P.V. Girls Win Cross-Country Title

Winning the CIF State Division I cross-country title should be old hat for Palos Verdes High Coach Joe Kelly by now, but his latest crown could be the most satisfying.

“This is without a doubt the best I’ve ever seen a Palos Verdes girls team run,” Kelly said.

The Sea King girls exploited their closely bunched running to nip favored Agoura by seven points, 68-75, and capture the school’s third consecutive state team title Saturday at Woodward Park.

Palos Verdes placed five runners in the top 20 of the team competition to offset the championship run of Agoura’s Deena Drossin who won the individual title in 17 minutes, 27 seconds on the hilly, 5,000 meter course.

In the Division I boys race, three South Bay runners placed in the top 12. Torrance Junior Israel Pose finished eighth overall in 15:30, a personal best for 5,000 meters.

Greg Gonzalez also contributed to this story.