Boys’ Cross Country Runner of the Year: Menlo’s Justin Pretre

But over the entirety of the 2022 season, Justin Pretre clearly emerged as the Daily Journal Boys’ Cross Country Runner of the Year.

“Landon couldn’t have been prouder for his brother,” Menlo head coach Jorge Chen said. “If Justin didn’t have Landon, and Landon didn’t have Justin … neither one of them would have been as successful. Their brotherhood is so amazing. It really makes me feel so good watching those two work together and support each other.”

Not only did Pretre capture the West Bay Athletic League and Central Coast Section Division V individual championships, the senior made Menlo history by recording the program’s best time ever at the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course. He also earned Menlo’s best finish ever at the CIF State Cross Country Championships by taking second place on the Division V podium.

In asking the elder Pretre, the highlight moment of his senior season came Nov. 12 at the CCS Division V championship meet. It was one for the record books, for sure, as he crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 14 minutes, 58.2 seconds, shattering his personal record in his final varsity race at Crystal Springs, and propelling his name into the top 100 all-time finishes on the modern 2.95-mile course.

“I was just ecstatic crossing the line just seeing the 14, that was a real big deal for me,” Pretre said. “That was one of the highlights of my individual season.”

Pretre’s second-place finish Nov. 26 at the state championships was arguably better. With a time of 15:24.6 on the 5,000-meter course at Woodward Park in Fresno, the senior placed better than any Menlo runner, boys’ or girls’, in the history of the state meet.

One of the arguments against the state meet being his pinnacle highlight, however, comes from Pretre himself. In fact, it isn’t even necessary for him to argue the point. It was clear by the agitated expression on his face as he crossed the finish line 11 seconds behind Division V state champion Micah Sanchez of Liberty Charter-El Cajon.

Pretre carried that expression with him all the way to the medal podium, as he dejectedly fist-bumped his brother Landon — who took fourth place to medal in the Division V state race in 15:34.8 — with a boiling frustration that would make McKayla Maroney blush.

“To give him a lot of credit, that’s his mindset,” Chen said. “Every time he toes that line, he feels he has a chance of winning it.”

Pretre recorded plenty of wins this season — six, to be exact — with PRs in three of them. He also recorded a PR Nov. 12 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine in the elite-level Sweeps race at the Woodbridge Classic. He settled for 34th place with a time of 14:32.2, while Landon —emerged by taking 10th place in the nationwide field with a time of 14:06.7.

“That was kind of shocking,” Pretre said. “I knew [Landon] could go out there and perform really well but it was just kind of an extraordinary performance.”

The discrepancy between the two times was the largest of any between the brothers during the regular season, during which it was a common sight seeing them hit the tape in a photo finish. This includes a faux pas at the WBAL No. 1 meet Oct. 5, when the two finished the race hand in hand, an action that could have gotten them both disqualified for contact with another competitor had a protest been made.

The two finished neck-and-neck again in the WBAL Championships Nov. 4, with the elder Pretre taking the title in 15:09.5, while Landon placed second in 15:09.7, a historic finish in that it was the fifth-best time ever by a sophomore at Crystal Springs.

“It’s as if they’re twins,” Chen said. “Definitely being so close that even though they’re [two] years apart, they’re like twins.”

Pretre is set to continue his cross country and track career next season at Cal. But the senior has one more varsity season to look forward to with the Menlo track team in the spring. He has some unfinished business on the track circuit after last season, when he dominated the 1,600-meters throughout most of the year, including the best time in the CCS championship prelims. In the CCS finals, however, he fell to 10th place and missed the cut for the state championships.

Pretre said even his second-place finish at this season’s State Cross Country Championships will be a motivator for him in the spring.

“I think I’m definitely going to come out of this cross country season looking for a little bit of revenge, kind of,” Pretre said with an endearing laugh. “The job is not finished for me. I’m not going to settle for how this season ended. I think I have a little bit more that I can do, and I think my strengths as a runner play a little bit better in track, and I’m looking to put those on display this season.”