The Regents showed the heart of a champion.

La Reina’s cross country team secured second place at the CIF-State Championships Division 4 race last weekend at Woodward Park in Fresno.

It was a stunning rebound for a team that staggered to sixth at the CIF-Southern Section finals the previous week.

“This is a proud moment,” La Reina head coach Robert Lopez said.

Thousand Oaks High junior Melanie Joerger completed the Division 2 girls’ race in 18 minutes, 40 seconds, good for 35th overall in a field of 192 studentathletes.

La Reina completed its magical season with a team time of 99:03. Serra won the Division 4 state crown.

Rachel Brajkovich, a junior, enjoyed her best race of the season, notching 17th place in 19:09. Freshman Krista Andreassen followed close behind in 19:38, 33rd overall.

Jordan Jeworski (20:04, 57th place), Kelly Chow (20:05, 60th), Bailey Rohlfing (20:07, 65th), Alyssa Frank (20:07, 66th) and Hayley Walke (20:45, 108th) also ran for La Reina.

The Regents struggled at the section finals after arriving late to Mount San Antonio College. They didn’t have time to properly warm up or study the course outline.

“Nothing seemed to go right,” Lopez said.

Everything went right at Fresno.

“The girls were well prepared and knew exactly what they had to do,” the coach said. “They were determined to turn it around. . . .

“I’m blessed with some very hardworking kids who believe in what we do. It’s not always easy to get athletes to believe. This team believes.”

Simi Valley High freshman Sarah Baxter won the Division 1 girls’ race. Baxter’s time of 16:57 was the fourth fastest in the history of the girls’ event and broke the freshman meet record by 14 seconds.

Another freshman, Clare Carroll of Granite Bay, was second in the Division 1 girls’ race.

— Eliav Appelbaum