Inland Empire cross-country: Runners building momentum
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As the cross-country season heads into its most important stretch, some terrific stories continue to emerge out of the Inland Empire.
The Chino Hills girls’ team ended Ayala’s 16-year run as league champion with a 39-59 victory Tuesday in the Sierra League final at Mt. San Antonio College, whose Reservoir Hill is pictured left.
Caitlin Villarreal of Norco won the Mountain View League title in 17 minutes 46 seconds, a 44-second margin of victory on Roosevelt’s 5,000-meter course. Villarreal, a senior, has made a remarkable comeback from her junior season, when she was weakened by the aftermath of surgery to repair a congenital defect in her lower jaw. You can read more about her recovery here.
On the boys’ side, Steven Crum of Corona Santiago won the Mountain View League boys’ title in 15:14. He and David McDonald of Vista Murrieta are ranked among the state’s top five individuals in Division I.
McDonald competed in the Southwestern League finals today at Temescal Canyon, along with the undefeated Murrieta Valley boys’ team, which should be in the hunt for a Division I state title later this month in Fresno. The favorite in the girls’ race was Chaparral sophomore Sierra Vega, another great story this fall.
If you want the SWL results later tonight, or any others in California for that matter, bookmark this web site for future reference. If you’re really a track or cross-country fan, I’m sure you already have.
-- Dan Arritt
-- Image from www.dyestat.com