Cordova cross country getting in a run around campus. Photo by Rick Sloan

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - The Cordova Lancers cross country team is off and running for their 2026 season. 

After a solid outing last fall that saw the boys’ group finish in second place in the Metro League and the Lady Lancers taking third, head coach Charlie Gonzalez is excited for what’s to come as the team has more experience than in past seasons.

“We’re excited,” Gonzalez said. “The team got a lot bigger. On the boys team last year, we only had one upperclassman on varsity, but this year we’ve grown and half of them are upperclassmen. For the girls, we were able to almost triple the size of the team from seven last year to almost 20 this year. They’re a talented group. It’s an exciting year for us.”

On the boy’s team, Gonzalez mentioned senior David Insco and juniors Caleb Mahoney and Joseph Lavezzo as some of the top runners this season. The Lady Lancers will look to sophomores Mia Joyce and Madeleine Aucutt, along with freshman Lynnae Nunn to be some of its biggest trailblazers. 

The Lady Lancers cross country team nearly tripled its roster size this year. Photo by Rick Sloan

The team has been training hard this summer in preparation for the upcoming season, including during a recent team-wide camping trip to Bear River Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Gonzalez feels the summer camping trip brings his team closer together while they enjoy the fun experience, and it also helps prepare the team for the grueling season ahead as they train in the region’s hilly terrain. 

When asked about team goals for the year, Gonzalez mentioned that it’s been nearly 30 years since the boy’s cross country team has qualified for the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Sac-Joaquin Section Cross County Section Championships. He feels the boys are up to the task and is looking forward to seeing it materialize. On the girl’s side, he wants to see them continue to improve while also enjoying the sport but said he thinks the Lady Lancers have what it takes to surprise people this year. 

The team began its season this past weekend on Saturday, Aug. 22 in the Oakmont Invitational, held at Johnson Springview Park in Rocklin. Results were not available at press time.