FitzGerald, Pattinelli turn in stellar Mt. SAC Invite efforts
If there’s one opportunity the two-day-long 70th annual Mt. San Antonio College Cross-Country Invitational provides, it’s a chance to showcase a team’s talent.
A few local squads and individuals chose to do so.
The Crescenta Valley boys finished in the top three behind a second-place effort from senior Colin FitzGerald, while the Flintridge Prep boys and girls posted top-three efforts highlighted by senior Evan Pattinelli, who captured an individual title in a competition that also included Glendale, Hoover, La Cañada, St. Francis and St. Monica Academy.
The Crescenta Valley boys, who entered Saturday’s Division I and II Team Sweepstakes in a three-way tie for the No. 3 ranking in the latest CIF Southern Section Division I poll, lived up to their billing.
The Falcons finished third with 119 points behind No. 1 Great Oak (40) and No. 3 Loyola (76) thanks in part to FitzGerald’s efforts.
It was another big weekend for the reigning All-Area Boys’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year, who finished second in a time of 14 minutes, 40 seconds and only trailed winner Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau (14:33) of Bellarmine on Mt. SAC’s slightly modified course.
Outside of FitzGerald, the Falcons received quite a few strong efforts, leading with senior Zach Johnson, who took ninth in 14:56. Manan Vats (21st, 15:17), Artin Allahverdian (41st, 15:39) and Spencer Geck (46th, 15:44) rounded out the scoring for the Falcons.
In terms of titles, Flintridge Prep’s Pattinelli claimed another victory as he took home an individual triumph in the Division IV&V Sweepstakes Friday afternoon in 14:49.
Pattinelli easily won by nearly 20 seconds over second-place Sam Lavorato (15:08) of Palma.
As for the Rebels, in the combined division race they took third with 133 points behind Sage Creek (90) and Los Angeles Cathedral (93).
However, among Division V opponents, the Rebels easily won with 36 points, well ahead of Chadwick (76).
Rebels Carson Hasbrouck (17th, 15:55), Seb Evans (33rd, 16:26), Bennett Oakes (41st, 16:36) and Andrew Odom (49th, 16:52) finished in the top 50.
The Crescenta Valley girls finished seventh in Saturday morning’s Division I and II Individual Sweepstakes with 152 points, just edged by Riverside King (151) for sixth.
Senior Caitlyn Couch led her squad in 11th in 17:57 in a race won by Malibu’s Claudia Lane, who set a new course record of 15:49.
Sophomore McKenna Heeg took 33rd (19:37), while Samantha Moore (43rd, 19:59) and Gabby Borraez (45th, 20:02) also posted top-50 efforts for the Falcons.
The Flintridge Prep girls, top-ranked in Division V, found themselves in a local battle with Flintridge Sacred Heart in the Division IV and V sweepstakes Friday.
The Rebels took third with 109 points behind out-of-section foes Coronado (59) and Sage Creek (80), while they easily trounced Sage Hill, 35-69, for the Division V top spot.
Senior Sophie Gitlin was impressive again in taking third in 18:11 in the combined results. Junior Haley Allen finished seventh (18:51), while junior Jenna Mijares (18th, 19:35) was the final of three top-20 efforts for the Rebels.
Gabriella Bennett (36th, 20:15) and Caroline Wrezin (45th, 20:30) capped the Rebels’ scoring.
“We’re pretty happy with the result heading into finals,” Flintridge Prep assistant coach Beth Pattinelli said. “The girls are looking good and working really hard and we’re closing our gaps.”
The race was the final tune-up for the Rebels, who will look to defend boys’ and girls’ titles at Saturday’s Prep League finals at Los Angeles Pierce College.
Flintridge Sacred Heart took fifth (166) in the combined results and fourth (113) in Division IV.
Sophomore Lauren Nettles, a top-three runner in the Mission League, was her team’s leader and finished 15th (19:26) in the combined results.
Junior Samantha Covey (22nd, 19:53), freshman Alexandra Christodoulou (27th, 20:00) and Megan Koehler (47th, 20:35) also performed well for the Tologs.
La Cañada and St. Francis took part in a city battle in a Division IV race Friday in which the Golden Knights and Spartans finished with 363 points. St. Francis, however, took 12th and La Cañada 13th due to a sixth-place tie-breaker.
Spartans junior Owen Serricchio was the top finisher from either school, taking 15th (16:44) ahead of St. Francis’ No. 1 runner Stuart Serventi (24th, 16:57).
In the Division II girls’ race late Saturday afternoon, Glendale junior Vanneza Venzor led the Nitros’ small contingent with a 19th-place finish in 20:44.
Running in the final varsity race of the two-day event, Glendale’s boys’ squad was 13th with 352 points, led by junior Arvin Sales, who ran to a 10th-place finish in 16:24.
Hoover participated individually Friday afternoon in Division III and was best represented in the boys’ competition by Omar Adbelrahim (21st, 17:09) and in the girls’ race by Ani Bagmnian (88th, 24:23).
St. Monica Academy’s Francis Mireles was his school’s top boys’ runner, finishing 70th (19:07), while Genevieve Pulido (125th, 27:23) represented the Crusader girls.
