San Marcos’ Erica Schroeder, right, and Natalie McClure finished first and second at the county championships in Lompoc. (Charles McClure photo)
Erica Schroeder of San Marcos set a personal record in winning the girls individual title and Kyril Van Schendel became Cate’s first boys champion in 14 years at the Santa Barbara County Cross Country Championships at River Park in Lompoc on Thursday.
The San Marcos varsity girls ran away with the team title with 20 points. Dos Pueblos was second with 124 points.
Santa Ynez won the boys title, edging San Marcos 55-65. Dos Pueblos boys finished third out of 10 teams with 97 points.
Schroeder ran a phenomenal race, securing first place with a personal record time of 17:39. Her teammate Natalie McClure was not far behind with a 17:54. The pair also finished 1-2 at last week’s Mt. SAC Invitational.
Christina Rice of Dos Pueblos finished third in 18:41, Lee Al-Atraqchi of San Marcos was fourth in 18:40 and Santa Maria’s Nancy Juarez finished fifth in 18:56. Royals Mya Adornetto (19:21) and Kaela Cleary (19:35) were sixth and seventh, and Elsa Robertson (19:42) came in 11th.
Charlotte Monke (5th-19:40) and Isabela Montes de Oca (19th-20:27) led Cate’s girls to fifth place.
Cate’s Van Schendel ran a blazing time of 15:25 and became the school’s first county champion since Henry Hagenbuch in 2001. Hunter Clark of Dos Pueblos was the runner-up in 15:29, Lompoc’s Isaac Acosta finished third in 15:33 and Sean Morley of Righetti was fourth in 15:44.
Logan Briner of San Marcos ran a personal record time of 15:46 and clinched the fifth spot in the race. Brian Illes and Johnny Jimenez of Santa Ynez were sixth and seventh, respectively, in the same time of 16:05. From DP, Josh McGregor came in eighth in 16:07 and Nathan Alvarez was 21st in 16:37.
