Oakhurst, California (KFSN) – With less than 600 students, you could call Yosemite High School an outsider.
But do not say it to the Cross-Country team of the boys.
“It is not the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog,” explains the runner Ford Stegge.
Over the past decade, head coach Kim Lawhon and coach Brad Stegge have created perennial power.
“Thanks to our motivation and our dedication, we can go against the schools of division I,” said Ford.
Led by Ford, a UC San Diego commitment, the badgers ran to four consecutive central section titles.
“When you have a group of similar people who go to the same thing, it really helps you drive to what you want to do,” he said.
Stegge is not the only DI commits to the team.
The twins Ben and Jack Olney took sport just before the first year. Their mother forces them to register for a local race camp.
Both are constantly pushing themselves to be better than others.
The sympathetic rivalry of the brothers and sisters worked. Both are a package for the University of San Francisco.
“Most of the teams will take both or will not take either, which we totally agree,” they said. “It was a bit of all the goal.”
With almost half of the team heading to the DI ranks, the boys hope that their trip will be able to inspire the next generation of Yosemite High runners.
“You want to work at the highest level, and the easiest way to do so is to see what the best people do,” said Ford.
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