Mira Costa, Redondo begin runs for CIF cross country titles

Mira Costa’s Bay League championship cross country team of (left to right) Evan Martinez, Chris Shirazi, Xavier Court, Quinn Satow, Alan Faber, JP Soares and Cy Chittenden begins its run to the State meet in the CIF Prelims on Friday. Photo by Damian Court

Mira Costa’s Xavier Court ran away with the Bay League championship. Photo

With their sights set on a CIF cross country title and an appearance in the State meet, a contingency of Bay League runners begin their journey this weekend at the Prelims held Friday and Saturday at Riverside City Cross Country Course.

Mira Costa and Redondo boys and girls will compete in Division 1, with heats beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday. Divisions 2, 4 and 5 will race Saturday beginning at 7:45 a.m. The top eight teams in each division qualify. Top 10 finishers not on a qualifying team also advance to the finals at the same venue on Saturday, Nov. 18.

Led by Xavier Court, Mira Costa’s boys team is ranked No. 10 in Division 1 after winning the Bay League team title with 34 points, edging Palos Verdes (No. 1, Div. 3) with 36 points. Redondo was third with 64 points.

Court ran away with the individual title with a time of 16 minutes, 11 seconds on the 3.04-mile course outpacing Palos Verdes Willian Teets (16:29.02) and Mira Costa’s Cy Chittenden (16:29.49). Chris Shirazi (4th, 16:31) and JP Soares (10th, 16:52) also finished in the top ten. Quinn Satow (16th, 17:15), Evan Martinez (19th, 17:36) and Alan Faber (21st, 17:40) helped the Mustangs record the win.

Redondo runners included Benjamin Tait (5th, 16:32), Sangjun Lee (13th, 17:04), Anthony Bass (14th, 17:07), Farooq Tariq (15th, 17:08), Cade Erickson (17th, 17:22), Alberto Aguilar (23rd, 18:09) and Ariel Rodriguez (27th, 18:43).

Palos Verdes’ super sophomore Samantha Steman captured the girls Bay League cross country crown edging teammate Grace Catena. Photo

Other top ten finishers were Palos Verdes’ Nathan Lantz (6th, 16:33) and Peninsula’s Wade Nygren (8th, 16:37) and Ian Irish (9th, 16:48). Palos Verdes won the girls team title, 30 points ahead of Mira Costa (39) and Redondo (53).

In the girls race, Palos Verdes finished 1-2 with sophomore Samantha Steman (19:14) and senior Grace Catena (19:22), followed by Mira Costa’s Brooke Inouye who placed 3rd at 19:27. The Sea Kings, who are ranked No. 1 in Division 3, placed four runners in the top 10 with Gabi Collatos (7th, 19:56) and McKenna Paulson (9th, 20:13).

Mira Costa also had four top-10 finishes, including Olivia Hacohen (5th, 19:45) Lucy Atkinson (6th, 19:56), Cara Chittenden (10th, 20:14). The Mustangs are ranked No. 5 in Division 1.

Redondo (No. 11, Div. 1) was led by Peyton Heiden (4th, 19:37), Lila Copeland (8th, 20:07), Shelby Bender (12th, 20:26), Molly Hastings (13th, 20:40), Isabel Ramirez (16th, 20:47), Isabella Landry (18th, 20:57) and Kasey Bohney (21st, 22:00).

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