HIGH SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY : Arellano Helps Belmont Sweep City Championships

A surprising victory by Belmont High’s Rene Arellano in the City cross-country championships Saturday at Pierce College led to a not-too-surprising outcome in the race for the team title.

Arellano won the three-mile race in 14 minutes 58 seconds, and Belmont placed five runners among the top 12 to easily win its eighth boys’ team championship in the past nine seasons with 32 points.

Defending champion Woodland Hills Taft, which snapped Belmont’s string of seven titles last season, was second with 115.

Belmont also won its second consecutive girls’ title, placing four runners among the top eight to win with 19 points. San Pedro was a distant second with 108.

Belmont became the first school to win girls’ and boys’ City titles in the same season.

The top two teams qualified for the state meet next Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

University’s Robin Snowbeck powered past Granada Hills Kennedy’s Jennie Armenta on the final downhill stretch of the race to win the girls’ race in 18:40. Armenta was second in 18:47.

In the Southern Section finals at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, the Newhall Hart boys’ and Agoura girls’ teams maintained their top rankings in the section by winning titles.

Sophomore Keith Grossman finished seventh in 16 minutes to lead Hart to an 89-95 victory over Saddleback in the boys’ Division I race.

Agoura’s Deena Drossin recorded the fastest time of the day--a 17:23 mark--in leading the Chargers to their fourth consecutive team title, 47-94, over Arroyo Grande in Division I. Three-time defending state Division I champion Palos Verdes finished third with 106 points.

Arroyo Grande senior Louie Quintana clocked 14:43 in winning the boys’ Division I title ahead of Canyon Country Canyon’s Dave Hartman (15:07).

Agoura’s boys’ team edged Marmonte League rival Camarillo, 77-83, for the Division II championship and Westlake’s girls totaled 72 points in winning the girls’ Division II title.

The top four teams in each division qualified for state.