Two-Peat for Corona Panthers Youth Track Club!

CORONA, Calif. - Dec. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Corona, CA – At the start of the 2013 cross country season, the 2012 9-10 year old girls champion team were determined to qualify to USATF Cross Country National Junior Olympics and defend their team title in San Antonio Texas on Saturday, December 14, 2013.  With 308 competitors in the race, the girl’s team led by Alexis Fernandez secured the win once again by placing three girls in the top 15.  Inspired by the girls performance, the 9-10 year old boys team led by Bryce Granillo took the third place team title earning them a trip to the podium for the first time. The boys ages 13-14 took 5th place as a team.  But the real highlight for the young Champions was the opportunity to receive their awards personally by the 2012 London Olympics 1500m Silver Medalist, Leo Manzano.

While 37 athletes qualified to the National Junior Olympics only 34 were able to make the trip to Texas.  The Corona Panthers Youth Track Club athletes shined as one of the nation’s elite cross country teams by bringing home a total of 21 medals, eight All-American Individual Champions, and a Cali two-peat.

USATF XC Nationals Junior Olympics features the United States top youth club teams and individuals competing for the top 25 American Championship medals and top three team titles.  With over 3,000 youth runners, the largest turnout in history, the Corona Panthers Youth Track Club are in the top one percent, a testament to their dictum of “Building Champions for Life.”