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SEPT 18TH 2026
THE BREAKERS MAKE A (blue) STATEMENT
THE BREAKERS MAKE A (blue) STATEMENT
Coach's unanswered questions.
The coaching stops and all responsibility shifts to the runner as soon as they step to that start line. The gun blasts, and runners take off, and all a coach can do is wait. Wait and see if these questions get answered...
Would the hard workouts payoff? Were the easy workouts to easy? Did the athletes believe in the process? Would we stand tall against all the other teams? But the real question this coach needs answered...Had the Breakers done enough?
Those questions were asked and answered on Friday. And the answers were nothing short of amazing...with, albeit, one caveat.
Liam AKA "smurf"
Mia, Pamela, Payton, Charlotte, Daphne, & Ellie
Never done before.
For the first time in team history, PG took first in all four divisions in a meet. The Breakers not only took both Boys and Girls Varsity, but also took home firsts in JV Boys and Girls.
Six is greater than seven?
The girls varsity team, sporting our new look kit, took first place with a team score of 24. What makes their victory even more impressive is they ran the race short one runner. Turns out coaches make mistakes too! Coach Ryan forgot to tell Isla Dempsey that she was supposed to be running varsity; a communication mix-up that could have derailed the day. But here's the silver lining: Isla didn't miss out on glory. Instead, she dominated the JV girls race in 15:45, and took first place in the division. So while the varsity won despite the confusion, Isla made sure to leave her mark on the day in her own way.
Ellie Findlay had another breakout race in 13:39 (2nd overall), earning her own place in the record books as the 7th fastest runner ever on PG's course and the 4th fastest Breaker to accomplish the feat. Her confidence is growing and the times are dropping. In an amazing show of teamwork, Baylee Shadwell (14:49), Payton Migdal (14:54), and Charlotte Lorch (14:59) crossed the finish line in succession (5th, 6th, & 7th) Leaving PG one lady short of being the first team with 5 runners to the finish line. Pamela Cruz (15:57) crossed the line and sealed the win for the Breakers with a total team time of 74 mins and 21 seconds. This time was a full 3 mins and 27 seconds faster than the second place team, Carmel. Playing a big role in the lady Breakers' win, was Mia Papadakis as our lone "displacer". Mia's 13th place pushed Carmel's 5th place runner down to 14th, adding a point to Carmel's point total. The depth and balance in our girls' program is exactly what we've been working toward. Every runner contributed to this team victory, and that's the foundation for an amazing season.
Boys Varsity sets the bar.
Following the awesomeness that was the girls' race, our boys varsity squad rose up and pushed that bar up a little higher. The boys set their own stage and performed an almost flawless race. The gentlemen Breakers earned first place with a team score of 18, only 3 points away from a perfect score. One lone runner from Stevenson, Callaghan Bitter (3rd place) separated the top 5 Breakers. Ben Hatfield was the story of the day, becoming the only runner to break the 12-minute barrier with his 11:56 first-place finish. Just like Ellie did in the girls' race, Ben's performance etched his name into the top ten all time. He's now the 9th fastest runner ever on this course and the 3rd fastest Breaker to run it. Breaking away from Stevenson's Callaghan at the last turn of the race was Josiah Traback (12:27) to secure 2nd place. Pushing to the line to secure 4th place was Callum Gamble (12:30). Marcus Whitson (12:31) battled back from an early fall at the start of the race with a courageous effort for 5th overall. Noel Strom (12:45) 6th, was the Breakers' final point scorer and sealed the victory. Rounding out the day was Noah Travaille (13:28) 19th, and Ellis Li (13:39) 23rd, both "displaced" and added points to Carmel's score. This team just keeps on pushing, challenging the idea that fast is genetic, by showing what hard work and fun can accomplish.
Ellis, Noel, Marcus, Josiah, Noah, Ben, & Callum
My favorite race.
If you happened to be at the meet and witnessed it in all its glory, you would have heard me announce the JV race as my favorite. If you weren't, let me say it again. The JV race is my favorite. There is no other race like it. With the Varsity races, you can expect certain results or times. But not with the JV race. It is like hearing your favorite song for the first time. That swell inside you that builds as the chorus unfolds, and you listen intently to each word. So too is the JV race, athletes exploding with blue spirit jump out to the forefront, creating an unforgettable scene. Where smiles, jubilation, effort, surprise, and times all wrap into one. There is no louder race than the JV; it is the one the crowds love most too. There are moments where, if I didn't have a mic in my hand, I would be joining in and racing right alongside this team. So yeah, it is my favorite. And not just because the Breakers took firsts in the boys and girls either. But that sure did make it a little more exciting. Starting with the ladies again the Breakers took 6 out of the top 10 spots. Highlighted by Isla's win earlier in the article. Esher Sutherland (16:30) with the best socks in the race, took 3rd. Followed closely by Tavi Varajic (17:04). Jessica Hattori (17:35) and Monica Mohlenhoff (18:53) sealed it for the Breakers. All of these girls were hard to miss with their blue ribbons, blue hair, and sparkles on their cheeks. The Breaker boys where also hard to miss. We had quite a few "smurfs" racing for our team. Ben Roth, Liam Morris, EJ Banasezk, Oliver Duke and Olin Brubaker all covered in team spirit ran their hearts out. Not to be missed, was Gabriel Soto, perhaps the bluest of them all, on the finish line leading the team in cheers, pushing our team to finish with pride. Also within striking distance of a perfect score were the boys. Led by 6th grader and winner of the race, John Pettersson (13:08). Not far behind John was Edden Helfont (13:23) in third place. Running as a pack for most of the race was Oliver Fletcher (13:29), Hunter Pritchard (13:32), and Ben Roth (13:51), finishing 5th, 6th, and 8th. The PG boys JV team's total time was 4 minutes and 36 seconds faster than Palma, the second place team. There are so many other amazing stories in this race and not enough space on the page to do it justice. So I will end it with this...out of the 26 runners in the JV race, 21 of them set all time personal bests!
PXL_20260919_000035224.mp4Esther to the finish
That one caveat.
The Breakers are now marked athletes. There are targets on their backs. Every team in the league now has their sights set on PG. The Breakers have only one place they can go...down. However, if you ask this team, they plan on staying right here at the top. Making this task even harder is the realization that Carmel was down half their team on Friday due to a school retreat. The Cougars will be at full strength come this Friday at their home course debut, and they are looking to retake that top mark.
New questions?
It is clear to this coach that I no longer need to question these Breakers. Their cheers, their resolve, the sheer loudness of their spirit has proven to me without a doubt that anything is possible this season. Win or lose, it doesn't matter. What happens at the end of the season is now irrelevant, as long as we run there together. Go Breakers.
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