CROSS-COUNTRY : Spartans’ 7th-Place State Finish Still Good Enough to Beat Belmont

It didn’t make up for the loss of the satin jackets the Huntington Park High boys’ cross-country team would have received had they won the City Section title, nor for the loss of the title itself.

But the Spartans’ seventh-place finish in the Division I race at the State championships in Fresno on Nov. 28 left little doubt that they were indeed the City’s best.

Making its first appearance in the state meet after qualifying by placing second in the City finals, Huntington Park totaled 206 points in the meet and surpassed the 13th-place finish of Belmont, which beat the Spartans 50-54 last month to win its ninth City title in 11 seasons.

Jorge Perea, the first runner from Huntington Park to win an individual City title since 1950, led the Spartans in the state meet, placing 11th in 15:44. Mike Gomez (16:00) and Oscar Urizar (16:12) were 23rd and 37th.

Hart of Newhall won its third consecutive state title with 53 points, and Thousand Oaks was second with 89. Belmont finished with 256 points.

Despite losing City champion Patty Trejo to an injury, the Belmont girls managed to place seventh in Division I. Trejo was in sixth place with 600 meters to go when she was sidelined.

“The other girls became even more determined when I couldn’t finish,” Trejo said. “I could see it in their eyes. It’s sad because we had a chance to finish in the top three, but we gave it everything we had.”