Cougars gain momentum with invitational victory
| Sunday, Sep 21 2008 12:44 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 05:58 PM
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Foothill's Chris Schwartz leads the pack during Saturday's McFarland Cross Country Invitational. Schwartz went onto win the race.
The boys varsity cross country runners make their way off the start line during Saturday's McFarland Cross Country Invitational.
McFarland's Alfonso Cisneros digs deep during the final stretch of Saturday's McFarland Cross Country Invitational. Cisneros finished second.
The girls varsity cross country runners make their way off the start line during Saturday's McFarland Cross Country Invitational.
McFarland had just dominated its invitational Saturday, so cross country coach Amador Ayon told his runners to take Sunday off.
Top runner Alfonso Cisneros stayed quiet, but one of the other runners looked at Ayon like he was crazy.
"You know Alfonso's not taking the day off," the young Cougar said.
"Well, I'm telling him to take the day off," Ayon responded. "If that means he runs three miles instead of 10, well, that's his choice."
Such is life at McFarland, where chasing the school's 10th state cross country title is serious business -- and within reach, if early meets are any indication.
The Cougars dominated the five-kilometer Jim White Invitational, scoring 23 points to Madera South's 53 and Ridgeview's 82. McFarland runners finished 2-3-4 (Cisneros in 15:55, Eddie Garcia in 16:03 and sophomore Marco Perez in 16:04) and also placed juniors Eduardo Bautista sixth in 16:15 and Marco Camargo eighth in 16:17.
"We like to have a course that's a little more demanding, and for whatever reason, we didn't," Ayon said. "There were a lot of turns, and some areas were wet, but I was happy with the way the kids ran."
Foothill's Chris Schwartz, the defending Division I state champion, won the race in 15:42, erasing an early lead built by Madera South's Isaiah Lozano, who faded to ninth.
The rest of the top 10 was about McFarland serving notice that last year's third-place Div. IV state finish isn't good enough.
The team hasn't cut back on workouts at all yet -- with some runners, including the dogged Cisneros, making a long run every morning and then another in the afternoon -- and will take part in the adidas Cross Country Classic in Portland, Ore., in October.
All of that will be a prelude to the section meet Nov. 20 and state meet Nov. 29, both at Woodward Park in Fresno.
Ridgeview dominated its second straight girls race, placing five runners in the top 12 to rout Madera South 41-73. Foothill was third with 79.
Madera South's Alisha Brown won the race in 19:41, with Burroughs' runners Jennifer Speer (19:45) and Jenny Durtschi (20:07) in second and third. Ridgeview was led by Jessica Huizar in fifth with a 20:17.
Results
Boys teams--1. McFarland 23; 2. Madera South 53; 3. Ridgeview 82; 4. Burroughs 121; 5. Foothill 129.
Boys individuals--1. Chris Schwartz, Foothill, 15:42, 2. Alfonso Cisneros, McFarland 15:55; 3. Eddie Garcia, McF, 16:03; 4. Marco Perez, McF, 16:04; 5. Alfonso Castillo, Madera South, 16:12; 6. Eduardo Bautistia, McF, 16:15, 7. Chris Brown, Madera South, 16:16; 8. Marco Camargo, McF, 16:17; 9. Alex Garcia, Ridgeview, 16:19; 10. Isaiah Lazano, MS, 16:20.
JV--McFarland 38, Ridgeview 81, Madera South 82. F/S--Madera South 26, McFarland 39, Shafter 100.
Girls teams--1. Ridgeview 41; 2. Madera South 73; 3. Foothill 79; 4. Shafter 91; 5. Burroughs 115.
Girls individuals--1. Alisha Brown, Madera South, 19:41; 2. Jennifer Speer, Burroughs, 19:45; 3. Jenny Durtschi, B, 20:07; 4. Natalie Fernandez, Foothill, 20:12; 5. Jessica Huizar, Ridgeview, 20:17; 6. Ashley Duran, R, 20:29; 7. Akaysha Dhaliwal, MS, 20:37; 8. Tijerra Lynch, R, 20:53; 9. Megan Thompson, Taft, 21:13; 10. Tonya Hernandez, Arvin, 21:19.
JV-- Madera South 15, Ridgeview 55, Foothill 61. F/S--Foothill 17, Taft 38, N/A
