Sophomore Brianna Luna and junior Jaden Stahl enjoyed their best seasons to date with Ceres High’s cross country program this fall.

Luna and Stahl both earned all-league honors after finishing in the top eight at the Western Athletic Conference Championships on Oct. 25 at O’Neill Forebay.

“We’re definitely happy for each other,” Stahl said. “We have a good relationship. We’re really close friends. She’s a good training partner.”

“We inspire each other,” Luna stated. “We say positive things to each other.”

“They both push each other to do better,” Bulldogs’ head coach Owen Brown said. “It’s totally friendly.”

Luna and Stahl took seventh and eighth, respectively, at the WAC Finals.

Luna and Stahl both set personal records.

“It’s not a surprise,” Brown said. “They did exactly what we thought they could do. I’m super happy for them.”

“They improved their dedication and because of that it shows in the results,” he added.

Luna posted a time of 22 minutes, 50 seconds on the 3-mile course.

“During the race, I wanted to slow down,” she said. “But I couldn’t. I pushed myself for coach Brown, my teammates and myself.”

Luna earned all-conference honors for the second year in a row.

She finished eighth at the WAC Championships as a freshman.

Luna never envisioned herself turning into a standout runner.

“I’m proud of myself and what I’ve done,” she said. “I’ve surprised myself. When I first joined cross country, I did it to condition for soccer.” 

Stahl posted a time of 22:52 at the WAC Finals.

She was sidelined with a foot injury leading up to the league championships.

“I couldn’t walk on it,” Stahl said. “I was on crutches for a couple days. I rested and was back the following Monday. Being off motivated me. It made me appreciate the sport more.”

“I’m pretty happy with the results,” she added. “It was a hard course. I pushed myself to the very end. I tried to stay with my teammate (Luna).”

Less than a year removed from suffering a torn right hip flexor, Stahl recovered just in time for cross country. She sustained the injury during the 2022-23 track and field season.

“I was out a month,” Stahl said. “It was really tough mentally because I love running. I took summer conditioning really serious once I was better. I knew I’d be ready by the cross country season.”

Stahl placed 13th at the conference finals as a sophomore.

“This year tops the last two years,” she said. “I found a different type of love for the sport. Being a captain and leader of the team motivated me. Next year, I’ll push myself to do better. I’m going to prioritize summer training. I plan on making improvements.”

Luna and Stahl helped lead Ceres High to a fourth-place finish at the WAC Championships.