On Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, Hart Memorial Park hosted Kern County’s cross-country championships. High Schools all over Kern County met at Hart Park to compete in this rigorous race, which determines which team moves on to the league finals.
McFarland High School’s Freshman and Sophomore girls’ team, along with their varsity team, won first place in the Championship. Jamileth Vasquez, Susana Sandoval, both juniors, and Leah Pulido, a freshman, took the top three spots in the Women’s two-mile race. Freshmen Alexis Perez and Alejandra Leon took the fifth and seventh place spots. As for the varsity team, Jennifer Diaz, a freshman, took second place, and juniors Haley Ramos and Iris Juarez took ninth and tenth place in their three-mile race.
The meets are typically organized into separate races by level. The Frosh/Soph girls’ race is two miles while the varsity girls’ race is three miles. Each school enters a team for each level, and their runners will then compete. Scoring is based on a team level. In cross country, the team with the lowest score wins.
“This race meant a lot to me because I did not know that we would be able to beat Stockdale and Highland, since they are really good schools. I feel really good about our win,” said Iris Juarez, who hit a personal record of nineteen minutes and fifty-three seconds during her three-mile run.
Joel Lopez, an educator at McFarland High and girls’ cross-country coach, shared his aspirations for his team.
“My hope for the team is to use what they learn in cross country and apply it to life. Work hard and win. Never give up, and most importantly, always have a positive attitude. Extremely proud of all our team. Frosh, junior varsity, and varsity. They always show up and compete at the highest level. I would like to thank our administration, teachers, parents, and coaches for always supporting McFarland cross country,” shared Lopez.
McFarland’s cross country teams have received national recognition for their 2015 Disney movie McFarland USA, following Kevin Costner as a small town hero and coach, Jim White, and his team of underdog cross country runners. McFarland USA has become the pinnacle of inspiration for the running community, particularly inspiring local runners.
“As a runner from McFarland, the McFarland, USA movie means a lot to me. It’s more than just a movie; it’s part of our town’s identity. Growing up here, you always hear about the 1987 team and what they accomplished, but seeing it on screen really brings their story to life,” said Varsity runner Haley Ramos.
Ramos explained that the movie inspires her to keep training and makes her proud to represent McFarland.
“It reminds us that hard work, teamwork, and pride in where we come from can take us far. I definitely gain inspiration from the movie, especially when training gets tough. Knowing that runners from our own town overcame so many challenges to become champions motivates me to push harder. It makes me proud to wear “McFarland” on my jersey and to keep that tradition going. Every time I watch it, it reminds me why I run not just for myself, but for my teammates, my family, and our community,” continued Ramos.
After their win, McFarland’s Frosh/Soph and varsity girls teams advance to league finals. They will now begin to prepare for next week’s league finals following their first-place finish at the Kern County Championships.
