Buchanan girls end Great Oak’s cross country domination for state title
First a state track and field championship for Buchanan High.
How about the state cross county championship, too?
You bet.
And they knocked off a juggernaut in the process Saturday at Woodward Park.
Led by senior Corie Smith, the Bears beat seven-time defending state Division I champion Great Oak-Temecula to win their first state title since 1994 when Buchanan competed in Division II.
It is also the first state championship overall from the Central Section in Division I since 1996 when Clovis won the state title.
Smith finished second, clocking in at 17 minutes flat behind Carlie Dorostkar of Canyon Crest Academy-San Diego (16:45.4) on the 5,000-meter course.
Smith, who won as a sophomore and missed last year’s race because of illness, was thrilled to be part of a championship team.
“We’re super excited to have all these girls out here and all our families support us and letting us know that they’re here for us and winning for them and for my team,” she said. “It’s a huge deal.”
Smith is a senior, but the future is bright at Buchanan. Freshman Sydney Sundgren placed sixth overall (17:45.7). Other Bears finishers were freshman Grace Hutchinson (14th, 18:02.9), freshman Caroline Mendyk (33rd, 18:21.7), freshman Morgan Hutchison (40th, 18:34.3), senior Mia Jauregui (48th, 18:44.1) and sophomore Keylee Elliott (76th, 19:05.2).
The first five finishers count in the team standings, and Buchanan’s 67 points put the Bears ahead of Great Oak with 71. (Note: The original version of this story had incorrect team totals.)
Bears coach Brian Weaver credited the support his program is getting that pushed the team to a state title.
“It just goes to show what the athletes can do and the coaching staff in the support we get all the way around,” he said. “It is a family affair and it takes a whole group to make something like this happen.”
Other top area finishers in the girls D-I race were Miliana Perez of Clovis North (seventh, 17:49) and Erika Nyberg of Clovis East (11th, 17:55.3).
Clovis North’s Galindo second
Clovis North senior Isaiah Galindo made himself proud when he finished second in Division I in 15:00.5. Matt Strangio of Jesuit-Carmichael won in 14:43.5.
“I was trying to go out with the top group,” Galindo said. “Trying to stick with them as long as possible. Hopefully with the last mile pick off each one. (Strangio) went out faster than I thought he was going to do. Mostly it was chasing for the second spot.”
Galindo passed three or four runners in the last mile.
Great Oak’s boys easily won their sixth straight team title.
Central runner fourth
Central’s Abel-Rudisha Teffra had a goal: sixth place in the D-III race.
He saw something better.
As Teffra neared the finish line, he noticed two runners ahead of him were slowing down. He made a break for it and passed both for fourth place in 15:33.2.
Teammates Colton Swinth and Rory Smail of Maria Carillo-Santa Rosa finished 1-2 in 15:10.2 and 15:22.8 but Campolindo-Moraga was the team winner.
Teffra didn’t know what to expect heading into the race. He said he had been sick all week.
“I went out a little slower than usual,” he said. “I was working that last two miles ... it was a battle out there. I’m happy with my performance.”
Sunnyside’s Valles places in top 10
Sunnyside senior Jessica Valles wanted to go out with a top-10 finish. She accomplished her goal with eighth in the D-III race in 18:11.3.
Riley Chamberlain of Del Oro-Loomis won in 17:16 and Campolindo made it a school boys/girls sweep.
“Finally got to end my senior year with a really big bang,” Valles said.
In 2018, Valles finished in 10th place in 18:40.
“I kind of took it like it was a home race,” she said. “I had a goal that I wanted to improve my time. Makes me feel so happy inside and glad I came out and did my best and improved from last year. My main thing was to come out here and have fun with this race 100%.”
A surprise for Madera senior
Madera High senior Unique Ford went into the D-II girls race hoping to stay in the lead pack.
It went according to plan for her as she finished sixth in 17:43.5. Alexandra Klos of Vista Del Lago-Folsom won in 17:31.1.
Newbury Park was the team winner.
Ford exceeded her own expectations, a goal of 17:59. Now, on to track and field and “just keep going and keep working hard.”
This story was originally published November 30, 2019 at 4:36 PM.
