Cuesta's Women's Cross Country entered the season looking strong and challenged for a conference title, while also returning to the championships as a team.  Sophomore Leza Cassidy (Arroyo Grande HS- pict) returned after a two-year break to lead the women and earned All State honors, while three other women were honored by the Western State Conference.  

Two-time CCCAA State Qualifier Leza Cassidy racked up the awards this season to complete her career at Cuesta.  She led Cuesta Women's Cross Country team to 7th place at the 2016 CCCAA State Championship as a freshman and, after a two-year break, returned this season to lead the Cougars to 18th place as a team.  Cassidy was named to the 2019 CCCAA All State team after finishing 4th (18:40.4) at the 2019 CCCAA State Cross Country Championships and earned all-Region for the second time after finishing 4th at the 2019 CCCAA Regional Finals.  The Cougars compete in the toughest cross country conference in the State and the only harriers ahead of Cassidy in both races were also from the Western State Conference.  Her 6th place at the 2019 Western State Conference (WSC) Finals also earned her a second all-WSC First Team nod.  In her freshman season, Cassidy finished 23rd at the 2016 CCCAA State Meet and her time of 19:11.5 marked the 8th fastest state time by a Cuesta runner, however this year she beat her time by more than half-a-minute.  She now owns 5th and 9th fastest State Meet times in Cuesta History; her 2016 teammate and 2016 State Champion Miranda Daschian owns the fastest Cuesta time on record (17:52.7).

Freshman Kylee Dismuke-Rodriguez (Visalia) joined Cassidy at the State Meet and on the 2019 All Western Conference First Team.  She finished 12th (21:59.4) at the 2019 Western State Conference Meet and 60th (20:21.8) at the 2019 CCCAA State Championship.  Dismuke-Rodriguez burst onto the scene with a runner-up finish at the season-opening Tour de Cuesta and established herself among the elite harriers in the State's toughest conference.    

Sophomore Mattie Lindsey (Templeton HS) and Freshman Shannon Ferrall (Arroyo Grande HS) were also recognized by the Western State Conference.   Lindsey moved up three spots at this year's Western State Conference Final and up to the loop's Second Team after earning honorable mention as a freshman in 2018.  Lindsey was the Cougars' top harrier in 2018 and led the team to 21st place at the 2018 CCCAA Regional Meet, however they fell short of the CCCAA State Meet.   Ferrall was only two spots behind Lindsey at this year's WSC Meet and one spot from the second team.  She finished 29th in the 2019 Western State Conference Finals and was the fourth Cuesta Harrier to cross the finish line at the 2019 CCCAA State Championship in 136th place overall.  

 

 

Cross Country Honors

Women

Leza Cassidy- All-WSC First Team, All State First Team

Kylee Dismuke-Rodriguez- All-WSC First Team

Mattie Lindsey-- All-WSC Second Team

Shannon Ferrall- All-WSC Honorable Mention