After Sean Grumney crossed the finish line first in the boys’ race at the Marmonte League cross country finals on Thursday, the Newbury Park High senior found a unique way to celebrate.
He fell to his knees, and planted a kiss on the running track at Agoura High.
“You know what? A lot of people had written me off in this sport, because I’m a track guy who runs the 800,” Grumney said. “This means a lot to me because it shows what I can accomplish in cross country.”
If it was a little different way to toast a victory, it fit the theme of the day. A new wave swept through the Marmonte League championships.
Grumney won his first league boys’ title, Simi Valley freshman Sarah Baxter officially became queen of the league by taking her first girls’ individual crown and the Westlake High boys won the boys’ team title to win a share of league championship for the first time in 31 years.
For Baxter, a sweltering afternoon couldn’t derail her hot season.
She crossed the finish line at 17 minutes, 56.84 seconds, after going wire to wire to lead the Pioneer girls to their second successive Marmonte League team championship.
Baxter needed to lay down on the running track and soak beneath several bags of ice at race’s end.
“It was hot,” she said. “But it feels good to win the race. I’m really happy that we ran well as a team today.”
Her final clocking mattered little.
“All I cared about was running the best race I could,” Baxter said.
Simi Valley had little trouble in securing the team title after landing four runners in the top seven. Erika Barr, Megan McNally and Chelsea Feller went 5-6-7 with respective times of 18:55.69, 18:56.04 and 18:56.90.
Simi Valley, which was 7-0 in league duel meets, notched 30 points to easily top second-place Agoura (78) and third-place Newbury Park (88).
Royal junior Sophie Mateu was second in 18:30.50 as the Highlanders finished fourth and second in the final league standings.
“It was hot out there, but it’s all in the mind,” Mateu said with a grin. “I’m happy after finishing ninth last year. It was a good jump for me.”
In the boys’ race, Grumney’s winning time of 15:41.46 was nearly nine seconds faster than second-place Jonathan Miller of Westlake (15:50.11).
“I wanted to get the league record today and didn’t have that, but it’s still a great feeling to win a championship.”
Ditto for the Westlake boys, whose last team title came in 1979.
The Warriors were tied for second place in league after the duel-meet season, but jump into a share of first place by winning the league finals in a close finish.
Westlake notched 47 points, followed by Thousand Oaks (52), Newbury Park (64) and Royal (72). All four squads qualify for postseason.
Westlake conquered the heat by relying on experience.
“Our coaches reminded us that we train for the season by running in the summer heat,” said Miller, a senior. “That’s the way we looked at it. Today was just another summer day.
“It means a lot to us, because this is the last season that a lot of us will run in competition. We’ve put in a lot of time and effort and we wanted it to play off today.”
Royal runners went 3-4 in the boys race, with Sean Upson (16:08.39) followed by Nicolas Gervasoni (16:09.91).
In the girls’ competition, Simi Valley, Royal, Agoura and Newbury Park earn postseason berths.
