PREP CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS : Garfield and Palisades Teams End Long Run of Lean Results

Garfield High won its first City Section boys’ cross-country title since 1963, and the Palisades girls won their first title in 13 years in the finals Saturday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

Peter Gilmore of Palisades led from the start to win the three-mile race in 14 minutes 56 seconds--the fastest winning time since 1983--and the Dolphins placed three runners among the top six.

Garfield’s depth was decisive. Paced by runner-up Richard Martinez (15:25) and seventh- and ninth-place finishes of David Jimenez (15:54) and Eddie Sanchez (16:00), Garfield placed its fourth and fifth runners, Junior Camacho and Armando Morales, in 19th and 20th, ahead of Palisades’ No. 5 runner to edge the Dolphins for the team title, 43-48.

The top two teams qualified for the State championships Saturday in Fresno.

Kara Barnard (19:21), Diana Epstein (19:21) and Genevieve Cruise (19:37) of Palisades finished fourth, fifth and seventh, respectively, to lead the Dolphins to the team title with 54 points.

Delfina Martinez of Belmont won the girls’ race in 18:58 for the five-time defending champion Sentinels, who finished fourth.

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The Thousand Oaks boys’ team placed five runners among the top 16 to win the Southern Section Division I finals at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Seniors Keith O’Doherty (15:16 over the three-mile course), Jeff Fischer (15:18) and Kevin Marsden (15:19) were third, fourth and fifth as Thousand Oaks won with 29 points.

The top four teams in each race and the top five individuals not on a qualifying team advanced to the State championships.

Thousand Oaks’ top five runners compiled a cumulative team time of 77:09, lowering their previous best of 77:56 set in last year’s finals.

Thousand Oaks, paced by runner-up Kim Mortensen, also won the Division I girls’ title.

Senior Eleazar Hernandez of Camarillo and freshman Elaine Canchola of Ojai Nordhoff turned in the top boys’ and girls’ times of the meet.