After battling at the 2025 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Cross Country Championships (DIII), cross country concluded the season with solid performances across the board.
“It’s always fun to run here, and it’s a huge meet, with thousands of people that race at the meet,” junior Elizabeth Carroll said. “So to place that high up in this meet was really exciting, because I think there’s 200 and something people in our race.”
Three runners — seniors Ryan Liu and Stella Newman, and junior Elizabeth Carroll — competed on Saturday, Nov. 29, after qualifying individually. Except for Newman tripping at the start of the race, head coach Chris Coleman said it was “a great meet,” with Liu and Carroll both setting new personal records (PR).
“It was what we expected,” Coleman said. “It’s the state meet, and different things happen. But the team performed well, including Stella, who was probably going to be on her way to a personal best as well.”
Liu, making his first and final CIF State appearance, finished in 173rd place with a time of 17:09.4. Despite placing lower than he hoped, he said he was happy with the outcome, especially as the team’s first boys’ qualifier in seven years.
“I was a little bit nervous for the race, but after the gun rang, we started running. I was really excited and happy just to be there,” Liu said. “It was my first time at the course, so I was not ready for the hills at the back end … I didn’t expect how hard they would be during the race. I think it would have been nice to get some more course experience before, but it was nice to kind of just be there.”
Newman echoed that sentiment, reflecting on her fall during the race. About 400 meters in, she had to restart after a runner fell over, and later tripped 600 meters into the race. Despite the mishaps, Newman managed to finish in the top 100 runners with a time of 19:23.8.
“I ended up getting tripped about 600 meters into the race on the concrete by someone behind me. It took me a minute to get up from that, and I pretty much was just stunned after that, with wind knocked out of me, and I also scraped the whole side of my body,” Newman said. “… I tried to catch up to Elizabeth, who, at this point, was like forty meters ahead of me by the time I got up, and my body just basically stopped working. So not exactly the stage I had hoped for,” Newman said.
For Carroll, who placed 22nd among 216 runners with a personal best of 18:15.6, this meet was a success.
“It went really well. I had a PR, which was exciting, and I feel like it was good conditions,” Carroll said. “It was nice and cold in the morning, and the energy at state is always incredible.”
Newman and Carroll used their recent run on the course at the Clovis Invitational on Oct. 10 to their advantage.
“It was so helpful to have seen the course this year and not have a full 12-month span in between the last time we were here,” Caroll said. “I feel like I’m getting to know the course better, which is insanely helpful. I think it’s our fifth time running the course, and it kind of is turning into our second home.”
Coleman applauded Newman and Carroll for their dedication to the team.
“It really speaks to their commitment to the sport, their ability to make it through the postseason, all the way to this level,” Coleman said. “I think the thing that makes this the most special, regardless of the result, is just Stella being able to make and qualify for it every year that she has been a Burlingame Panther — that really speaks to her ability. Also, with Elizabeth falling in those footsteps, that makes it extra special as well.”
With four state qualifications to look back on, Newman said it felt surreal to be closing out her final season.
“It still hasn’t really hit me yet since we’re still so early on [in the year], and it hasn’t hit me yet that it was my last one, but no one I’d rather do it with than Elizabeth,” Newman said. “It was very exciting, because Ryan, it’s his last year too, and he made it. So it was fun to have the trio of us. I’m super proud to be a four-time qualifier, so, can’t complain.”
Sharing Newman’s outlook, Liu said the emotions of his final season at Burlingame won’t fully set in until the end of track season in the spring.
“As a track runner, at least we have track season, so I think I’ll be more sad after track because it’ll be my last running season. But I am still happy because my goal was just to make it to state. It’s sad for cross country to be over, but it was nice that I got to accomplish my goals,” Liu said.
Coleman said he is proud of the three runners for both their success and the supportive community they brought to the team.
“We’ll definitely miss them, but I will say that I think they’ve set a culture that really is going to last for the next couple years, as far as how you work together, how you work out, how you help your other teammates, and so on,” Coleman said.
