9/26/26: Pacific Grove Turns in Strong Showing at Monterey Bay Invitational
Pacific Grove Cross Country put together a strong showing this weekend, with top-10 finishes and impressive depth from its young varsity squads. Senior Betinho Zunguze led the boys with a ninth-place finish in 16:31. Junior Bennett Paterson followed in 17:14, with sophomore Gabe Alt close behind in 17:21. Sophomore Ricardo Vargas and freshman Rio Del Castillo rounded out the scoring five, while Chris Trueblood and Henri De Souza each ran a personal best on the course. Sophomore Eleanor Holt led the girls with a 10th-place finish in 20:36.7, followed by sophomore Gabi Amsler in 22:15. Freshmen Soleil Bautista (22:38.6) and Maya Sharma (22:41.4) finished just seconds apart. Sophomore Lucia Troy(23:32.7) completed the scoring five, with Ellie Nuckles close behind in a season-best 23:33.0. Jessica Bradford rounded out the varsity squad. PG also had strong JV performances from Mateo Orozco (19:59) and Jack Salameh (20:12). Freshman Jackson Dempsey ran a personal best of 23:14, and freshman Ellie Gaudette represented PG in the girls’ JV race. With eight of PG’s ten varsity scorers in the freshman or sophomore classes, the meet offered another glimpse of the team’s young talent.
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9/17/26: Pacific Grove Earns Two Varsity Wins at First PCAL Meet of the Season
Pacific Grove Cross Country opened PCAL league competition by winning both Mission Division varsity team titles and placing second in the JV boys race. The varsity boys emerged from a three-way tie with King City and Marina, each at 51 points. Betinho Zunguze won the three-mile race in 16:04, and Bennett Paterson placed fifth. Gabe Alt, Rio Del Castillo, and Ricardo Vargas completed PG’s scoring five. Henri De Souza finished just behind Vargas in 19th, running a personal best of 17:58 to give PG the tiebreaker. The varsity girls edged Everett Alvarez 41–44. Eleanor Holt placed fourth, Gabi Amsler fifth, Lucia Troy ninth, and Soleil Bautista 10th. Maya Sharma completed the scoring in 13th with a personal best of 22:09. The JV boys placed second behind King City, led by Brian Granger’s third-place finish and personal best of 18:59. Joseph Grief, Christopher Trueblood, Mateo Orozco, and Jack Salameh completed PG’s scoring five. In the JV girls race, freshmen Maggie Devine, Ayah Soekardi, and Ellie Gaudette represented the Breakers, with Soekardi running a personal best.
9/12/26: Personal Bests Highlight Strong Day for Pacific Grove XC
Pacific Grove Cross Country turned in a strong day at the Jackie Henderson Memorial, with personal bests throughout the lineup. The varsity boys were led by junior Bennett Paterson (16:17) and sophomore Gabe Alt (16:26), both running personal bests. Freshman Rio Del Castillo continued his strong start with a 17:14, while Henri De Souza and Louie Pereyo also recorded PBs. The JV boys added several more personal bests, led by Brian Granger in 19:01. For the varsity girls, sophomore Eleanor Holt led PG with a PB at 20:04, followed by Gabi Amsler, who also set a PB at 20:58. Freshman Soleil Bautista ran 21:18, while Lucia Troy added another personal best. PG’s freshmen also impressed in the Frosh/Soph race, with Maggie Devine, Ellie Gaudette and Ayah Soekardi all recording personal bests, capping a strong day across the Pacific Grove roster.
9/03/26: Return of the Cleve Thayer Invitational
Running at Stevenson School for the first time since 2019, the Breakers particated in the Cleve Thayer Invitational. This fun event featured 3-4 person 1.7 mile relay teams. The team gained experience racing, got a great workout, and had a fun team building meet. Our boy's teams took 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th. The girl's teams took 2d, 3rd, and 4th. Great job to all that participated!
8/29/26: Breakers Run Strong at Fighting Knights' Joust
Pacific Grove XC turned in a strong performance Saturday at the 5th Annual Fighting Knights’ Joust at Crystal Springs, competing against a deep field on the challenging course. The unique meet format separated athletes by grade, showcasing the Breakers’ depth across the program. The PG girls had an especially strong day, led by sophomore Eleanor Holt, who ran 15:36. She was followed by freshman Soleil Bautista (16:31), sophomores Gabby Amsler (16:34) and Lucia Troy (16:34), and freshman Maya Sharma (16:38). The sophomore girls also placed third as a team when scored within their grade, behind Carlmont and Amador Valley. PG’s freshmen made an immediate impact, with Bautista and Sharma among the team’s top five and Ellie Gaudette running 17:57. The boys team also delivered several strong performances across the grade-level races. Senior Betinho Zunguze led the upperclassmen with a standout 16:25, finishing fourth among seniors. Junior Bennett Paterson ran 16:55 to place 11th among juniors, while freshman Rio Del Castillo made an impressive debut at the meet, finishing 11th in the freshman racein 12:58. With strong performances from both teams, including standout efforts from the girls’ front-runners and solid depth throughout the boys’ races, the Joust was another encouraging outing for the Breakers.
8/27/26: Breakers Sweep Brian Rogers/Peninsula XC Jamboree
Pacific Grove XC had a big day at the Brian Rogers/Peninsula XC Jamboree, with both the boys’ and girls’ teams taking first place on the hilly three-mile course at York School. The boys edged Marina, 37–41, behind a strong front pack. Senior Betinho Zunguze led the Breakers with a second-place finish in 17:27, followed by junior Bennett Paterson in third at 17:37. Sophomores Ricardo Vargas and Gabe Alt finished eighth and 10th, while freshman Rio Del Castillo capped the scoring five with an impressive 14th-place finish in his high school debut. Freshmen Sawyer Boyle and Jackson Dempsey also turned in strong first races for PG. The girls won with 36 points, beating runner-up Marina’s 48. Sophomore Eleanor Holt led PG in third (21:55), followed by Gabi Amsler in ninth (23:39) and Lucia Troy in 10th (23:41). Freshmen Soleil Bautista and Maya Sharma were outstanding in their high school debuts, finishing 11th and 12th to round out the scoring five. Just as important was the Breakers’ depth. Sixth and seventh runners Ellie Nuckles and Jessica Bradford finished 15th and 17th overall, giving PG seven runners across the line before Marina’s fifth scorer. That depth helped push back the scoring positions of the competition and was a key part of the team victory. Freshmen Ellie Gaudette, Maggie Devine, and Ayah Soekardi also posted strong debut performances, giving the Breakers plenty to be excited about as the season gets underway. With two team wins, strong packs on both sides, and freshmen already making an impact, it was an impressive day for PGXC.