The Bears are back on top to start the 2025 Peninsula Athletic League cross-country season.
Menlo-Atherton swept the varsity podium at the PAL #1 cross-country meet Wednesday in Half Moon Bay. M-A sophomore Caroline Pflaum won the individual girls’ varsity title with a time of 13 minutes, 40 seconds on the 2.33-mile course at HMB High, fronting the team championship for the M-A girls. M-A senior Aidan Sharp claimed the individual boys’ varsity championship in 12:02, as the Bears swept the top three spots to earn the team title.
With two league meets remaining, M-A is looking to carry Wednesday’s success through to the postseason, and the PAL championships, held Saturday, Nov. 1, at Crystal Springs. Last year, the Bears had their two-year run of PAL dominance interrupted. After M-A swept the boys’ and girls’ PAL championships in 2022 and ’23, the M-A boys won their third straight PAL title last season, while the Carlmont girls emerged to capture the 2024 PAL crown.
“We have such a diverse league with teams from all different levels of sections from Division V teams all the way to Division I,” M-A head coach Eric Wilmurt said “And, for me, getting together for the league championships is just a celebration for all these schools getting together from such a diverse league. ... It’s a really fun thing to do.”
M-A’s boys’ varsity team ran a tactical race, with junior Evan Chopra and senior Cason Mitchell finishing in a two-second cluster. Chopra took second place in 12:03, while Mitchell was third in 12:04. Mitchell earned third place in a photo finish with Carlmont senior Landon Schaffer, who was awarded fourth place with same mark of 12:04.
Rounding out the scorecard for the M-A boys were senior Brady Phan (eighth place, 12:29) and junior Benjamin Salceda (17th, 12:49). Mills took second place in the team scoring, led by sophomore Patrick Jahutka (ninth, 12:29). Carlmont took third place.
“They did run together for the race,” Wilmurt said, “and we didn’t know if they were going to stay together half way through the race. But they’re all training buddies ... so it’s how things could have gone.”
The girls’ race was a runaway win for Pflaum, who finished 19 seconds ahead of Carlmont junior Katelyn Elliott (second, 13:59).
“I think she had a relatively conservative first half of the race and just proceeded to catch girls and work her way up to the top,” Wilmurt said.
Half Moon Bay freshman Lilah Tomatis (third, 14:19) burst onto the scene to take third place. Carlmont took second place, while Burlingame, led by junior Elizabeth Carroll (fourth, 14:25) was third.
Up next, M-A, along with an array of local teams, travel to Irvine for the 44th Annual Woodbridge Cross Country Classic. The prestigious meet drawing from a national field begins Friday.
The M-A boys’ team was selected to compete in the Rated race, the second tier after the premium Sweepstakes race. The M-A girls will compete in the Varsity race. M-A will travel of a large roster of 45 runners.
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