https://www.ocregister.com/2019/05/10/ken-sayles-retires-as-capistrano-valley-cross-country-coach/

Ken Sayles retires as Capistrano Valley cross country coach

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Ken Sayles of Capistrano Valley High School was Orange County girls cross country coach of the year in 2014. (Register file photo)

By STEVE FRYER | sfryer@scng.com | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: May 10, 2019 at 8:24 pm | UPDATED: May 10, 2019 at 10:39 pm

Ken Sayles, Capistrano Valley’s girls cross country coach since 1989, has retired, the school announced Friday.

Sayles coached the Cougars girls cross country program since 1989. Capistrano Valley was CIF-Southern Section and CIF State runner-up in 2014. Sayles was Orange County girls cross country coach of the year in 2014.

Sayles said he felt ready to retire but will miss the relationships with the athletes and organizing their pre-race strategy.

“I’ve loved the plotting and the planning of the workouts,” he said, “and then being able to see the results come out for the teams and the individuals.”

Those results were good — six straight trips to the CIF state cross country meet over the past six seasons.

Sayles also was the distance coach for Capistrano Valley track and field in recent years and previously had spent a few years as the school’s boys and girls track and field head coach.

“Coach Sayles is a legend at Capo Valley,” said Capistrano Valley athletic director Chad Addison via text message. “He is a true gentleman and leader to our athletes. We are so grateful for 30 years of coaching he gave to Capo.”