Yucaipa Girls Win Third Consecutive Title

The Kimi Welsh and Vickie Whiteside era at Yucaipa High ended on an emphatic note in the state cross-country championships at Woodward Park on Saturday.

Yucaipa, paced by the 3-6-7 finish of Welsh, Whiteside and sophomore Beth Grossheim, won its third consecutive Division I title by defeating second-place Anaheim Esperanza, 41-92, in 93 minutes 8 seconds, two seconds shy of the course record set by Agoura in 1991.

Chino Hills Ayala was third with 115 points, Quartz Hill fourth with 136.

Long Beach Poly, led by individual winner Chad Durham, won the boys’ Division I title. Rosemead Don Bosco won Division III, Ojai Nordhoff took Division IV and Sierra Madre Maranatha placed first in Division V.

Durham, a senior, clocked 15:24 to help Long Beach Poly edge Grass Valley Nevada Union, 67-72, for its first state title.

Irvine Woodbridge (Division II), La Canada (III) and Costa Mesa (IV) also won girls’ titles.