The San Marcos girls cross country team captured the large team championship to headline the local racers from four high schools at the Ojai Invitational on Saturday.
San Marcos
The Royals girls ran in a pack, with five racers finishing in the top 10. Elsie Tuttle led the charge, placing second individually with her time of 19:28.
Autumn Richardson finished just behind her in third, while Sofi Hernandez (19:34, 4th), Layla Llewellyn (19:48, 5th) and Samara Shalhoub (20:04, 7th) closely followed.
“The girls ran great together as a group,” San Marcos head coach Marilyn Hantgin said. “It was nice to get on the course before our first league meet in a few weeks. The girls are still learning how to race. There is a lot to learn and grow throughout the season.”
On the boys side, the Royals’ racers were Audric Halberg, Everett Young, Walker Gregorio and Cesar Gutierrez.
“It was a fun day for the Royals,” Hantgin said. “We still have a lot of kids that are so new to running. Today was another positive day for them to see how their hard work in practice translates to races.”
San Marcos will compete in the Goose Chase Invitational in Santa Maria next Saturday.
Dos Pueblos
The Charger boys and girls team each placed sixth out of 24 teams in their respective races.
Quentin Holland finished ahead of the pack in the boys race, placing seventh overall with his time of 16:57. He was followed by Tristan Marston (17:26, 34th) and Dylan Adam (18:00, 47th)
As for the girls, Madelyn Myers’ time of 21:15 was good for the top Charger and 27th place individually. SHe was joined by Abby Chou (21:40, 37th) and Jasmin Vela (22:00, 40th).
“While the Chargers didn’t crack the podium, both varsity groups showed competitive depth against some of the strongest programs in the Central Coast Section,” Dos Pueblos head coach David Jackson said. “With Holland up front for the boys and Myers pacing the girls, DP looks poised to sharpen their pack running as the season moves toward league competition.”
Santa Barbara High
The Dons girls squad registered a 12th-place finish, while the boys ended the day in 13th as a team.
The SB girls were led by the duo of Itzel Rayos Jimenez and Sydney Burgoyne, who placed 11th and 13th as individuals, respectively. Rayos Jimenez finished in 20:31, and Burgoyne earned a time of 20:35.
“It was a season best for all the girls and they all walked away with a plan to do it better when we come back for a Channel League meet here in two weeks. I can’t ask them for much more than that,” Santa Barbara High head coach Olivia Perdices said.
Meanwhile, Ethan Walp’s time of 17:26 was good for 29th to lead the boys team. Kik Van Engelen crossed the finish line in 17:28 for 32nd place, while Oscar Green, Lucca Lowry and Weston Burwell rounded out the SB racers.
“Course bests for all the guys and season bests for Ethan, Lucca and Weston,” Perdices said. “They did a nice job working off each other and pulling each other through a challenging course on a warm day. These guys are growing every time they line up.”
Carpinteria High
The Warriors ended the day with an 11th-place finish in the girls race and a 12th-place showing for the boys,
Jaqueline Guadian was the top Carpinteria racer, coming in 12th place overall after crossing the finish line in 20:33.
The rest of the Warrior girls were Mila Martins (22:27, 56th), Kenzi Gardner (24:09, 91st), Victoria Martinez (24:28, 98th), Lisa Stineman (26:02, 121st) and Ashly Vences (28:42, 150th).
On the boys side, Max Soto continued his streak as the No. 1 Warrior after he placed 16th with his time of 17:16.
He was followed by Edwin Hernandez (17:54, 46th), Christian Dominguez (19:18, 97th), Gilberto Gomez (19:37, 116th), Ronny Rosales-Bui (19:38, 119th), Rafael Cintura (20:40, 164th) and Vinico Lopez (22:50, 229th).