The members of Central Valley High School’s cross country program raced at the Central California Conference’s second cluster meet on Oct. 5 at Golden Valley High School.

Armando Guajardo, LaDre Sengsoury, Cesar Hernandez, Xavier Ramirez and Alexis Andrade helped lead Central Valley’s junior-varsity boys to a third-place finish with a team score of 55.

Atwater (30), Buhach Colony (55) and Patterson (73) took first, second and fourth, respectively.

Guajardo was the Hawks’ top finisher.

He finished third with a time of 13 minutes, 32 seconds on the 2-mile course.

Sengsoury (13:52), Hernandez (14:39), Ramirez (15:06) and Andrade (19:30) placed fifth, 11th, 15th and 27th, respectively.

Alexis Landa, Jackson Stokes, Emanuel Barajas, Frankie Klino and Joshua Michelena helped lead Central Valley’s frosh-soph boys team to a fourth-place finish.

The Hawks totaled 101 points while finishing behind Merced (44), Patterson (50) and Atwater (86).

Central Valley edged out Buhach Colony (102) and Golden Valley (114). 

Landa was the overall winner.

He placed first with a time of 12 minutes, 12 seconds on the 2-mile course.

Stokes (14:12), Barajas (14:32), Klino (15:43) and Michelena (15:34) took 15th, 20th, 33rd and 34th, respectively.

Hawk teammates Marco Coria (18:25) and Michael McCoy (19:38) finished 47th and 51st.

The Hawks had a team score of 69 while finishing fourth overall during the frosh-soph girls meet.

Central Valley just missed out on third place as Golden Valley totaled 66 points.

Patterson (34) and Atwater (51) took first and second, respectively.

Mariana Campos, Althea Mumford, Keilany Torres, Alyssa Ontiveros and Milianna Rios contributed to the Hawks’ point total.

Campos was Central Valley’s top placer.

She finished third with a time of 14 minutes, 30 seconds on the 2-mile course.

Mumford (15:06), Torres (19:17), Ontiveros (19:27), Rios (21:02) and Alicia Espinoza placed fifth, 20th, 21st, 23rd and 26th, respectively.

Central Valley had one runner compete at the junior-varsity girls level.

Victoria Guajardo took 12th with a time of 21 minutes, 02 seconds on the 2-mile course.

WATER POLO

Ceres High’s girls water polo team kept its Sac-Joaquin Section playoff hopes alive this past week.

The Bulldogs moved into a tie for third place in the Western Athletic Conference standings after earning hard-fought wins over Johansen and Pacheco.

Ceres High, Johansen (6-5) and Los Banos (5-6) are battling for the WAC’s third-and-final playoff spot.

“I don’t think playoffs are off the table,” Bulldogs’ head coach Stephen Dias said. “We have to win two of our last three matches. I believe we can do it.”

Ceres High edged visiting Johansen 4-3 on Oct. 11.

Amber Hopwood scored the winning goal off an assist from Reagan Hensley with 15 seconds remaining in the game.

Hensley delivered a perfect pass to Hopwood while being hounded by two defenders and Johansen’s goalkeeper. 

Jessie Blevins started the fast break.

Hopwood totaled a team-high two goals.

Lilly Blevins and Kaylie Clindaniel both netted one goal.

Bulldog goalkeeper Arleth Sanchez had 10 blocks.

Ceres High outscored Johansen 4-1 during the second half.

The Bulldogs trailed 2-0 at intermission.

Ceres High defeated host Pacheco 10-8 on Oct. 13.

Lilly Blevins led the Bulldogs in scoring with three goals.

Hopwood, Hensley and Clindaniel all contributed two goals.

Jessie Blevins had one goal.

Sanchez totaled six saves.

Pacheco 18, CHS 6

Johansen 11, CHS 4

Ceres High’s youth-laden boys water polo team dropped to 0-11 in WAC play after being beaten by Pacheco and Johansen last week.

“Most of my kids have never played water polo before,” said Derek Wach, first-year head coach of the Bulldogs. “I’m trying to teach them the basics.”

Ceres High lost 18-6 at Pacheco on Oct. 13.

Freshman Abel Samaniego and senior newcomer Zion Wesir led the Bulldogs in scoring with three goals apiece.

Freshman Logan Butler and sophomore Mateo Gonzalez collected eight and two saves, respectively, while splitting playing time at goalkeeper.

Ceres High was outscored 9-4 during the second half.

The Bulldogs faced a 9-1 deficit at the break.

Host Ceres High lost 11-4 to Johansen on Oct. 11.

Freshman Eli Farinha led the Bulldogs in scoring with three goals.

Butler tallied one goal.

He also had six blocks.

Ceres High trailed 5-1 at halftime.

“The kids we’re playing against are so much bigger, physically,” Wach said. “My boys aren’t intimidated. They’re happy to be out there. They’re positive. They’re having fun.”

GIRLS TENNIS

Central Valley High School’s girls tennis team topped one of its two league opponents this past week.

The Hawks edged the Livingston Wolves 5-4 on Thursday in Ceres.

“The girls are working hard,” head coach Nimrat Chahal said. “They’re getting better.”

Fifth-place Central Valley improved to 5-7 in the Central California Conference standings.

The Hawks won two of three doubles and three of six singles matches versus the Wolves.

Tied at 4-4, Analy Gomez and Marlene Jaquez secured the team victory.

Gomez and Jaquez prevailed, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 1 doubles.

“They’ve been consistent all year,” Chahal said. “They understand how to play and win.”

Aleena Higle and Brianna Olsen prevailed 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 doubles.

Lesly Rivas prevailed by injury default at No. 1 singles. She won the first set, 6-3.

Samantha Perez-Mendez prevailed 6-2, 6-1 at No. 2 singles.

Lizeth Cazarez prevailed 6-1, 6-2 at No. 4 singles.

Central Valley fell 9-0 at Atwater on Oct. 11.

The Falcons swept all six singles and three doubles matches in shutting out the Hawks.

Dawgs fall twice

Ceres High School’s girls tennis team dropped a pair of conference matches last week.

The Bulldogs fell to 1-11 in the WAC standings after suffering a 9-0 loss at Los Banos on Oct. 12.

Gurleen Kaur lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

Alexa Sandoval lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.

Yasmin Pinedo-Lopez lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.

Jillian Mande lost 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.

Maria Garcia lost 6-1, 6-4 at No. 5 singles.

Monica Cendejas lost 6-1, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.

Zainab Nazir and Camila Orellana lost 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles.

Izabella Gutierrez and Isabella Jacquez lost 6-3, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles.

Nerisha Singh and Serena Chalk lost 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 doubles.

Visiting Pacheco defeated Ceres High 9-0 on Oct. 10.

Kaur lost 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles.

Sandoval lost 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2 singles.

Pinedo-Lopez lost 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.

Jelaine Esguerra lost 6-2, 6-4 at No. 4 singles.

Orellana lost 6-0, 6-2 at No. 5 singles.

Cendejas lost 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 6 singles.

Nazir and Gutierrez lost 6-0, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles.

Singh and Jacquez lost 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 doubles.

Chalk and Diana Sanchez lost 6-3, 6-3 at No. 3 doubles.

GIRLS GOLF

Ceres High’s girls golf team dropped out of the race for a berth to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs last week.

The Bulldogs lost to Mountain House and Pacheco during Western Athletic Conference cluster action on Oct. 11 at Pheasant Run in Chowchilla.

Ceres High failed to post a team score as it had just four players in uniform.

“We had to forfeit,” head coach Ron Edwards said. “We didn’t have our fifth player again.”

Alysabeth Marquez, reigning Most Valuable Player of the WAC, led the Bulldogs with a 40.

Brooke Trio and Allison Lewis finished with identical rounds of 51.

Hailey Tsurui shot a 54.

CV beaten

Central Valley High School’s girls golf team lost 204-235 to Buhach Colony in Central California Conference play on Thursday at St. Stanislaus.

Kaylee Almanza paced the Hawks with a 43.

Lucia Bernal, Elia Hernandez, Kalaieda Bernal and Evelyn Guizar shot 47, 50, 54 and 61, respectively.