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While participation numbers have taken a bit of a hit this season, especially in the girls ranks, cross country continues to draw runners to the starting line.
The Metro Conference held its annual league championship meet last Friday at Rohr Park. A total of 436 student-athletes participated: 271 on the boys side and 165 on the girls side.
The girls varsity race stepped off the four races with 73 entrants, followed by the boys varsity race with 85 entrants. The boys junior varsity race featured 186 runners while the girls JV race totaled 92 runners.
It made for a very competitive meet.
Eastlake swept both the boys and girls varsity Metro-Mesa League team titles while the Southwest boys team, representing the Metro-South Bay League, claimed it sixth consecutive league championship.
Mar Vista repeated as Metro-Pacific League boys champions while Mater Dei Catholic overtook Hilltop for this year’s Metro-South Bay League girls championship. Castle Park finished ahead of Montgomery and Mar Vista to win this year’s Metro-Pacific League girls banner.
Olympian senior Micah Schenko sped to a time of 15:51.7 on the 5K course to claim top-finishing honors in the combined conference boys field. He won by 18.4 seconds over Eastlake junior Anthony Manquero-Mendez (16:10.1).
Bonita Vista sophomore Betty George captured the varsity girls race in 16:14.0 — winning by 45.3 seconds over Eastlake junior Kareli Rascon (16:59.3).
Schenko and Manquero-Mendez were shoulder to shoulder heading up the final hill before Schenko pulled away at the crest.
“I kept pushing,” said Schenko, who finished second at last year’s Metro finals. “I was surprised by the gap (at the finish line).”
George led from the starter’s gun and never looked back.
“I wanted to go out with a six minute pace,” she said. “If I was alone, I wanted to relax and enjoy the race.”
A new Metro-Mesa League champion was on order following the graduation of Eastake’s Jaelyn Williams, who is now running at Stanford University. Williams went on to conclude her high school career by taking third place at last year’s Brooks Nationals.
The Lady Titans, with four runners among the top 10 league medalists, finished eight points ahead of runner-up Otay Ranch at this year’s league finals and 35 points ahead of third place Bonita Vista.
“We may have lost our fastest runner but we still have the fastest team,” EHS coach David Koopman said.
Top five scorers (58.5-second five-person spread) included Rascon (second in league), freshman Melanie Sanchez (fourth in league, 17:16.1), senior Charlize Cruz (fifth in league, 17:17.2), junior Madeline Mahoney (10th in league, 17:52.4) and senior Asha Mohamed (11th in league, 17:57.8). Sanchez was the key addition.
Eastlake placed five runners among the top 10 Metro-Mesa League boys medal-winners: Manquedo-Mendez (second), juniors Padraic Kerns (fourth, 16:28.0) and Sergio Propst (sixth, 16:38.7), senior Owen Anderson (eighth, 16:43.7) and junior Carlos Montenegro (10th, 16:57.7).
Runner-up Olympian placed three runners on the first team all-league team while Otay Ranch had two.
Local harriers will now attempt to put their best feet forward at Saturday’s San Diego Section divisional championship meet that doubles as a state meet qualifier.
Eastlake and Olympian are vying for elite team entries in the Division I boys race while several runners appear in good position to qualify as at-large individuals.
“I want to try to finish in the top three,” Schenko said. “If I can do that, maybe I can take my team to state with me.”
George will compete in the Division II girls race.
“I want to go out and put my faith in God,” she said. “I believe God will give me strength to run my best.”
Metro Conference Cross Country Championship Meet
Friday, Nov. 6, Rohr Park
BOYS VARSITY
(3.0 Miles/5K)
1. Micah Schenko (Olympian) 15:51.7
2. Anthony Manquero-Mendez 16:10.1
3. Esteban Aguilera (Southwest) 16:15.0
4. Noah Shorey (Otay Ranch) 16:15.3
5, Padraic Kerns (Eastlake) 16:28.0
6. Santiago Blanco (Otay Ranch) 16:36.8
7.Sergio Propst (Eastlake) 16:38.7
8. Jaeden Arvizu (Olympian) 16:42.0
9. Owen Anderson (Eastlake) 16:43.7
10. Caleb Schenko (Olympian) 16:50.3
11. Carlos Montenegro (Eastlake) 16:57.7
12. Dustin Mack (Bonita Vista) 16:58.4
13. Chayse McNamara (Eastlake) 16:58.9
14. Trevor Ehrhardt (Mar Vista) 17:07.7
15. Adrian Lara (Olympian) 17:08.2
16. Noah Cante (Eastlake) 17:10.1
17. Omar Morales (Olympian) 17:11.4
18. Manuel Hernandez (Mater Dei Catholic) 17:12.5
19. Jordin Gibbs (Olympian) 17:12.9
20. Gavin Warren (Otay Ranch) 17:13.0
21. Ricardo Servin (Sweetwater) 17:20.3
22. Elias De Anda (Bonita Vista) 17:23.9
23. Desmond Rodriguez (Hilltop) 17:29.1
24. Julian Mason (Bonita Vista) 17:30.7
25. Andre Hlucka (Otay Ranch) 17:33.3
26. Alan Barajas (Southwest) 17:38.0
27. Tristan Lopez Samaniego (Sweetwater) 17:44.0
28. Carlos Martinez (Southwest) 17:50.1
29. Grady Stephens (Otay Ranch) 17:51.7
30. Damian Barnes (Sn Ysidro) 17:52.1
31. Iker Castro (Hilltop) 17:57.9
32. Carlos Scott (Southwest) 17:59.0
33. Brayden Purtee (Sweetwater) 18:05
34. Gabriel Kwak (Otay Ranvh) 18:09.0
35. Braulio Garcia Ramos (Mater Dei Catholic) 18:12.3
Entrants: 85
Team scores: Eastlake 34, Olympian 51, Otay Ranch 84, Southwest 123, Bonita Vista 160, Hilltop 171, Sweetwater 178, Mater Dei Catholic 194, Mar Vista 221, Montgomery 324, Chula Vista 328, Castle Park 360
GIRLS VARSITY
(2.5 Miles)
1. Betty George (Bonita Vista) 16:14.0
2. Kareli Rascon (Eastlake) 16:59.3
3. Sofia Carrillo (Otay Ranch) 17:09.1
4. Melanie Sanchez (Eastlake) 17:16.1
5. Charlize Cruz (Eastlake) 17:17.2
6. Ilana DeVore (Otay Ranch) 17:17.2
7. Miah Bermudez (San Ysidro) 17:28.7
8. Nora Traba (Bonita Vista) 17:29.4
9. Eva Molano (Otay Ranch) 17:43.7
10. Lexi Hluckova (Otay Ranch) 17:48.2
11. Madeline Mahoney (Eastlake) 17:52.4
12. Asha Mohamed (Eastlake) 17:57.8
13. Kamilah Cone (Hilltop) 17:59.9
14: Jarika Chan (Mater Dei Catholic) 18:00.4
15. Kiann He (Mater Dei Catholic) 18:09.1
16. Mila Arreola (Bonita Vista) 18:09.8
17. Andrea Carrasco (Olympian) 18:19.0
18. Victoria Kelly (Mater Dei Catholic) 18:20.0
19. Sayen Osorio (Otay Ranch) 18:24.2
20. Kristy Rincon (Olympian) 18:25.4
21. Ella Bear (Eastlake) 18:27.9
22. Itzel Ojeda (Sweetwater) 18:31.9
23. Alayna Kruse (Eastlake) 18:46.2
24. Milani Campos (Hilltop) 18:57.4
25. Lina Meza (Castle Park) 19:08.0
26. Dorella Oliva (Mater Dei Catholic) 19:20.6
27. Mina Vuong (Otay Rnch) 19:28.6
28. Aurora Mace (Hilltop) 19:29.4
29. Sofia Aspericueta (Montgomery) 19:38.1
30. Leah Acosta (Hilltop) 19:42.2
31. Mitzi Cota (Olympian) 19:45.1
32. Jaslynn Perez (Castle Park) 19:51.6
33. Mila Alvarez (Sweetwater) 19:54.3
34. Navaeh Thammak (Olympian) 20:13.9
35. Tia Heath (Olympian) 20:14.8
Entrants: 73
Team scores: Eastlake 32, Otay Ranch 44, Bonita Vista 104, Mater Dei Catholic 107, Hilltop 128, Olympian 132, Sweetwater 188, Castle Park 209, Montgomery 252, Mar Vista 290, Southwest 292
