By Fred J. Robledo, staff writer
What started out as a way to get in shape for soccer has turned into a dominant sport for Bonita High School junior Marissa Scott.

Scott began running cross country her freshman year and quickly became one of the San Gabriel Valley’s finest. And though she admittedly has far more room to grow, Scott’s superb junior season was punctuated by being named the Tribune 2011 girls cross country Runner of the Year.

Girls Cross Country All-Area
Coach of the year: Don Sumner, Glendora
Runner of the year: Marissa Scott, Bonita, Jr.
First team
Emily Hubert, Bishop Amat, Fr.
Kailyn Scott, Bonita, Fr.
Danielle Murrietta, South Hills, Fr.
Emily Hoey, Glendora, So.
Merin Arft, Claremont, So.
Megan Renken, Claremont, So.
Second Team
Alex Borunda, South Hills, Sr.
Diana Garcia, Bonita, So.
Jaclyn Gonzalez, Ayala, Sr.
Chandler Colquitt, Ayala, Sr.
Jordin Prado, Bonita, Fr.
Tori Whitworth, Glendora, So.
.

“I’m really surprised I’ve come this far with cross country,” said Scott. “I’m hoping to get a scholarship from it and I’m talking to some schools.

“This year I didn’t do as well as I hoped. I started off well and got sick during the middle of the year. But I thought I finished well at state, and hopefully next year is going to be much, much better.”

After finishing 17th at the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 finals at Mt. San Antonio College in 18 minutes, 52 seconds, Scott rebounded at the CIF State Division 3 finals at Woodward Park in Fresno, finishing 20th overall in 18:44 while also helping the Bearcats to a 13th-place team finish.

Scott led Bonita to the Hacienda League title by taking the individual title in a time of 18:14 at Mt. SAC, winning the race by more than 45 seconds.

Scott was brilliant early in the season, winning her race at the Mt. SAC Invitational in 18:26, winning the Woodbridge Classic in Irvine in 17:25, and winning her junior race at the Dana Hills Classic in 17:56.

She also finished second at the tough Warren Stauffer Invitational in 18:02.

“Overall I’m really pleased because last year I had a goal of being runner of the year and didn’t get it,” Scott said. “Although I thought I could have done much better this year, I’m already thinking of what I need to do to have a great senior season.”

Scott’s top challenge next season could come from her freshman sister, Kailyn, who was also named to the Tribune first team.

Kailyn Scott finished second to Marissa at the Hacienda League finals in 19:04, and at the CIF-SS Division 3 finals, Kailyn Scott finished ahead of Marissa by four seconds, finishing in 16th at 18:48.

Kailyn finished 40th a week later at the Division 3 state finals in 19:08, but it’s clear the sibling rivalry is on.

“At home and at practice we’re around each other all the time and push each other,” Marissa Scott said. “It’s going to make us both better, and I’ll admit, I don’t like it when she beats me. But she’s going to be good, she already is.”

Kailyn Scott wasn’t the only freshman on the Tribune first team. She is joined by two more ninth graders, Bishop Amat’s Emily Hubert and South Hills’ Danielle Murrietta.

Hubert was a big surprise for the Lancers, winning the Del Rey League title in 17:38, and turning in her best performance at the CIF-SS Division 3 finals at Mt. SAC.

Hubert ran her personal best at Walnut’s hilly course, finishing 13th overall in 18:41.

Earlier in the year, Hubert skipped the freshman race at the Mt. SAC Invitational and finished second in the main division behind Marissa Scott in 18:45.

Hubert also won the Phil Ryan Invitational in San Marino in 19:03 and finished fifth at the Don Bosco Tech Invitational in 18:27.

Murrietta was the best finishing freshman at the Sierra League finals, finishing fifth overall in 19:13 at Mt. SAC. In the CIF-SS Division 3 prelims, Murrietta ran a personal best 17:39, then ran out of gas in the finals, finishing 55th overall in 19:51.

Claremont sophomores Merin Arft and Megan Renken made the first team after leading the Wolfpack to the Sierra League title and finishing first and second, respectively.

Arft won the Sierra League title in 18:22 with Arft finishing second by a hair in 18:22.2. The Wolfpack duo finished ahead of their next-closest competitor by almost 30 seconds.

At the CIF-SS Division 2 finals, Arft was the area’s best finisher. She was 30th overall in 18:24 with Renken finishing 42nd overall in 18:39.

Glendora super sophomore Emily Hoey led a 1-2-3 Tartans finish in the Baseline League finals, with Hoey winning in 19:07 to help the Tartans win the Baseline League title.

Hoey was named to the first team and Glendora coach Don Sumner was named the Coach of the Year for the Tartans’ dominant performance at the Baseline League finals.

Hoey was 29th overall at the Arcadia Apache Invitational in 18:20 and ran an 18:22 at the CIF-SS Division 2 prelims.

Sumner led the Tartans girls team to their first league title in school history.

fred.robledo@sgvn.com

626-962-8811, ext. 2161

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