Laguna Blanca’s Kevin Lunn won his heat and the girls team qualified for CIF finals for the first time on a successful day for Laguna Blanca cross country at the CIF prelims at Mt. SAC on Saturday.
The course was reduced from the standard three miles to two miles because of excessive heat and air-quality concerns.
“It was kinda hectic getting down there,” said Laguna coach Bob Lunn, who said that the smoke could be seen from the Mt. SAC course.
With temperatures in the low-90s, Dos Pueblos finished in eighth for both boys and girls. Coach Leslie Wiggins highlighted Matt Bailey and Sergei Sushchikh for taking off chunks of time from their qualifying times. DP’s Caylee Daniel endured shin splints to run a solid race.
Lunn finished the two-mile course in 11:23 with teammate Parker Lilly coming in third place with a time of 11:40. Coach Lunn said senior Jeffrey Schultz’s 12:38 run was “a great performance.”
The Owl girls made the finals behind strong runs from Sarah O’Connor (7th, 13:54), Vanessa Tomm (16th, 14:41) and freshman MacKenzie Campbell (17th, 14:44).
Cate’s Makenzie Walsh finished seventh overall in the girls race but the Rams missed out on qualifying for the finals by one spot, coming in in ninth.
Okay since Presidio Sports doesn’t cover Midland and does Laguna Blanca, we have to continue to keep good natured rivalry going..So far Midland has beaten their much larger rival Condor league member 3 out of 4 meets ..losing only at Condor Finals when Midlands top runner and 5th runners got injured.
Now CIF SS Prelims being latest meet ..Midland 72 Laguna Blanca 126
Midland finished 6 out 16 teams qualifying , LB near bottom …
The top 7 go on to state ..
Personally , I hope that all three Condor league teams make it (Thacher finished 3rd in Prelims) .to State , Kids on all three teams have had great season and great for league ! All three have been ranked in CIF SS and CIF State for first time ever and since ranked teams can get in at large basis ,great for league future to be on the map .
This will help in getting ranked in future years .
But still Midland boys deserve their due ..it is smallest school by far enrollment(89 students /44 boys)still left CIF or ..in State Meet ..
They continue to do it as team ..no super star
just good team 1-7 .. Cross Country is indidvual sport but run as a team and numbers 4/5/6/7 runners just as important as having a top runner or two ..
Good to see Lilly reasonably healthy and back ..but Midland until proven otherwise better team..
Hopefully rivalry will last two more meets and finally be settled at State ..
Heres hoping Laguna finds way to join Midland at the State Meet so we can keep it going .. .