By Amy Candiotty
The Los Alamitos High School cross country team sets aside one race of the season to dedicate to their seniors. This year the team spent a weekend in Oceanside racing and team bonding with extracurricular activities to celebrate their seniors. The Griffins raced the 41st Annual Asics Southern Cal Invitational on Oct. 7 at Guajome Park in Oceanside.
The race format is unique in that the first race had the top three varsity runners from each school run together against the competing high schools top three runners. The second race runs the school’s varsity #4 and #5 runners. Then varsity runners #6 and #7 run the third race. According to the Griffins boys varsity coach, Jeremy Berryman, this race gives the varsity runners #4-7 a chance to get out in front and lead their races while being challenged by those other varsity schools with competing times.
The Griffin varsity girls placed third overall. The #1-3 race was led by Stevie Holguin (18:40) followed by Olivia Bettinger (18:59) and Ruby Flaim (19:51). The second race, #3-4 was led by sophomore Chelsea Estrada (20:14) who came in fourth followed by Kaitlyn McQuillen (20:53). The last varsity race junior Alejandra Reyburn (20:09) placed second followed by Phoebe Grimshaw (21:34).
The Los Alamitos novice girls won their division. Freshman Caris Honma (21:34) led the Griffins, then Maddie Heenan (22:05), and Riley Kuhlendahi (22:45). The junior varsity girls placed third. The race was led by Milly Verdugo (23:02), Alia Turcios (23:03), then Skyler McClain and Reanne Robinson (23:13) both tied coming in third on the team.
The Griffin varsity boys placed third overall. The #1-3 race was led by Lon Monk (16:38), followed by Charles Villegas (17:33) and Matthew Mayhue (17:42). The second race, #3-4 was Garret Bantle (18:30) and Charlie Nelson (18:34). The last varsity race was led by Paul Dunbar (18:25) and Gavin Ordinario (18:57).
The Los Alamitos novice boys placed third overall and were led by AC Wellsand (18:18), Jonathan Vazquez (18:32), and Sully Pareti (18:41). The junior varsity boys placed fourth with Travis Regnier (18:37) leading the way, followed by Jazon Nguyen (19:09) and Daniel Li (19:13).
Head Coach Mark Celestin said this race really gave the runners an opportunity to be challenged by the terrain of the course. The course has hills that many of the novice athletes have never raced on before. The training and practices have been paying off and the goal is for the team to be at their best when they race League Finals at the end of this month.
The Griffins next race is Oct. 14, at the Orange County Cross County Championships at Oak Canyon Park in Irvine, CA.