MIDDLETOWN >> The Middletown High School boys’ cross country team posted the highest grade point average of any high school sports team in the state during the 2015-16 school year, according to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).
Middletown’s cumulative GPA of 3.98 edged out the Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) girls’ cross country team and the Whitney (Cerritos) girls’ track and field team, both at 3.97.
While a handful of Middletown’s runners lost their homes to the devastating Valley Fire in September, that didn’t keep the Mustangs from achieving success both as students and runners. The fire also claimed Middletown’s home course at the Diamond D Ranch.
Team members included Diego Munoz, Jake Olsen, Jack Shrive, Donnie Elder, Justin Hingston, Parker Spadaro, Caden McDowell, Aiden Isaiah, Christian Nikolov, Brenden Steele, Samuel Cervantes and Tyler Olsen.
CIF State Academic Team Champions receive a banner suitable for display in the school gym to recognize the accomplsihment
It’s the second major CIF award for Middletown High School this year. In April the CIF honored Middletown senior Kailei Foltmer with the Spirit of Sports Award, one of only four given in the state. Foltmer, the daughter of longtime Middletown varsity football coach Bill Foltmer, ran for the girls’ cross country team during the 2015 season. She also wrestled and ran track.
