San Marcos girls cross country repeated as Channel League champions at the Channel/Pacific View Association Championship meet on Wednesday at Dos Pueblos.
The Royals’ girls squad was powered by their top two runners, as Elsie Tuttle took first place overall and Autumn Richardson closely followed in second place.
“Elsie took the lead from the beginning and didn’t look back. I loved her confidence today. Seeing both Elsie and Autumn running together throughout the meet was special. They are training partners and each other’s number one fans,” San Marcos head coach Marilyn Hantgin said. “All of the girls ran their hearts out today.”
Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara High duo of Kik Van Engelen and Sydney Burgoyne captured the Pacific View League boys and girls titles, respectively.
Van Engelen crossed the finish line in 16:04 to take first, while Burgoyne finished with a time of 19:48.
Dos Pueblos, competing in the Channel League, took third place in the girls race and fourth place in the boys race.
“Our school came together to host a terrific Championship in the Goodland,” Dos Pueblos head coach David Jackson said. “Top of my list; I’m proud of our girls and our coaches. They finished third with a lot of heart.”
San Marcos
The Royal girls finished the meet tied for second place with Ventura, but since they won the first Channel League meet of the season they were crowned league champions.
Tuttle and Richardson were a dynamic duo throughout, leading the pack for almost the entirety of the 3-mile race. They were followed by teammates Jane Demmin (9th), Maya D’Amour (12th) and Abby Herbst (13th).
The San Marcos boys took second place to Rio Mesa, with August Singer leading the Royals at second place individually.
“August had a very competitive race today. He was a little under the weather but you wouldn’t have known by watching him race. He competed all the way until the end,” Hantgin said.
Singer was joined by Drew Vogel (8th), Nate Daughters (13th), Brogan Hemphill (15th) and Audric Hallberg (18th).
“Our league is tough. There are so many great runners and to end up second place is something to be proud of today,” Hantgin said.
Both San Marcos squads will compete in the CIF-SS playoffs next Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.
Dos Pueblos
Iyla Herrick led the Chargers with a sixth-place finish at 19:18.10, while Gwen Shea followed in 11th place after finishing in 19:33.10.
“[Herrick] brings more than a strong result. She’s a terrific role model for patience and determination, and an inspiration to teammates across our 125-member program,” Jackson said. “Gwen brings competitive fire to every race and a smile to everyone around her. She and her friends are hilarious, and they’ve found a great balance between being committed student-athletes and embracing the race experience together.
“The team showed impressive depth, too: all seven runners finished in the top 22, and just 1:06 separated the five scorers.”
As for the boys, the Charger duo of Ian McMurtry and Quentin Holland placed fifth and seventh, respectively. McMurtry finished in 15:44.70, while Holland recorded a time of 15:58.90.
McMurtry and Holland will advance to the CIF-SS playoffs next Saturday at Mt. SAC. The DP girls team will also compete in the postseason.
Santa Barbara High
Van Engelen and Burgoyne’s first-place individual showings each led the way to fourth-place team finishes for the Dons boys and girls.
Ethan Walp will be joining his two teammates in the CIF-SS playoffs, as he came in sixth place with a time of 16:48. He was also named to the All-League First Team as a result.
“I’m really happy for all three of them to be moving into the postseason. They ran with a lot of poise and confidence today. They’ve absolutely earned those performances with all the work they’ve consistently put in the bank from day one,” Santa Barbara High head coach Olivia Perdices said.
The boys were rounded out by Andrew Diaz, John Tapia, Noah Davis and Oscar Green, while the Dons’ girls racers also included Ariadna Aguilera, Lena Schneider, Samantha Morello, Julia Thomson, Meg Covington and Aivary Bunnell.
“They went out and battled for each other. Really proud of them, especially the seniors Ariadna, Andrew and Oscar, who ran their last race today. Those three have helped set the tone for the younger kids every day,” Perdices said.
