Davis Senior closer, better than ever at NXN

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

Fiona O’Keeffe helped lift the Davis Senior girls cross country team to national prominence with their first appearance at Nike Cross Nationals in 2013.

Her teammates elevated their performances and strengthened their chemistry this season to ensure O’Keeffe would enjoy a third consecutive trip to the prestigious event in Oregon.

The status of the Stanford commit is uncertain entering the 5-kilometer girls championship race at 10:05 a.m. Saturday at the 12^th annual event at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland.

What has become clear in the past two months is the maturation and cohesiveness of the Blue Devils’ lineup while O’Keeffe was sidelined battling nagging leg injuries and tendinitis.

Freshman Sophia Lodigiani, sophomores Olivia O’Keeffe and Sage Taylor, juniors Sofia Castiglioni and Abigail Fisk, along with seniors Elise Chu and Jasmine Casillas not only improved, but thrived in the absence of the two-time California Division I state champion to develop into the best team in program history.

“I feel so lucky to be part of this amazing group, and it’s been awesome to see us come together and lift each other up when one of us needs it,” Fiona O’Keeffe said. “I’m so excited that we have the opportunity to run at NXN again. It represents the culmination of a major journey with an amazing team. I loved coming here two years ago with them and it’s great to bring a whole new group and come back with Sofia and Olivia too. It’s awesome.”

Castiglioni and Fiona O’Keeffe are the remaining members of the Davis team that finished 12^th at NXN two years ago, with California rivals Great Oak and Simi Valley placing eighth and ninth. O’Keeffe has been an All-American in both of her NXN appearances, once at Portland Meadows and last year at Glendoveer.

“Running at NXN in ninth grade is definitely one of my most cherished memories, and I can’t wait to share this experience with all my teammates who have never gone and with Fiona,” said Castiglioni, who finished 44^th in her NXN debut.

“It means a lot because it was our ultimate goal to make it to NXN. We didn’t want to measure the success of our season on our qualification, because we would have been upset if we hadn’t made it, even if the rest of our season had gone well.”

Fiona O’Keeffe competed with the Blue Devils for the first time since Oct. 7 when she ran in the Division I state final Nov. 28, courageously covering the 5-kilometer Woodward Park course in eighth place in 17:42.1 to help Davis challenge five-time champion Great Oak, before falling just short 44-46 against the nation’s second-ranked team.

“Fiona ran her heart out for us. Everyone set high expectations for her, but she cast them aside and ran for her team,” Castiglioni said. “They’re ranked No. 2 and for us to be two points away is such a great feeling. We know can compete with teams that are nationally ranked like Great Oak.”

Castiglioni secured ninth in 17:45.8, Fisk finished 11^th in 17:50.2, Olivia O’Keeffe placed 13^th in 17:52 and Lodigiani was 23^rd in 18:20.7 for Davis, which ran the fourth-fastest team time in Woodward Park history at 89:31 to join Great Oak as California’s two automatic selections to compete at NXN. Dana Hills and Great Oak were California's two automatic boys qualifiers for the 11:35 a.m. championship race.

“It was everything, honestly. That’s why I’m here, that’s why I ran,” Fiona O’Keeffe said following the state awards ceremony. “I’m so proud of everything they’ve been doing this whole season and I’m so proud of the way they came together. They’re the most amazing group of people I could ask for.”

It was a group that began to discover its identity following a second-place finish behind Great Oak in the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes race Oct. 24 at the 68^th Mt. SAC Invitational.

After winning a frosh/soph race Oct. 10 at the Clovis Invitational, Lodigiani competed at the varsity level at Mt. SAC and was the Blue Devils’ No. 4 runner, finishing 30^th overall.

“It’s so amazing and crazy to have such an eventful season. I knew it was up in the air whether I would be on varsity in the middle of the season, but I really thought I was going to stay on frosh/soph for the first year,” Lodigiani said. “From having that mentality to getting 23^rd at state is absolutely mind-boggling. I couldn’t imagine getting here without having my team to push me through. They have been so supportive of me from the very first race at Lagoon Valley. It’s absolutely breathtaking to have such a support group around me and to help me.”

With Fiona O’Keeffe going through the process of deciding on a college and rehabilitating her injuries, Davis continued to build momentum at the Delta League finals, Sac-Joaquin Sub-Section meet and section finals.

Although O’Keeffe didn’t have an opportunity to win a fourth career Sac-Joaquin individual title, Castiglioni led four runners among the first six finishers and all seven placing in the top 17 to help the Blue Devils capture a 13^th section championship overall, including their 11^th in Division I.

“Everybody works together to get the goals,” Taylor said. “It’s a very supportive group and very easy to do well with them because everybody is always so happy and into being together and getting better.”

Motivated to improve on an 11^th-place result from last year’s Division I state final and inspired by the return of O’Keeffe, Davis secured its second runner-up finish in three years behind Great Oak, improving its team time at Woodward Park by more than four minutes from the Clovis Invitational.

“Every girl on this team knows [state] is the day we’ve been training for and everyone prepared for it correctly and everyone was really ready and we just gave it our all,” Fisk said. “I think we did amazing.”

Injuries derailed Davis’ potential of returning to Oregon as a team last season, resulting in O’Keeffe qualifying as an individual and placing fourth for the second year in a row. But the Blue Devils were determined to overcome adversity and navigate all obstacles in pursuit of competing again in Portland, becoming the seventh California girls team to make multiple NXN appearances.

“Sometimes it’s really hard to rebound from such a hard finish last year because we knew we had it in us,” Chu said. “To come into this year and to have a huge goal and to really finish hard no matter what, despite whatever happens the previous years, it shows how strong we are and how close we’ve become because we know what we can do and we had the dream and we finished it.”

Castiglioni knows if the Blue Devils can field their complete lineup, they have an opportunity to challenge for a podium finish, joining Saugus and Great Oak as the only California girls teams to place in the top three in meet history. Wherever Davis places among the 22-team field, it won’t detract from the experience for a group that has been defined throughout the season by tenacity and perseverance.

Regardless of the outcome for the Blue Devils, Olivia O’Keeffe is just thankful she has the opportunity to share the experience with her older sister and the rest of her extended family.

“Being able to share it with Fiona, especially with it being her senior year, makes the whole experience much more special,” Olivia said. “It all worked out and I’m so happy what we’ve been able to accomplish as a team. It’s been our goal the whole season, so we’re all extremely happy and excited about it. Now I’m just looking forward to racing with our teammates and the fastest girls again.”