Minus two of their top runners, Middletown boys team wins at Highland Springs
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HIGHLAND SPRINGS >> Even with two of its top runners out of action, the Middletown High School boys cross country team has enough depth to handle its North Central League I opponents.
Case in point was the Mustangs’ team win on the 3.1-mile Highland Springs Reservoir course near Lakeport. Minus Ren Ueno and Isael Haro, Middletown topped the field with 40 points to Fort Bragg’s 54. Willits was next with 70, St. Helena had 78 and Upper Lake 156. Clear Lake, Cloverdale, Kelseyville and Lower Lake were incomplete.
“My time five runners all finished 21 (minutes) or under,” Middletown head coach Taylor Tiraterra said. “Tucker (West) ended up with just over 19 (19 minutes, 8 seconds).”
West finished third overall in the 49-runner field, placing behind race winner Johann Garcia (18:07) and runner-up Walker Aycock (18:21), both of Fort Bragg. Aycock set the early pace before Garcia passed him. His victory came with one shoe held together with a pre-race repair of glue and duct tape, which held long enough.
Kelseyville’s Jace Pindell ran fourth in 19:14 while St. Helena’s Charlie Watson was fifth in 19:36.
Three other Middletown runners joined West in the top 10. Gabe Hisparo was seventh in 20:28, Kai Sooy came in eighth in 20:48, and Gerardo Rodriguez was 10th in 21:00.
Other top Lake County finishers were Kelseyville’s Maverik Watson, 13th in 21:28, Middletown’s Ethan Silva, 17th in 22:22, and Upper Lake’s Ryker King, 21st in 23:08.
Girls
Charlee Hill of Middletown ran away from the 35-runner girls field, crossing the finishing line in 20:56, exactly three minutes ahead of Cloverdale’s Malia McGrath (23:56), who led the Eagles to the team win with 35 points to Middletown’s 59. Willits came in third with 63 and Kelseyville was fourth with 65. All other teams were incomplete.
Amara Willner of Willits placed third (24:12), Fort Bragg’s Dottie Palmer was fourth (24:48), and Lupita Cabrera of Middletown finished fifth (24:55).
Aylin Aguilar led Kelseyville with a 10th-place finish of 26:44.
Other top Lake County finishers were Madison May of Clear Lake, 14th in 28:46; Nick Lopez of Middletown, 16th in 29:33; Kelseyville’s Sophia Chishom, 18th in 30:38; and Kelseyville’s Aubrey Wiser, 19th in 30:53.
Schedule
The final league meet of the regular season takes place next Wednesday at Anderson Marsh State Park in Lower Lake at 3:30 p.m.
The Coastal Mountain Conference Championships, which includes runners from both NCL I and NCL II teams, is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5 at Spring Lake in Santa Rosa.
