Flintridge Prep boys boys’ cross-country perfect in crowning achievement
It was perfection for the Flintridge Prep boys’ cross-country team and satisfaction for the girls at Saturday morning’s Prep League finals at Los Angeles Pierce College.
The boys finished first through fifth in scoring a perfect 15 points thanks in part to another stellar winning effort from senior Jack Van Scoter, while the girls took second in league to rival Mayfield Senior, 23-37.
“We’re pleased with what we were able to do today,” Flintridge Prep boys’ Coach Ingrid Herskind said. “The goal today was to have a tempo run and we did. We were a little sick today and we wanted to get healthy before CIF [Southern Section prelims on Nov. 14].”
PHOTOS: Flintridge Prep dominates at Prep League cross country finals
The boys’ race was all but decided at the 1 1/4-mile marker as the Rebels boasted the first seven runners.
Eventually Poly’s Xian Shirely (16 minutes, 31 seconds) and Chadwick’s Frank Glantz (16:32) broke through for sixth and seventh place, respectively, but the Rebels scoring five went unchallenged.
Reigning All-Area Boys’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year Van Scoter appeared on cruise control at times before breezing to victory in 15:38 for his second straight league crown.
“It was dusty and a little hot, but we’ve been through worse,” Van Scoter said of the course and conditions Saturday morning. “We’re resourceful and we run at Hahamonga [Park] near [the Jet Propulsion Laboratory] all the time and these are the conditions that we run in, so it’s not a big deal.”
Teammates Evan Pattinelli (16:17), Nikhil Pool (16:17), Jonathan Valhala (16:29) and Shyam Patel (16:30) placed second through fifth.
The CIF Southern Section Division V No. 1-ranked Rebels defeated Pasadena Poly, 15-58, for the program’s sixth straight league title and 23rd in 24 years.
The 15 points also pleased Herskind, whose team just missed the feat last year in a 16-50 victory over Poly.
Since the boys’ Prep League only had four teams, only two are guaranteed a postseason berth, meaning Poly will get the nod by virtue of a 58-68 score over third-place Chadwick.
The real drama Saturday came in the girls’ race, when Division IV second-ranked Mayfield tangled with Division V top-ranked Flintridge Prep.
This time, the Cubs exacted revenge from last season’s 30-36 defeat in knocking off the defending champion Rebels, 23-37, to take their third title in five years.
“Nobody likes to lose, but if you’re going to lose, it’s satisfying to know it was at least against a very good team like Mayfield,” Flintridge Prep co-Coach Mike Roffina said. “They ran a great race and coach Eric Sun did a wonderful job of getting his team ready.
“I can’t say I’m disappointed. We tried our best and it’s not like we didn’t run well ourselves.”
Beyond the team scoring, maybe the most exciting aspect was the final 150 meters, as Mayfield’s Emily Serhan (18:12) caught and passed Flintridge Prep’s Natalie O’Brien (18:18) on the final uphill climb to claim her second straight league title.
“It was awesome to be a part of this race,” O’Brien said. “Everyone was talking about strategies and how to run against Mayfield and it was a great feeling.
“It doesn’t feel good to lose to them, I’ll admit, and it’s a bummer that Emily got me on the hill, but it’s something to learn from. I don’t think we didn’t execute, I just think Mayfield did better.”
After first, Mayfield took third (McKenna Smith, 18:22), sixth (Marissa Sanchez, 18:45), ninth (Sophie Fortner, 19:33) and 11th (Sidney Hendricks, 19:44).
“I saw Emily gaining on Natalie and I was thinking as I was running, ‘Go, Emily, Go,’” said Mayfield’s Smith, a La Cañada Flintridge resident. “Up the hills, I thought we were strongest and it’s great to win.”
Flintridge Prep’s scoring squad, after O’Brien, consisted of Sophie Gitlin (fifth, 18:35), Sasha Codiga (seventh, 18:54), Maia Cohen (eighth, 19:13) and Gabi Bennett (15th, 20:23).
Poly finished third in league with 92 points, while Chadwick (100), Westridge (121) and Firebaugh (182) rounded out the order on the girls’ side.
Firebaugh finished fourth with 105 points on the boys’ side.