Eleanor Hampton, a sophomore cross country athlete for Merced High School, continues to make a name for herself while setting two new all-time records for the school in the past month, with no signs of slowing down.
On Sept. 13, she made school history by breaking the all-time girls 5k school record with a time of 17:58, overtaking the last record set by Quinn Hagerman in 2018 with a time of 18:08. On top of that, only six days later, Hampton set a new school record for the 3-mile, with a time of 17:23, breaking the previous time by 7 seconds.
It is remarkable for anyone to be able to set a new record, but the fact that Hampton is stacking records so early at the beginning of her sophomore year is creating wonder and excitement about how far she can go in the future.
“It feels amazing knowing that I can contribute to my school, and to be able to raise the bar for all future runners at Merced High,” Hampton told the Times. “This year I have been able to focus more on achieving what success looks like for me, and not stressing about how others are performing around me. I’ve also upped my weekly mileage and raised personal expectations for my workouts. … I hope to keep seeing progress in my performances and being there for Merced High’s new girls team. I also am really interested in running at the collegiate level later on, and hopefully setting more records.”
According to Jesus Deniz, the head coach of the Merced High Cross County program, Hampton is playing a key role on a special team that’s competing with exceptional standards.
“Merced High has demonstrated exceptional performance, dedication, teamwork, and compassion throughout this year,” he said. “The program’s roster has nearly doubled from recent years. At its core, this team is built on resilience, unity, and the belief in pushing each other through every challenge, both on and off the course, and showing up for one another through life’s ups and downs, just as teammates do in the middle of a tough run. This culture of support and excellence has been shaped not only by the current athletes, but also by the continued legacy of alumni. In recent years, many former runners have been valedictorians, athletes of the year, and have gone on to pursue higher education at institutions such as Cal Poly Humboldt, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Cal State East Bay, University of Oregon, Merced College, and others, as well as entering military service. Their success reflects the program’s commitment to developing not just strong runners, but well-rounded, responsible citizens prepared for life beyond high school.”
With support from the coaching staff, Isaac Barragan, a junior on the Cross Country team, said he is thriving in a sport that demands discipline, sacrifice, and grittiness. “These qualities not only make me a better runner but also help me improve as a person in everything I choose to do,” he told the Times. “I love being part of the Merced XC team because of our incredible coaching staff, who always go above and beyond, and because every runner truly knows one another, creating a close-knit family.”
Coach Deniz added, “I’ve learned that peak performance doesn’t come from physical training alone, it comes from truly taking care of people in every aspect of life. That philosophy is the foundation of what we as coaches (Coach Alexis Mata, Zak Ellison, and myself) do in Merced High’s cross-country program. It’s not just about the miles they run; it’s about creating a positive team culture where every athlete feels empowered to grow, supported, and valued. We emphasize teamwork, resilience, confidence, and self-belief, because when they know they’re cared for beyond the finish line, they begin to realize their true potential. We don’t push them to break them; we push them to show them they are capable of far more than they ever imagined, both on the course and in life. We are incredibly proud of this team. They give us their all, and in return, we give them everything we’ve got.”
In addition to raw athleticism and grit, this team has shown compassion beyond what you would usually expect from any athlete. On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Merced runner Isis Sheffield and another runner from Atwater helped aid and escort an injured runner from El Capitan, leading her to medical professionals.
The two young ladies helped the injured runner and stayed with her the entire time until additional help came, and up until an ambulance arrived.
The El Capitan principal recognized the athletes by messaging the respective principals. Sheffield was recognized by her team, thanking her for her quick reaction to help others, as well as Merced High principal and staff. Sheffield said she saw the injured runner on the ground, helped her up and explained that it was natural instinct to take care of her and stay with her.
“I was not going to leave her,” Sheffield said.
Noteworthy team stats:
· Issac Barragan ran the fifth fastest 5k in MHS boys history with a 16:02. Three days later, he ran the third fastest three mile time in boys history with a time of 15:23
· Camden Gudgel ran the 10th fastest 5k in the school boys history with a 16:19.
· Currently, in league standings, the MHS varsity boys are in second, varsity girls varsity are in third, and JV boys are in second.
