Bryan Fernandez added a Mt. SAC title to his list of victories this season. The Dos Pueblos senior won the team sweepstakes race at the prestigious invitational at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday, clocking in at 14:34 for the hilly three-miles.
Fernandez is undefeated this year. His other wins have been at the Woodbridge Invitational, Seaside Invitational, Clovis Invitational and two Channel League meets.
Addi Zerrenner of DP won the girls individual sweepstakes race for Division 1 and 2 runners at Mt. SAC. The junior’s time was 16:59, joining an elite group of young women to run under 17 minutes.
“I really wanted it.” Zerrenner said. “I was warming up with my team and I said I really want to go under 17 so bad.”
Zerrenner stayed in the back of the field for the first mile and progressed through the field of top runners from throughout the state in the challenging second mile on the course. She moved into the lead at the second mile and was unchallenged as she came over Reservoir Hill, the third and last hill on the course.
Fernandez ran in the lead pack from the start and stayed in control the whole way. As the pack thinned out, he stayed with the leaders and pulled away at the top of Reservoir Hill, which is a half mile from the finish. His time is one of the top times achieved on the Mt. SAC course.
“I wanted stay in control in the first mile because I know if you go out too fast you’re done on this course with all the hills at the second mile.” Fernandez said.
Asked what was going through his head as rounded the turn toward the final stretch known as the Gauntlet, Fernandez said, “Just don’t give up. Give it all you got. If you do that, you’ll still be happy with your race.”
Post-race Interviews with Zerrenner and Fernandez are viewable at flotrack.org.
The Mt SAC Invitational was suffering computer difficulties on Saturday and was unable to provide team results and scores. The Dos Pueblos boys placed in the Boys Team Sweepstakes race.
