Business as usual for Flintridge Prep boys’ cross-country at league finals
WOODLAND HILLS — Season after season, autumn after autumn, one constant has been the Flintridge Prep boys’ cross-country team emerging as the Prep League champion on a fall morning at Los Angeles Pierce College.
Such was the case again on Saturday, as the Rebels romped to their eighth consecutive title and their 24th over the last quarter-century.
Senior Evan Pattinelli’s second-place finish led the way for the Rebels’ 27-point winning tally, a good measure ahead of second-place Chadwick with 46 points.
“It was a good day for the team,” Pattinelli said. “As a team, we did exactly what we needed to do.”
Pattinelli, the 2016 champion, finished in 14 minutes 54.25 seconds, nearly a minute better than his winning time of 15:42.10 the season prior, but he was bested by Pasadena Poly senior Xian Shively, whose time of 14:46.44 was a league course record.
“Coming in, I knew it was going to be between me and him, but I did not know that we were going to go that fast,” said Pattinelli, the reigning CIF Southern Section Division V champion, “that we were going to be sub-15.”
On the girls’ side of things, Flintridge Prep’s bid to repeat came up short to rival Mayfield, which won its second title in three seasons as the Rebels and Cubs continued their years-long battle for the league’s top spot. Mayfield won comfortably with 22 points to second-place Prep’s 43.
The Cubs were led by freshman Audrey Suarez, who won the league crown in 17:41.06, just ahead of junior teammate McKenna Smith (17:45.85), a La Cañada Flintridge resident. Senior Sophie Gitlin was the Rebels’ top finisher in third at 18:06.92.
“I think, ultimately, our individual performances were pretty good,” Rebels coach Jill Henry said. “We knew Mayfield had a great team.”
While the Rebels’ league title repeat didn’t come to fruition, their bid to win four straight CIF Southern Section Division V and CIF State Division V crowns is still an attainable goal as Prep is the top-ranked team in the division, whereas Mayfield is the Division IV No. 1.
The path to the championships are likely to be more arduous as opposed to last season’s run of record-breaking dominance.
“This is an exciting season because I feel like we really have to earn it,” Henry said. “They know they have to fight for their position in Southern Section finals and state. That’s exciting.
“There’s a lot to work for and that helps us really focus.”
Gitlin, Suarez and Smith separated themselves from the rest of the field, but eventually the Cubs tandem broke away as Henry likened it to the previous season when a frontrunning group of Rebels “sandwiched” Smith. That ended with Rebel Sasha Codiga winning the 2016 individual title, but in Saturday’s race she took a fall and did not finish.
Prep’s second runner across the line was junior Haley Allen in sixth place at 18:58.73.
Mayfield’s scoring five finished in the top seven spots.
The Rebels’ scoring five was rounded out by junior Jenna Mijares (ninth, 19:38), who had a “great performance,” Henry said, senior Gabi Bennett (12th, 20:09.99) and Caroline Wreszin (13th, 20:54.82).
While the girls’ race ended the day, the boys’ race started at a lightning pace and really never waned with Pattinelli and Shively separating from the field at the outset.
“I was telling my other coaches, that’s exactly how the race is going to go,” Herskind said.
Pattinelli, with Shively always at his heels, was ahead throughout the race, but coming down the final stretch, the race changed going up the final hill when Shively kicked and overcame the defending champion.
“[Shively] gets on your shoulder and he kicks. Hats off to Xian, he had a great day,” Herskind said. “There was nothing Evan could do; he had done all the work.”
But Pattinelli was the first Rebel across in a parade of six Prep runners that finished in the top 11 with the scoring five finishing in the top nine.
Junior Carson Hasbrouck (15:44.70) was the third runner across, second Rebel and only runner other than the top two to finish under 16 minutes.
After two Chadwick runners came across, Flintridge Prep freshman Bennett Oakes (sixth, 16:39.57) and junior Seb Evans (seventh, 17:06.28) came across with sophomore Grady Morrissey (ninth, 17:13.27) rounding out the scoring five. Prep No. 6 runner Ethan Moutes (11th, 17:25.23) also turned in a terrific day.
But for the Rebels, top-ranked in Division V, their sights are seemingly always on Southern Section and state finals with the consistency of dominances they’ve carved out at the Prep League finals.
“For us at this point, running league we’re trying to get to the right spot [to prepare for the postseason],” Herskind said. “I think we’re in a good spot.”
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
