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Bruin Duo Close Out Impressive Cross Country Campaign
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Only a select few have the pleasure of closing out their high school cross-country career alongside some of the best distance runners in the entire nation and that is exactly how Riverbank High senior Jacob Hodges finished his decorated distance running career.

Jacob joined younger brother Ben in the 2008 CIF Cross Country State Championships at Woodward Park in Fresno on Saturday, Nov. 29, closing out a season that has been filled with plenty of achievements for the running duo.

The Hodges brothers were the only two Riverbank High representatives on the state stage, representing a program that has been on the State Meet scene as a team each of Jacob's first three seasons as a Bruin.

Jacob turned in a respectable time of 17:18 on the State Meet course, closing out the season with a top-100 finish in California amongst the Division IV cross country field. Second year distance runner Ben made the most of his trip south as well.

Ben finished the meet with a time of 17:31, just missing out on the division's top 100 finishers with a 105th place finish. The race Ben turned in placed him in some elite company for the Sac-Joaquin Section, closing out the day as the 17th best sophomore to compete in the division IV race.

The experience alone is monumental for both of the Riverbank athletes, securing the pair a lengthy stay amongst the top runners in a storied Riverbank High distance running program.

Ben will look to improve on his impressive finish over his final two years competing for Riverbank head coach Bruce Edwards and the cross country program, while Jacob has earned his final medal of four years of hard work ad dedication.

Both the Hodges brothers will now hang up their running shoes and exchange them for wrestling gear as they open the winter sports season by competing for the Riverbank High varsity wrestling program.