Golden Moment for Lancaster

Senior Rosanna Kirkendall placed second to help Lancaster High upset Quartz Hill, 40-41, in the Golden League girls’ cross-country final at Pelona Vista Park in Palmdale on Wednesday.

Highland, paced by individual champion Cassie Ramirez, was third with 42 points.

Lancaster beat two-time defending league champion Quartz Hill in the second league meet of the season, but junior Shell Blevins and freshman Amanda Morgan of Quartz Hill didn’t run that day because they were sick.

Blevins finished fifth on Wednesday and Morgan was 10th, but Lancaster placed six runners among the top 14 finishers to win its first league title.

Kirkendall timed 20:23 over the three-mile course with sophomore Gidget Vaughan fourth in 20:31 and sophomore Dedra Johnson ninth in 21:33 for the Eagles.

Ramirez, a sophomore, timed 19:58 for Highland.

Sophomore Ryan Rogers of Lancaster won the boys’ race in 17:13 to help the Eagles take four of the top five places and win their third consecutive league title.

Lancaster totaled 28 points, followed by Quartz Hill with 42 and Palmdale at 92.

The top three teams qualified for the Southern Section preliminaries at Mt. San Antonio College on Nov. 13.

Mission League finals--At Griffith Park, junior Natalie Elias of Louisville finished fourth and senior Rosemary Muller was fifth to lead the Royals to their second consecutive girls’ title.

Elias ran 18:36 over the 2.9-mile course and Muller timed 18:51 as Louisville totaled 36 points to runner-up Flintridge Sacred Heart’s 53.

Notre Dame edged Loyola, 61-62, to win the boys’ meet.

Senior Jeff Arnold of St. Francis won his second consecutive league title with a career-best 14:43 clocking.

BOYS’ WATER POLO

Crespi 12, Alemany 11--Hernan Golbert scored with one minute left in the third overtime to give the Celts (13-9, 2-2) a Mission League victory at Crespi.

Royal 23, Newbury Park 7--The Highlanders wrapped up the Marmonte League title at Rancho Simi Community Park.

Derek Anderson scored seven goals and Tom Onyshko had 12 saves for Royal (20-6, 7-0).

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL

Arcadia def. Crescenta Valley, 15-8, 15-6, 15-10--The Apaches clinched their 18th league title in 19 years at Crescenta Valley (10-7, 8-2).

Erin Bohonus had 13 kills and six blocks for Arcadia (13-1, 10-0).