Final Crescenta Valley cross-country summer series race serves many purposes

Photo Gallery: Last of summer 5k for Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series

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The start of the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Runners make it up the hill to the first turn in the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Gabriel Collison, of La Crescenta, runs in the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank High School’s Candela Fernandez in the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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The leader for most of the race, all the way to the finish line, is Glendale High School’s Paulo Vazquez at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Nick Beatty comes to the finish line in 5th place in the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank’s Candela Fernandez strides to the 5k finish line in 2nd place for women at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank High School’s Canela Fernandez, on the right, jumps high warming up for the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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While the 5k race was coed, the first up the hill for the 5k race were boys and men at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank High School’s Candela Fernandez makes the 2k run a warm up for her 5k she runs a little later at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Bianca Tinoco, of Golden Valley High School, runs downhill to the finish line in first place for the women’s 5k at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Gabriel Collison runs down hill to the finish line in 8th place in the 5k at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Glendale High School’s Paulo Vazquez runs downhill to the finish line in first place in the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank High School’s Candela Fernandez on the return loop of the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Women charge up the hill to the first turn of the 5k race at the last of the summer Crescenta Valley Park summer cross-country series race at Crescenta Valley Park in La Crescenta on Wednesday, August 5, 2015. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

By Andrew J. Campa, <em><a href=”mailto:andrew.campa@latimes.com”>andrew.campa@latimes.com</a></em>

Aug. 6, 2015 4:37 PM PT

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LA CRESCENTA — It’s often said that the area’s toughest cross-country course is located at Crescenta Valley Park.

While that opinion is shared by quite a few runners, particularly right after a competition, the trail served many different causes at Wednesday evening’s final run of the Crescenta Valley High summer series.

Runners from Crescenta Valley, Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada, Bravo, Golden Valley, Pasadena Poly and San Gabriel Mission highs prepared for the upcoming season, while area alumni met up one last time and coaching staffs gave their athletes and themselves one final evaluation.

“This is our last race until the start of the season, so it’s good to get as many people as we can out here,” said Crescenta Valley boys’ and girls’ coach Mark Evans, also the race organizer. “School starts next week, so we have most of our people here.”

PHOTOS: Runners hit course for last race in Crescenta Valley High summer series

While the fall school semester begins Monday for Crescenta Valley, Wednesday’s competition marked the final event for Evans’ teams until the Sept. 3 season opener at Crescenta Valley Park.

Even though the Falcons entered with the most experience at Crescenta Valley Park, the day belonged to Glendale High’s Paola Vazquez.

The incoming senior took the competition with a mark of 16 minutes, 46 seconds, which was only slightly off his course personal mark of 16:42, which he earned when he won the Staub/Barnes Division II race last season.

“It’s a tough course, but it’s really fun to come out here and compete,” Vazquez said. “Right now, I’m not focusing on winning, but on getting ready for the year. It was cool to see other guys from the league.”

Vazquez held off Golden Valley’s Jonathan Bay (16:49) and a contingent of current runners and alumni.

Former St. Francis High standout JD Kieffer took third in 16:51, as the 19-year-old Glendale resident is readying himself for his junior season at Pomona College.

“This course is always a challenge and ranks up there in difficulty with some of the ones I see in college,” Kieffer said. “What better place to train?”

Kieffer has a collegiate teammate in Crescenta Valley High product Nick Beatty, who finished fifth in 17:08.

“It’s great to come out here and see a lot of your friends,” Beatty said. “We’ve run here so many times in the past and it’s great to come back, even if the CV Park takes a lot out of you.”

Joining the Crescenta Valley welcome home party was United States Naval Academy sophomore Gabe Collison, who was eighth in 17:22.

The last time Collison ran competitively at Crescenta Valley Park, the then-senior finished third at the Pacific League’s second meet in a personal-best time of 15:24.44 on Oct. 17, 2013.

“I almost forgot just how tough this course is,” Collison said on Wednesday. “I can use the work. If I rest too much, then I won’t be ready for the upcoming year.”

Wednesday’s competitors were cheered on by a few other alumni turned spectators in Glendale Community College’s Elizabeth Nelson (Cal State Northridge), Burbank’s Elliot Choe (Cal Baptist) and Crescenta Valley’s Matt Manalo (GCC).

For Burbank High coach Darin Wolf, Wednesday was an opportunity to get one last look at his squad and staff.

“This is it for us until the start of the year, so it’s good practice not just for the kids, but for the coaches,” said Wolf, who will be sharing the coaching duties with Robert Hammell and new edition Kathryn Nelson. “This is truly going to be a team effort and it’s great that we’re also getting ready for the season.”

The fastest female of Wednesday’s three-mile race was Golden Valley’s Bianca Tinoco, who finished in 19:32.

Not far off was No. 2 finisher Candela Fernandez of Burbank. Fernandez, the reigning All-Area Girls’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year, is looking to rebound after suffering a series of injuries last track season, including fracturing her arm.

“I’m about as healthy as I expected to be at this point and I feel great,” said Fernandez, who finished fourth in the CIF State Division I race last November. “I want to do better than I did last season and I’m putting in the work.”

Crescenta Valley’s top placer on Wednesday was Colin Fitzgerald, who took fourth in 16:52, while La Cañada’s Ethan Crane was 10th in 17:30.

Burbank senior Jonas Macromallis, who finished 15th (17:43) in the three-mile race, won the two-kilometer race run earlier in the day in a mark of 7:49, which just outpaced fellow Bulldog Ahmad Elzaiat (7:50).