Cross-Country: Three local teams and three individuals make CIF finals
WALNUT — Two local girls’ cross-country teams and one boys’ team, as well as two individual boys and one girl earned the right to keep running this season.
The girls’ teams from Corona del Mar High and Sage Hill School qualified for the CIF Southern Section finals in their respective divisions at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday, as did the Sage Hill boys’ team. Costa Mesa’s Anuare Magana, CdM’s Parker Nostrand, and Newport Harbor’s Emily Bacon advanced as individual runners in their respective boys’ and girls’ divisions.
The top 16 teams in Divisions 1 through 5 at the CIF Southern Section preliminaries made it to next week’s finals, and the top eight individual finishers not on qualifying teams secured berths to the finals.
The Sea Kings’ girls finished third in their Division 3 heat and ninth overall with 91 points. The CdM team included Tess St. Geme, who placed 10th in her heat in 19 minutes 6 seconds. The Sea Kings’ next top-four runners were Raquel Powers (12th, 19:13), Jacqueline Choe (19th, 19:36), Elin Wolker (22nd, 19:44) and Kirsten Hansen (31st, 20:00).
“The goal is to get the girls to state,” said CdM Coach Bill Sumner, adding that his girls’ team has to place in the top seven next week at the section finals at Mt. SAC to earn a trip to the CIF State championships at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 29. “The girls got one more week to get there. We’ve missed state the last two years, but this is what we live for, this time of the season. We’re right there. We’re knocking at the door.”
Sage Hill has two teams reaching the next stage, the precursor to state.
The Lightning girls’ team took third in its preliminary heat, good enough for ninth overall in Division 5. Julia Lowe led the way for the Lightning, finishing fifth in 19:37, followed by Brittany Andressoo (13th, 20:27), Julia Dupuis (31st, 21:40), Kurisa Suhr (41st, 22:12) and Rebecca Fudge (48th, 22:36).
Sage Hill has the only boys’ team in the area getting to the finals. Sage Hill placed fifth in its heat and 12th overall in Division 5. The team consisted of Calvin Shimano (11th, 16:53), Brian Slaughter (15th, 17:03), Patrick Hynes (24th, 17:23), Alexis Michaca (30th, 17:28) and Cameron Knollenberg (34th, 17:40).
Costa Mesa has Magana in the Division 4 boys’ individual finals. The senior won his preliminary heat in 15:42, tying him for the eighth-best overall mark with Morro Bay’s Austin Lay.
Newport Harbor is sending Bacon to the Division 2 girls’ individual finals, and Corona del Mar’s Nostrand is bound for the Division 3 boys’ individual finals. Bacon turned in the eighth-fastest time in her preliminary heat, 18:14, while Nostrand was seventh in his heat in 15:42
Newport Harbor barely missed qualifying to the Division 2 girls’ team finals. The Sailors placed 17th in 1:36.23, but Redlands Citrus Valley finished as a team in 1:35.52, claiming the final No. 16 spot.
The CdM boys came close to making the Division 3 team finals. The Sea Kings finished 18th, a little more a minute behind No. 16 South Torrance (1:22.05).
Costa Mesa’s boy came in eighth in its Division 4 boys’ heat. The Mustangs ended up in 22nd place.
— From Staff Reports