El Modena Hopes This Victory Is Prelude to State Title

El Modena had been in this situation before. The Vanguards had won four consecutive Southern Section Division III girls’ cross-country titles before Saturday’s meet at Mt. San Antonio College. But after winning its fifth title in a row, the Vanguards will be heading into Saturday’s state finals with a different frame of mind.

“We’ve always gone [to state] without any pressure, because we knew we weren’t going to win,” said El Modena Coach Tom Weber, whose team hasn’t won a state title. “This year, who knows? I think we have a real shot, which we haven’t had before.”

El Modena edged Covina South Hills, 76-81, to win Saturday’s race. Newport Harbor, led by Alicia McFall’s sixth-place finish in 19 minutes 5 seconds over the three-mile hilly course, also qualified for the state finals by finishing fourth with 96 points.

Woodbridge made the state finals as Southern Section champions, its first time, by winning the Division II race with 82 points. Glendora St. Lucy was second (112) and Brea Olinda was third (121).

“If you had said at the beginning of the year that we’d be [section] champions, I would have said you’re crazy,” Woodbridge Coach George Varvas said.

Mary Moore, who was third in 19:08, led the Warriors. “She’ll have an even better race next week because she’s much more relaxed,” Varvas said. “She was a basket case [recently] because everyone expected her to win.”

Katella’s Jill Santibanez not only qualified for the finals, but she won the Division II individual title, with the fastest time by a county runner in 18:33, 12 seconds ahead of Santa Margarita’s Dani Rope.

“I felt good, but I didn’t run as fast as I wanted to,” Santibanez said. “I planned on [being Southern Section champion] and I’m planning on winning state.”

Said Katella Coach Mike Cochrane: “She went out a little faster than we had talked about, but she settled in nicely. She’s real strong on the hills.”

Esperanza, which won the Southern Section title last season, finished second in the Division I race with 79 points, 35 points behind Yucaipa, ranked No. 2 nationally.

“We ran the best we could,” Esperanza Coach Rich Medellin said. “This is the best team we’ve had . . . and the best in the county and we’re ranked 16th nationally. There’s nothing to be disappointed about.”

Notes

Eight teams and nine individuals qualified for the state finals Saturday at Fresno’s Woodward Park. In Division I, Esperanza was the only team to qualify, while Aliso Niguel’s Michelle Basanda (18:43), University’s Jessica Howard (18:53) and Dana Hills’ Melissa Hady (18:55) made the field as individuals. . . . Woodbridge, Brea Olinda and Mission Viejo qualified in Division II and Santibanez, Rope and Troy’s Lisa Dunn (19:24) qualified as individuals. . . . In Division III, El Modena was the only team to qualify. Buena Park’s Heather Garritson (19:00) and Pacifica’s Natalie Perkins (19:18) qualified. . . . Corona del Mar and Costa Mesa qualified in Division IV. . . . No teams qualified in Division V and St. Margaret’s Kipp Downey (20:25) was the only individual to qualify.