Upload a Photo Upload a Video Add a News article Write a Blog Add a Comment
Blog Feed News Feed Video Feed All Feeds

Media

Photos (1)
View
Videos (35)
View
News (115)
View
Blogs (0)
View
 

Folders

 

 

Warriors make another memorable run at state

Published by
chadscott   Dec 5th 2013, 6:40pm
Comments

Warriors make another memorable run at state

Westlake boys’ cross country team snags second place at state meet; La Reina girls savor 11th trip to Fresno
By Eliav Appelbaum

This was a state meet to remember.

Local high school runners and teams made indelible impressions at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Fresno last weekend.

Simi Valley senior Sarah Baxter, who has never lost a race in her decorated high school career, captured her fourth consecutive state title, finishing the 3.1-mile Woodward Park course of the Division 2 race in 16 minutes, 43 seconds. Baxter had the fastest time of any senior girl ever at state.

The Pioneers—propelled by Baxter’s virtuoso romp and clutch performances from precocious freshmen Kaitlyn Wood and Samantha Barajas—also won their first team state crown in school history. SVHS outdistanced Saugus, which entered the meet with seven straight state banners.

“To pull it off is so darned hard,” Simi Valley head coach Roger Evans said. “We’ve been knocking on the door. . . . It was a special win.”

Westlake, the defending Division 2 boys’ state champs, put a cherry on top of its late-season surge. The Warriors, paced by Mikey Giguere, snagged second place.

“We’re content getting second against a great team like Saugus,” Giguere said. “The competition was definitely better than what it was last year.”

La Reina, a plucky underdog all season, reached its eighth straight state meet. The Regents, who seized seventh in the Division 4 girls’ race on Saturday, have enjoyed top-10 team finishes every fall at Fresno since 2006.

Oak Park’s Sahm Bazargan, a two-time Ventura County champ, capped his career with a strong scamper in the Division 3 boys’ race. The Eagle girls’ team took 10th in Division 3.

Oaks Christian finished 15th in the Division 4 girls’ field. Oaks Christian’s Kyle Fredrickson and Moorpark’s Michael Picchini also raced well for their respective teams.

Here’s a recap of the action:

GUTS & GLORY

Westlake didn’t enjoy a fairy tale regular season.

The Warrior boys lost Marmonte League races to AgouraSimi Valley and Thousand Oaks. They had a handful of health and consistency issues.

“It was a challenging year,” Westlake head coach Joe Snyder said.

The Warriors, who won a Division 2 state title last fall, kept fighting. They kept working. Adversity toughened Westlake for the postseason, and the Warriors catapulted into second place in the Division 2 race. Saugus won the team title.

Mikey Giguere, a senior, led the Warriors by taking third overall in 15:21.

“Mikey ran a real guts race,” Snyder said. “He trusts what we’re doing. He stuck with the plan. . . . He goes out there and leaves it out on the line.”

Giguere credited the WHS coaching staff for helping the Warriors peak in the postseason. He said he made his crucial push in the home stretch.

“I was feeling great during the race,” Giguere said. “I wasn’t using a lot of energy. In the last 1,000 meters, when we were all battling, I knew I was going to hang on.

“I was going to put everything I had out there. I’m pleased to end my high school career on a bright note. I was thrilled.”

Giguere is leaning toward running at Cal Poly, UCLA or Arizona.

Sean O’Bryan (15:50), Chris Costa (15:53), Graham Rigby (16:11), Jon Cantle (16:32), Matt Soules (16:42) and Jimmy De Mello (16:53) bolstered Westlake at Woodward Park.

“We took some lumps and we had some guys dealing with health issues,” the coach said. “None of that is an excuse.

“It’s really easy to panic and to give up, but they stuck with us. They really ran their hearts out at the state meet.”



Read the full article at: www.toacorn.com

More news

History for Westlake High Cross Country and Track and Field
YearVideosNewsPhotosBlogs
2024   8    
2023 2 32    
2022 3 35    
Show 16 more
 
+PLUS highlights
+PLUS coverage
Live Events
Get +PLUS!