This past weekend in California, various freshmen and sophomores demonstrated that the bright lights of big cross country meets don't faze them. That's why each week we've been highlighting California's Future Stars, not just to showcase the wide range of upcoming talent, but also to recognize the young talent who are topping leaderboards.
Oliver Bush (Redwood 2028)
Coming into his sophomore year, Oliver Bush has developed into an elite distance runner who is a threat in just about every race in California. Bush demonstrated his hard work at the Haystack Tune Up, where he finished in third place in the Large School Varsity Boys race. He ran 17:33 on this same course last year at the CIF North Coast Section Championships, but his about two-minute improvement proves how far he's come.
Evelyn Ursini (Mira Costa 2028)
The sophomore from Mira Costa has been a pivotal piece for the Monarchs all season, and the Mt. SAC XC Invitational was a huge statement. Evelyn Ursini finished third in the D1 & D2 Team Sweepstakes with a time of 17:45. She came in directly behind her teammate, Alana Clarke, to help Mira Costa win the team title and gain a lot of momentum heading into championship season.
Laila Shepard (Clovis East 2029)
The Large School Varsity Girls race at the Flat SAC Invitational was loaded with the top upperclassmen in NorCal, but Laila Shepard still shone as the top 9th grader in the race. The Clovis East freshman ran 18:38 on the 5K course to finish seventh overall. This finish and personal record rank as her best performance of the season so far.
Tyler Hedstrom (San Marcos 2029)
At the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, ran 15:24 for the fastest freshman boys time of the meet to twelfth in the D1 & D2 Individual Sweepstakes race. His excellent performance helped his team, San Marcos, finish second in the prestigious race as well.