Sydney Rubio leads Huntington Beach girls’ cross-country to Sunset League title
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The Huntington Beach girls’ cross-country team reclaimed its perch atop the Sunset League on Saturday, the Oilers producing the top three finishers en route to a dominant performance in the league championship meet.
Junior Sydney Rubio crossed the finish line first in 17 minutes 38.7 seconds, leading the Oilers to a statement win, 28-68, over Los Alamitos at Central Park in Huntington Beach.
Sophomore Rebecca VanPeteghen (18:06.7) and senior Emma Siok (18:23.9) rounded out the top three for Huntington Beach, which also had freshman Ashlynn Mendrin (ninth, 19:00.6) and sophomore Allie Rowan (13th, 19:28.3) among its scoring quintet.
“It was definitely really special, especially it being my last year,” said Siok, the only senior in the Oilers’ starting lineup. “I don’t think we’ve ever gone 1-2-3, so it was really cool getting to be a part of that with two of my teammates, who I love.”
Huntington Beach won the Wave League title coming out of the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, then back-to-back Surf League titles in the following two seasons.
The Sunset League was reformed as a seven-team group after Laguna Beach was removed from the eight-team conference. Newport Harbor swooped in and claimed the league title last season, behind standout seniors Marley McCullough and Keaton Robar.
Rubio did not toe the starting line that day, but her presence is a continuation of the top-tier talent that the Huntington Beach program has enjoyed during its recent success. Previously, Makenzie McRae had served as a frontrunner for the Oilers.
Now a first-time individual league champion, Rubio said she was “super happy” with the team’s performance and highlighted some of her newer teammates.
“They’re really good,” Rubio said. “Ashlynn’s a freshman, and she’s catching on really fast, getting faster every week. Becks is so good, always there, and she’s getting so fast. She’s getting so good.”
The top four teams from the Sunset League advanced to the CIF Southern Section postseason. Corona del Mar, paced by senior Mira Mikulka (10th, 19:00.8), and Newport Harbor, led by junior Ella Butcher (11th, 19:01.1), also qualified from the girls’ final.
Individuals competing for schools that did not qualify as a team could secure at-large berths, so long as they finished within the top 10 of their respective league finals race.
Fountain Valley sophomore Teagan Bradshaw (fourth, 18:32.3), Marina senior Sally Woodruff (sixth, 18:37.2) and Edison junior Avery Williams (seventh, 18:40.0) made the cut.
Los Alamitos handled Fountain Valley, 41-69, for the boys’ team title in the Sunset League finals, but it was the individual qualification pathway that provided a thrill to local athletes.
Edison’s Zachery Byerley (ninth, 16:06.0) and Marina’s Maddox Vann Nguyen (10th, 16:07.1), both juniors, had little room to spare with Los Alamitos junior Jonathan Vazquez (11th, 16:07.3) on their heels.
“I think I was fighting [Nguyen] on the final stretch,” Byerley said. “I was just like, ‘I have to do it,’ like, ‘I’m going to regret if I don’t put in my energy now,’ because otherwise I’m going to be mad at myself the next few weeks and just be like, ‘Why did I not give it my all when I could have?’
“I did everything I could have for that race. That was my all-out effort. I gave it my all, and I got rewarded for it.”
Fountain Valley senior Ulysses Rios (15:21.3) finished as the runner-up behind Los Alamitos senior Matthew Mayhue (15:14.4). Huntington Beach senior Michael Appell (15:25.1) and Corona del Mar senior Kevin Steinman (fourth, 15:27.0) also led their teams to postseason berths.
Qualifying teams and individuals now await the CIF preliminaries, which will take place over two days, Nov. 14-15, at Mt. San Antonio College. The section finals will be held Nov. 22 at Mt. SAC.
“In my opinion, I kind of like the old one better,” Rios said of the new Mt. SAC course, which no longer features “Poop Out” among its hills. “As soon as I hit that track, mentally, it’s really hard for me. Normally, beforehand, you hit the track and you’re done, so I think just having to do that extra lap [is a mental hurdle]. … I know the other course was a little short [of 3 miles], but it made up for it with the other hill.”
BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Sunset League finals
At Central Park, Huntington Beach
* denotes individual CIF qualifier
Team Results
1. Los Alamitos 41; 2. Fountain Valley 69; 3. Corona del Mar 74; 4. Huntington Beach 77; 5. Edison 127; 6. Marina 128; 7. Newport Harbor 159
Individuals
1. Mayhue (Los Alamitos) 15:14.4; 2. Rios (Fountain Valley) 15:21.3; 3. Appell (Huntington Beach) 15:25.1; 4. Steinman (Corona del Mar) 15:27.0; 5. Lieras (Los Alamitos) 15:28.3; 6. Vo-Courtney (Fountain Valley) 15:37.9; 7. Pareti (Los Alamitos) 15:40.3; 8. Kwong (Fountain Valley) 16:01.4; 9. Byerley (Edison) 16:06.0*; 10. Vann Nguyen (Marina) 16:07.1*
GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY
Sunset League finals
At Central Park, Huntington Beach
* denotes individual CIF qualifier
Team Results
1. Huntington Beach 28; 2. Los Alamitos 68; 3. Corona del Mar 81; 4. Newport Harbor 89; 5. Fountain Valley 117; 6. Marina 143; 7. Edison 166
Individuals
1. Rubio (Huntington Beach) 17:38.7; 2. Van Peteghen (Huntington Beach) 18:06.7; 3. Siok (Huntington Beach) 18:23.9; 4. Bradshaw (Fountain Valley) 18:32.3*; 5. Heenan (Los Alamitos) 18:36.4; 6. Woodruff (Marina) 18:37.2*; 7. Williams (Edison) 18:40.0*; 8. Camara (Los Alamitos) 18:50.0; 9. Mendrin (Huntington Beach) 19:00.6; 10. Mikulka (Corona del Mar) 19:00.8
