Sports Roundup: La Cañada boys’, girls’ teams both headed to section finals

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

La Cañada at CIF Southern Section Division IV preliminaries: For the first time since 2009, the Spartans qualified to Southern Section finals by advancing out of Friday’s preliminaries at Riverside City Cross-Country Course.

Since there were only two heats in Division IV, unranked La Cañada needed to finish in the top 12 and did so, taking 12th in the second heat with 316 points.

The Spartans closed on the trail of 11th place Alemany (309 points),but well ahead of 13th place Twentynine Palms (353).

The Spartans’ feat is even more impressive given the squad only posted one top-50 runner in junior Ryan Van Slooten, who took 25th in 16 minutes, 46.5 seconds.

La Cañada is back in action at the division finals on Nov. 19.

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

La Cañada at CIF Southern Section Division IV preliminaries: The fifth-ranked Spartans finished fourth and advanced to the finals out of their heat at Friday afternoon’s preliminaries at Riverside City Cross Country Course.

La Cañada tallied 143 points in a race won by top-ranked Bishop Amat (71) and both will meet up again the division finals on Nov. 19.

Rio Hondo League champion Adena DiPaolo was her school’s top runner, placing ninth in 19:06.6, while just being edged out by Marlborough’s Emma Holt (eighth, 19:06.0).

The Spartans boasted three additional top-50 placers in freshman Sarah Arthur (16th, 19:27.3), junior Katie Scoville (33rd, 20:04.6) and junior Kallie Rushing (35th, 20:08.3).