Image credits to @tesoroxc on Instagram.
Following two of the most important races of the cross country season, the Clovis Invitational and the Orange County Championship, Senior Griffin Kushen has been nominated for California Performer of the Week for two consecutive weeks. Finishing his 5k course with a 14:43.8, Kushen placed second in the Rob Brenner Boys Championship race at Clovis, smashing the school course record. He also finished first in the boys sweepstakes three mile race at the Orange County Championship with a 14:22.4. As Kushen continues to demolish records and races, he climbs further up the rankings, currently ranked third in California and 25th in the nation.
Up in Fresno, California, one of the most important and difficult cross-country races of the season takes place, Clovis Invitation. This course is filled with hills and turns in the blazing California sun, with temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees. Kushen was the only member of the Tesoro team that competed in the championship race, meaning that the team as a whole was not counted in the final race standings. Still, that didn’t stop him from destroying the old course record and coming in second out of more than 100 of the top runners in California.
At the Orange County Championship, Kushen went into the race with the intention to stick with the group, conserve energy and kick it in to finish first. He claims that he “wasn’t feeling the best” but recalled thinking, “I was going to control what I could control.” Nonetheless, Kushen was still awarded as the Orange County Champion with a 14:22.4, almost 15 seconds ahead of second place and leading his team to a third place finish out of 26 total teams.
Being awarded the title of California Performer of the Week for two consecutive weeks is no easy feat. After being nominated, Kushen expressed his gratitude, saying it was “an honor being recognized by such a well-known organization, but the important time in the season is yet to come.”
Placing high in numerous races, Kushen is grateful for a successful season thus far and looks forward to CIF and the possibility of Nike Cross Nationals.
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