The562’s cross country and track & field coverage is sponsored by Joe Carlson & Debbie Hughes.
Photos courtesy Chris Errecart
On a rain-soaked Saturday at Mt. SAC, the Wilson girls’ cross country squad was able to qualify for the CIF-SS championships, finishing second in their prelims heat to rank 5th among all Division 1 teams.
CLICK HERE` for complete prelims results
Nadia Mejia was the top finisher for Wilson, finishing 7th in her heat with a time of 17:22. Not far behind was teammate Audrey Buckley in 8th, clocking a 17:31. Avery Errecart and Ashlei Aguayo each had Top 20 finishes in Wilson’s heat, and freshman Ella George rounded out their Top 5 finishers. The Bruins were competing without junior Riley Jones, who was out with the flu, but still performed well to advance to next Saturday’s finals.
“Great teams have the ability to make adjustments and step up in moments of adversity. The girls did both these things at the prelims,” said Wilson head coach CJ Brewer. “The rain was a factor that required a mental adjustment, and they were gritty enough to not let it be a factor. And then seeing all the girls step up their game due to us missing a top-5 runner being sick, showed their heart and desire to reach their goals as a team.”
All prelims races were run on the much flatter and well-paved “rain course” at Mt. SAC, avoiding many of the trademark hills on the course. Based on how the course holds up over the week ahead, officials will need to determine whether to stay with the rain course for the finals or return to the regular hilly course.
In addition to the Bruins qualifying as a team, Millikan freshman Amberly McDowell ran a strong race to qualify as an individual. She finished 5th place in her heat, running a time of 17:42 to move onto the CIF finals.
Also in the girls’ competition, Long Beach Poly had three PRs and a pair of season bests, led by senior Avery Peck who was the top Jackrabbit in a time of 18:29. Sophomore Sienna Young wasn’t far behind in a time of 18:38. Poly finished sixth in their heat, just two spots shy of qualification.
On the boys’ side, no Long Beach runners advanced past prelims. The Millikan boys were the closest, finishing 7th in their heat. Junior Hector Diaz was the fastest finisher, placing 21st in a time of 15:16, two spots ahead of Wilson’s Tommy Pincherli in 15:20. Poly’s Archie Byrom finished 24th in his heat as the fastest Jackrabbit, clocking in at 15:21.
The Wilson girls and McDowell from Millikan will return to Mt. SAC on Saturday, Nov. 22 for the Division 1 finals. That race is the last one of the day, scheduled for an 11 a.m. start.
