All-Area Girls’ Cross-Country Team
Paulina Antaplyan, Junior, Flintridge Sacred Heart
Symbolic of her team as a whole, the talented Antaplyan saved her best for last, turning in a 14th-place finish in 19:03 at Woodward Park to lead the Tologs to a program-best third-place finish at the CIF-State Division IV finals. She earned second-team All-State Division IV honors with her run, which culminated a season in which she was consistently the top runner on a Tologs squad that went up and down.
Erika Johnson, Freshman, Crescenta Valley
Was a difference maker late in the season in aiding the Falcons to a share of another Pacific League title. Ran arguably her best race in the league finals, taking fifth overall and second on the Falcons with a 19:20.7 at CV Park. Also was impressive as the team’s No. 2 runner at the CIF Finals at Mt. SAC, running a 19:22.
Anneke Kakebeen, Senior, Crescenta Valley
As a freshman, Kakebeen came on late in the season to make her mark, but over the next two seasons underachieved. During her final Falcons campaign, though, she reaffirmed her talents with a consistent season in which she was CV’s usual No. 2 finisher. Some of her more impressive races included turning in a 19:02 at the Staub Invitational and leading the way for the Falcons at the second league meet of the year at Arcadia Park with an 18:12.
Brooke Moultrie, Junior, Crescenta Valley
After a stellar sophomore campaign, despite her consistent presence in the Falcons’ scoring five, Moultrie may have faltered a bit by her standards. However, she saved her best runs for last, finishing eighth overall and as the Falcons’ No. 4 runner in 20:01:02 at the league finals and turning in the Falcons’ No. 3 finish in a time of 19:27 at Mt. SAC in the CIF finals.
Claudia Pham, Senior, Crescenta Valley
Last year’s All-Area Girls’ Runner of the Year made a run for a repeat performance as Burbank’s McKenzie Paul’s stiffest area competition, besting her with a second-place finish at the Pacific League finals in 18:54.28 — arguably her best career run — and at the Staub Invitational with an 18:55 run — both runs coming at Crescenta Valley Park. Behind Pham’s lead, the Falcons shared an eighth-straight league crown and made a return to the CIF finals after a one-year hiatus last season when Pham was sidelined by an injury.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kirk Nishiyama, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy
At season’s onset, all looked well for Nishiyama’s group with four of his five top runner returning, but only one of those returners would consistently contribute to this year’s scoring five for various reasons. Thus, the Tologs consisted of a largely inexperienced and young group, but put it all together for a third-place finish at the CIF-State Division IV Meet, which included besting Mission League-rival and champion Harvard-Westlake, 183-186.