Santiago’s Rylee Blade is the IE Varsity Runner of the Year – San Bernardino Sun

CORONA — Santiago coach Rick Etheridge doesn’t hold back praise when referring to senior Rylee Blade’s 2024 cross country season.

Santiago senior Rylee Blade has been selected the IE Varsity Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, seen on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

Santiago senior Rylee Blade has been selected the IE Varsity Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, seen on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

Santiago senior Rylee Blade has been selected the IE Varsity Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, she can be seen running on the school’s track in Corona on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

Santiago senior Rylee Blade has been selected the IE Varsity Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, she sits on the school’s track in Corona on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

Santiago senior Rylee Blade has been selected the IE Varsity Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, seen on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

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Santiago senior Rylee Blade has been selected the IE Varsity Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, seen on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG)

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“I would characterize it as one of the greatest in California state history, the things she accomplished this year,” Etheridge said.

That season earned Blade IE Varsity Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year honors for a third consecutive season.

Blade said she had a good feeling about the season back in August.

“I would say it was a time trial for two miles,” Blade said. “It was unofficial, but it was a good starting point. It was the first time I broke 10 minutes (9:54) in the two mile.”

It wasn’t that Blade was winning, but winning impressively.

“It was historical, to break 16 minutes four times in one season,” Etheridge said. “And she ran 16:31 at Woodward Park, which before this year only one girl had done before.”

Blade won the Cool Breeze Invitational in 15:47.9, won the sweepstakes race at the Woodbridge Classic in 15:20.3, won the Inland Empire Challenge for the fourth time in 15:49.5, and repeated as Big VIII League champion in 15:53.7. She didn’t win the Clovis Invitational championship race at Woodward Park, but her time of 16:31.3 trailed only Ventura’s Sadie Engelhardt (16:24.2).

“I felt like Woodbridge was the biggest race of the season, because I felt really good,” Blade said. “I didn’t think I was honestly going to win. I knew Jane (Hedengren) and Sadie (Engelhardt) would be up there.”

But Blade won the race, getting faster in each of the three miles, including a 5:03.6 in the final mile. She won by nearly eight seconds ahead of La Jolla’s Chiara Dailey.

Blade improved on her time by 22 seconds and she ran 12 seconds faster than Hedengren’s winning time in 2023.

“I knew she had a 15:20 in her,” Etheridge said.

She also won her CIF Southern Section Division 1 Prelims race, but what followed was her only real disappointment of the season: a third-place finish at CIF-SS Finals. She led at the mile and two-mile marks but faded down the stretch.

“Whether it’s a good race or a bad race, I try not to let it affect me into Monday,” Blade said. “I felt like I grew with that. That (CIF-SS Finals) day stuff was not clicking and I was not feeling myself. That philosophy was what helped me at state.”

Entering the CIF State Championships at Woodward Park was a little different than her junior year. Her junior year she was not only looking to win her first individual state title, but also lead her team to the team title, which she did.

This year, she was looking to repeat as an individual champ, but Santiago wasn’t expected to win a state title. Blade won again (16:46.5), improving on her winning time from 2023.

“The one thing that I said after state, ‘It might not have been our best day, but we still took third in Division I.’ Four years ago we hadn’t even made a state meet,” Blade said.

Blade went on to take 28th at Nike Cross Nationals, improving on her junior year.

Etheridge said Blade’s impact goes far beyond winning races.

“She’s the face of the program. She sets the tone and work ethic. She is the epitome of mamba mentality,” Etheridge said.

Now it’s on to track season where she’s looking to win back the 3200 meter state title she won two years ago. Then it’s on to Florida State where she’s hoping to leave a legacy like she has at Santiago.

IE VARSITY COACH OF THE YEAR

Mark Batres, Claremont

Claremont was coming off an outstanding 2023 season as the Wolfpack finished fourth in Division II at the CIF State Championships. But four of Claremont’s top six runners at state in 2023 were graduating, so it was reasonable to expect the Wolfpack to be in a bit of a rebuilding mode in 2024. But Batres and his wife/assistant coach Natalie Miano not only led the Wolfpack back to the state meet, but they took fourth in CIF-SS and sixth in the state. Claremont had only one senior among their top seven at state and were led by freshman Grace Smith, who finished sixth at state. Among other results this season, Claremont was also an impressive third in the Division 1&2 team sweepstakes at the Mt. SAC Invitational in October.