The 75th annual Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational hosted hundreds of athletes on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21, providing an opportunity for participants to see where they are at as the season inches closer to a close.
In the boys’ races, St. Francis and Flintridge Prep came out on top, winning the overall team meet in their respective competitions at the two-day event at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.
The Golden Knights, looking to once again capture another CIF Southern Section title after winning the Division IV title last season, handily won the Division 3, 4 and 5 Team Sweepstakes, finishing ahead of Santa Margarita, 74-144.
St. Francis senior Luke Metcalf’s fifth-place finish sparked the Golden Knights, the CIF Southern Section Division IV top-ranked team, clocking in at 15 minutes, 22 seconds in the 3-mile course. Golden Knights senior Samuel Franco followed in seventh in 15:29 to round out the top-10 runners in the meet.
St. Francis junior Auge Martin (15th, 15:49), junior Aidan Guzman (17th, 15:53), junior Axel Gonzalez (30th, 16:20), junior Aidan Waldron (99th, 17:21), and senior Augustine Martinez (125th, 17:43) all helped the winners place ahead of Santa Margarita.
The Flintridge Prep boys’, ranked No. 10 in the CIF Southern Section Division V polls, won the Division 5 Varsity Yellow race with 58 points ahead of Hawthorne Math & Science (86).
Wolves junior Carter Sakai led the pack and finished the 2-mile course in seventh with a time of 10:08.
A trio of Flintridge Prep athletes followed, all clocking in at 10:16. Wolves senior Kevin Martinez came in ninth, senior Leo McDonald in 10th and sophomore Declan Mansbridge 11th.
Wolves senior Evan Guyer came in 24th in 10:46 and sophomore William Carrig-Braun in 47th in 11:26.
In the boys’ Division 3, 4 and 5 Team Sweepstakes, La Cañada senior George Hervey finished the 3-mile course 55th in 16:45 to lead the Spartans, who are ranked No. 13 in the CIF Southern Section Division IV polls.
Spartans senior Jamie Saunders came in 71st in 16:56, sophomore Mateo Rose in 113rd (17:32), freshman Caden Ho in 117th (17:36), sophomore Will Drobis in 130th (17:51), freshman Charles Matarese in 131st (17:53), and sophomore Connor Chung in 144th (18:20).
In the girls’ competition, Flintridge Sacred Heart finished behind winners Wilson High of Hacienda Heights 101-115 in the girls Division 4 Varsity Red meet.
Tologs juniors Paige Perkins came in fourth, clocking in at 11:50 at the 2-mile course.
Flintridge Sacred Heart junior Alanna McCann finished 19th in 12:32, freshman Evie Waldron came in 32nd in 12:51, Adelina Van Dyck finished right behind her teammate in 33rd in 12:53, and junior Abby Reichert (42nd, 13:06), senior Annie Ramirez (49th, 13:23) and junior Mari Owen (54th, 13:26) followed.
The La Cañada girls’ team was led by junior Maya Debrouwer who finished in third in 17:49 to help the Spartans, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division IV polls, place sixth in the girls’ Division 3, 4 and 5 Team Sweepstakes.
Spartans senior Katelyn Matarese followed Debrouwer (15th, 19:12), and sophomore Charlotte Hopkins (29th, 19:46), senior Yasmin Ghaneh (46th, 20:27), junior Kelly Sellman (83rd, 21:51), and freshman Tina Lin (85th, 21:54) rounded out the Spartans participants.
Flintridge Prep finished fifth overall with 139 points in the girls Division 5 Varsity Red 2-mile race.
The Wolves, ranked No. 12 in the CIF Division V polls, were led by junior Jenna Moutes who came in 24th in 13:11.
Flintridge Prep sophomore Lucy Helfenstein finished 27th in 13:19, and sophomore Sarah Bonk (32nd, 13:44), senior Julia Bonk (37th, 13:53), freshman Carla Oboza (53rd, 14:36), senior Nicolle Riley (63rd in 14:55), and senior Hailey Wilson (85th, 16:05) followed.
Mt. San Antonio College will be the site of the CIF Southern Section Cross Country Championships on Nov. 18.
First published in the October 26 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
