwing during track season, and she went on to throw in the NCAA Pac-12 Championships for UC Berkeley!
Cross country can be for everyone, and that is why our hurdle, jump and sprint coaches–Coach Samantha, Coach Curtis, Coach Smith, and Coach Tyler are all going to help coach cross country this coming season! All of these coaches will be working to come up with creative ways to augment cross country competition with cross training that will benefit all athletes when you come back to track in the fall. Whether your event is hurdles, sprints, jumps, or even throws…these coaches can help make the cross country season valuable and make your 2024 track season your best ever!
Also, this summer these coaches are going to help with lots of cross training–plyos, sprints, and coach Emma is planning on providing some proper training in the weight room if there is interest from the athletes.
If you want to learn more about summer training check out the summer running post or contact these coaches directly. We want everyone in cross country!
If you are in any fall sport, schedule your physical right away…there will be a long waiting list. Don’t wait until the last moment! Talk your your parents about your physical today, don’t put that off 🙂
