LEAGUE CHAMPIONS AGAIN (and AGAIN, and AGAIN, and AGAIN...)!

Critics of high school sports and sports in general were saying that 2004 was the year that all the streaks ended. Leave it to the St. John Bosco Varsity cross-country team to turn a deaf ear to what people say. While any cross-country team may not be a high profile entity in the sports world, the Braves have managed to make some noise in the running circle that they belong to. So it was with great interest that the people in attendance anticipated and watched the boys varsity race at this years Serra League finals. The Braves were to be challenged by a very strong Servite team who came into the race ranked #1 in the Southern Section and top 3 in the entire state for Division 3. Through the first mile it looked as if the Braves' streak may be on the line as Servite had all 5 scorers with in striking distance to do some damage. As with every race though you must run the entire length of the agreed upon distance to decide a winner. This year, as with the past 10 seasons prior, the Braves were the ones who navigated the 3 mile course best, came away with the team win and a new course and school team time record. The final score was St. John Bosco 33, Servite 50 with Mater Dei hanging on for 3rd and the final CIF-SS playoff berth.

Leading the way was the mighty senior trio of Randy Skillens, Kevin Urak, and Luis Perez. Skillens and Urak were able to break the school record of 15:44 on the course as both recorded impressive times of 15:34. Perez ran just as strong as he managed the 3rd best performance on the course in school history in finishing with a time of 15:47. If the senior trio is mighty then become familiar with their younger counter part. Sophomore Victor Bonilla, improved 29 seconds on the course from September to finish as the teams #4 man with a time of 16:14. His time places him just behind such names as Kellen Acosta and Randy Skillens on the all time sophomore central park list. Seniors Russell Gonzalez and Matthew Pruter provided more then adequate back up finishing as the team's number 5 and 6 runners. Gonzalez had a breakthrough race as he finished with a time of 16:22, wile Pruter, who may have not had the race he had hoped for still managed a personal best for the course to finish in 16:30. Making his varsity debut was junior Mike Alvarez who rounded out the squad with a fine showing for himself with a time of 17:48.

Unable to capture the team success of their varsity counterpart the frosh/soph and junior varsity team's were still able to come away from the day with successes. Senior Bradley Bonilla ran a personal best time for the course en-route to finishing as the junior varsity runner-up and solidifying his spot on the post season roster. The sophomore duo of Timothy Barreto and Justin Martinez finished in the runner-up spot and in 3rd place respectively, but were unable to overcome a strong packing Mater Dei team, who defeated the young Braves 34-36.

results | photo album | DyeStatCal album | Kirby Lee album