Already packed as a result of recent CIF triumphs, South Pasadena High School added another plaque after the girls’ cross country team returned home from Fresno in late November with the CIF-State Division 3 championship, marking, perhaps, the single most greatest sports triumph in the city this year.
The Tigers entered the finals ranked as California’s top team in the division, facing an expected tough challenge against San Diego’s Point Lomas and Orange County’s Santa Margarita, explained SPHS Athletic Director CB Richards. “We delivered a stunning performance, and in doing so, produced our school’s first-ever cross country state title and the second ever individual cross country champion, and our first female individual champion,” he praised.
South Pasadena’s Abigail Errington was the overall girls’ champion, coming across in first with a time of 16:57.5 over a rolling hills course at Woodward Park.
“This marks the first time in school history that South Pasadena has won a CIF-SS team title and CIF state championship in cross country,” emphasized Richards.
South Pasadena’s boys’ cross country team, competing against 25 squads across the state, wasn’t far behind the effort, taking 4th overall in the Division 3 competition. Both the boys’ and girls’ units are coached by Mike Parkinson, who continues to get the most out of his long distance runners year after year at the school.
Over a two week span to cap the season, SPHS has added to its winning ways by earning CIF titles in a variety of sports. Ahead of their state title, the Tigers’ girls cross country team earned a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 crown at Mt. San Antonio College, Errington also taking top honors in that one while teammate Saidbh Byrne finished fourth. South Pasadena’s boys’ cross country team took second in the CIF-SS Division 3 competition.
Cross country’s success was the icing on the cake of a remarkable and memorable fall on campus. In other sports, the SPHS girls’ volleyball team won the CIF Division 4 state championship and the Tigers’ boys’ water polo team claimed the CIF Division 3 State Southern Regional crown.
Added to that, South Pasadena High’s football team reached the CIF Division 10 semifinals before falling to eventual champion Silverado in Victorville, finishing the season with a highly respectable 10-3 mark. With it, the Tigers won their first Rio Hondo League title outright since 1977, going 5-0 and won a pair of games in the post-season.
In girls’ tennis action, Tigers’ sensation Felicity Mason went to the second round in CIF-Division 1 completion and helped South Pasadena go 14-2 overall on the season.
The school’s girls’ golf team was also solid, taking home second place in Rio Hondo League play, following it up by sending four players to the CIF individual playoffs.
All in all, sizing up an impressive fall campaign, the Tigers collected two state CIF championships, had two state CIF regional title winners, a pair of CIF-Southern sectional championship teams, one CIF-SS sectional runner-up team, one CIF-SS semifinalist and two individual athlete titles.
Add it all up, seven CIF championship plaques and trophies have been earned by SPHS student-athletes in recent months as a result of hard work, determination, resolve and productivity.
Not a bad effort for fall teams, noted Richards. “As the athletic director for South Pasadena High School, I am incredibly proud of our coaches and all our fall student-athletes,” he said. “This fall season has been nothing short of historic, with success across our fall athletic programs rewriting the record books and bringing home CIF championships in ways we’ve never seen before.”
In the playoffs, Richards says victories and defeats often come down to a razor-thin margin. “A single moment, a split-second decision, a key player’s health, or a crucial coaching choice can determine whether you advance or go home,” he said. “Our athletes and coaches understood this and gave everything they had on the court, field, course, and pool, showing exceptional grit and focus when it mattered most.”
Looking back on the enormous recognition South Pasadena teams have earned, Richards also knows how fortunate the school is in reaching some lofty milestones. “Timing and luck play a significant role in any championship run, and having multiple teams make it there is something we don’t take for granted,” he acknowledged. “We are grateful for the opportunity to watch our student-athletes and coaches compete at their highest level, showcasing their talents in the CIF playoffs.”
Richards insists South Pasadena High School is now raising the bar for all of its teams, “striving not only for Rio Hondo League titles but for excellence that takes us deep into the CIF playoffs,” he insisted. “As the saying goes, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ and the momentum from this fall will propel our winter and spring sports teams to even greater heights.”
