COLUSA, CA (MPG) – A new cross country season got underway for four of the five Sacramento Valley League teams as they gathered for a preview meet at the Sacramento River State Recreation Area in Colusa on Sept. 13.
Included among the 59 participants running on what will be the course for the SVL championships in early Nov., were a combined 46 athletes from Colusa and Pierce.
In the largest race of the day, the RedHawk varsity boys turned in a solid effort with four of its team members cracking the top 10 on the 3.1 mile course to win the team competition.
Benji Granados was the race winner, crossing the line in a time of 19:08 and was followed by teammates Jose Ceron (20:04) in third, Cesar Cruz (21:42) in sixth and Trenton Griffith (22:14) in eighth. Pierce’s Luis Huerta (22:13) was seventh.
Colusa freshman Eloise Guerrero made a statement in her inaugural race on the RedHawks’ home course finishing first in a time of 27:04 as she out-legged Pierce’s Karina Grajedra (28:57), who took second.
Also helping to lead Colusa’s varsity girls to a team win over Pierce was Giselle Valdes (29:40) who ended in third place, Sophia Thompson (31:04) in sixth and Bella Badaluco (33:21) in eighth.
For the Bears, Carla Moreno (32:52) and Isabel Alvarado (34:30) were seventh and ninth respectively.
In the JV boys two-mile race, Colusa’s Nuriel Cortes (14:32) was second, Karim Cruz (14:34) took third and Mason Sutton (15:22) was fourth, while Pierce’s Abram Carillo (16:58) rounded out the top five.
The RedHawks’ Olivia Stever (20:41) won the JV girls contest, finishing ahead of Pierce’s Grace Szmurlo (21:06) in second and Pamela Vernon (22:08) in third, as well as her Colusa teammate Mia Cowsert (22:29) in fourth.
SVL harriers were in Magalia on Wednesday for the second conference meetH
