Gully was nominated athlete of the week at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Tables Athletes of the Week for his performance at the CIF Prelims.
“[I’ve been in cross country] full time, since I was a freshman, so three years now,” Gully said. “I’ve [been] running for a year before that.”
Cullen received a rookie reward in track his freshman year followed by a Most Valuable Player Award. Now, he can add athlete of the week to his running sports awards.
Cullen Gully (11) led Dos Pueblos Boys Cross Country to 4th place in the Division 2 State Championship on Nov. 30. Gully tied for first at the CIF-SS preliminary meet with a time of 15:64.9. This set the Chargers up to win first place, earning them their spot in the Southern Section Championship.
“It felt good to know that the work I had done was being recognized,” Gully said.
Cullen went from 41st to 18th in the final Championship, setting a new 5k and Woodward Park personal record. The team moved up from 14th after the first mile, and then to 5th at mile two, before finishing in 4th.
After placing third place in the Southern Section Championship at Mt. SAC, the boys cross country team then went on to the State Championship for the second time in three years.
Gully and Eamon Gordon (12) were crucial to the team’s victory, according to Coach David Jackson. At mile one, Gordon and Cullen were 24th and 30th respectively. By the end, they finished in 6th and 9th place.
“We were placed 9th at mile one and ended in 3rd, showing the grit and determination that runs deep throughout our team,” Jackson said.
Edited Jan. 10, 2025 for capitalization and attribution.
