By John Honell, Correspondent
Overcoming high temperatures, the Bonita girls and the Los Altos boys took top honors in the inaugural Hacienda League cross country finals at Mt. San Antonio College on Thursday. One runner from the Bonita girls team collapsed after her race and was taken to a local hospital for observation for problems associated with the heat. (to continue click thread).
Below: Bonita’s Marissa Scott won the girls Hacienda League title on Thursday
Above: Rowland’s Nick Rivera won the boys race.
The Los Altos boys were a slight surprise, edging Rowland 48-50 after the Raiders won the first two league meets.
“We don’t run a lot of hills at the end of the season,” Conquerors coach Anthony Ossa said.
“We work more on speed on the track so their legs aren’t so beat up. We’ve been practicing on having them stay grouped up as long as they could, and then the last mile was run as fast as they could.”
Rowland’s Nick Rivera had to come from behind to win the race in 16 minutes, 11 seconds, edging the Conquerors’ Jair Juarez and Andy Lopez by five seconds.
“When Los Altos passed me on the top of Reservoir, I told myself that I had worked too hard for this,” Rivera said. “I just made the sign of the cross and was gone. I was behind one of them, and then another passed me, so then I took off.”
Bonita, ranked 10th in the CIF- Southern Section, was no surprise in winning the girls race. sophomore Marissa Scott (19:06) finished first and freshman Mikayla Flores (19:19) was second.
Scott, Flores and Lexie Jackson were one-two-three heading up the switchbacks. Jackson turned her ankle, but hung on for 12th. Her big sister, Heather, finished 10th, and Katie Sedor was 11th as Bonita easily outdistanced second-place Los Altos for the win.
“Lexie sprained her ankle just before she went up the switchbacks,” Bearcats coach Lonnie Carr said. “Mikayla had two tough races and is coming back from a soccer concussion. Under the circumstances, and considering the elements, I’m happy with the way we ran. Our goal was to win league and we did that. Now our goal is to get to state (finals).”
The Bonita, Los Altos, Rowland and West Covina girls squads advance to the CIF-SS Prelims to be held next week over the same Mt. SAC course.
Los Altos, Rowland, West Covina and Diamond Bar will be the four boys team representatives, along with Bonita freshman Dillon Nobbs, who finished fourth in the boys race (16:19) and will compete as an individual.
“It was really hot and I was dead tired at the back of Poopout and at the beginning of Reservoir,” Nobbs said. “My best time here was 16:08, so I think I have a good chance to go to state.”
Scott and Rivera were named league MVPs.
Above: Mikayla Flores finished second for Bonita
