In Foothill League cross country, 13 is a lucky number
Last time, it was a tribute to the $11 parking fee to watch the first Foothill League cross country meet at Castaic Lake.
Since there is no cost to watch cross country races at Central Park, this list is in honor of the Saugus girls' frosh/soph team, which took the top 13 spots Thursday at the second league meet.
Here are the lucky 13 that caught my eye Thursday to make the cut:
13. Canyon's Matthew Gavin wins the boys' junior varsity race in 17:05, making him the only runner outside of Saugus to emerge victorious Thursday. The Cowboys also won the boys' JV competition, denying Saugus a sweep of all six races.
12. A week after charting times for her Saugus teammates at the Clovis Invitational, Ashley Stewart returns from injury to win the girls' JV race in 19:14 for the victorious Centurions, who took the top four spots.
11. Saugus' Logan Smith wins the boys' frosh/soph race in 16:36, a mark that would've cracked the top 20 in the varsity race. Smith and Ashton Herbert (17:04) placed in the top three for the victorious Centurions.
10. Nicole Penick surged to a second-place finish in the girls' frosh/soph race in 18:42 -- she ran 19:26 last year -- then went to club soccer practice for two hours. Penick said afterward, "I just can't give up soccer." But the upside is limitless for the sophomore, who will run Oct. 25 at the Mt. SAC Invitational thanks to no club soccer conflict that day.
9. Hart of Newhall's Sam Peckham is believed to be the first freshman in league history to break 16 minutes, finishing seventh in 15:54. Even if he isn't the first to run sub-16, it's a strong performance nonetheless. Jimmy Kelley's school record (15:25) probably won't last for long.
8. Valencia's Austin Veiga was a key factor in the Vikings defeating Golden Valley 27-28 at the first league meet at Castaic Lake, finishing in 22nd, one spot ahead of Grizzlies freshman Danny Carrillo. On Thursday, Veiga finished ninth in 16:01 and Andrew Mayeda (16:12) and Andrew Berumen (16:19) provided support to help the Vikings defeat Golden Valley 28-29, keeping them in second place entering the Nov. 6 league final.
7. Saugus sophomore Stephanie Bulder has delivered several outstanding performances at the varsity level this year, but her victory in the frosh/soph race (18:29) was her first individual win of the season. The effort was a PR by 81 seconds at Central Park and would've placed her No. 7 on the Centurions' roster.
6. Although they were overshadowed by Saugus, West Ranch's Bailey Miller (18:00) and Jennifer Owen (18:01) took seventh and eighth and Ashley Welker (18:50) and Samantha Phillips (18:52) weren't far behind in 12th and 13th. If West Ranch can get enough support from its No. 5 runner, then the Wildcats could be running well into November.
5. After a breakthrough performance -- a fifth-place finish in the large school race -- at the Clovis Invitational, Saugus senior Anne Randall continued to demonstrate that she'll be a factor for the Centurions come the postseason, taking third in the varsity race in 17:37, a 35-second PR from last season. "My goal is to break 17:30 (next week) at Mt. SAC," Randall said. At this point, who's betting against her.
4. Following disappointing results at the Staub/Barnes and Clovis invitationals, Courtney Wilson was running Thursday as if her season were on the line and the effort paid off as the Saugus senior enjoyed a 62-second PR and finished fourth (17:52). Wilson said afterward, "That was pretty much my best race ever." After watching her surge the final 400 meters, it would be hard to argue that statement.
3. If Golden Valley's Seth Totten isn't the most improved runner in the area, he is definitely one of the most inspiring. Ill to the point that he was vomiting Monday, Totten pulled away from Canyon's Anthony Pizzo (15:44) and Valencia's Falco DiGiallonardo (15:45) to finish third in the boys' varsity race in 15:25, tying the old course record set last year by Hart of Newhall's Jimmy Kelley. If Totten can get the right amount of support at the Nov. 6 league final, then Golden Valley will be running in the Div. III prelims.
2. Of all the course records and stellar accomplishments produced by the Saugus girls this season, Thursday's might have been the most impressive. In addition to taking the top 13 places in the frosh/soph race, the Centurions swept the top six spots in the girls' varsity race, lowering their team time course record to 87:49. "That's not easy, especially when (West Ranch's Bailey Miller) is in there," Saugus coach Rene Paragas said.
Kaylin Mahoney (17:07), Brianna Jauregui (17:20), Anne Randall (17:37), Courtney Wilson (17:52), Keri Molt (17:53) and Amber Murakami (17:55) all rank among the top 10 performers in school history at Central Park for Saugus.
1. Kathryn Nelson said following the boys' varsity race that she didn't know what kind of PR it was for her son Alec. The answer: A BIG ONE. Nelson, a junior at Saugus, not only dropped 48 seconds off his time last year at Central Park, but broke the league record formerly held by Hart of Newhall's Jimmy Kelley by 22 seconds en route to winning in 15:03. "Jimmy was such a beast and that's a painful course. I can't believe I just ran that fast," Alec Nelson said.
Brandon Jauregui (15:17) also ran faster than Kelley's old record for the Centurions, who had Joey Eledge (15:46) and Kevin Heinemann (15:57) become just the fifth and sixth runners in program history to break 16 minutes at Central Park.
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