JSerra produces second three-peat in Division 4, along with lowest score at 40 points and 89:40.6 team effort; Corona Santiago edges Buchanan 57-58, with 88:59.3 performance at Woodward Park, Crystal Springs Uplands sweeps both Division 5 crowns for second straight year, Ventura and Cathedral Catholic also triumph

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ken Martinez

FRESNO – JSerra added to the greatest dynasty in Division 4 history.

Crystal Springs Uplands produced a determined double-double.

Ventura ended nearly a two-decade drought by becoming a two-division state champion.

Cathedral Catholic enjoyed one of the most meaningful breakthroughs in California state finals history.

And then there was the memorable last mile of the Corona Santiago girls cross country team, which contributed Saturday to the fastest 5-kilometer performance in Woodward Park history.

INTERVIEWS | PHOTOS by Ken Martinez | RACE HIGHLIGHTS

The Sharks overcame a projected 10-point deficit with a mile remaining against three-time Division 1 champion Buchanan on the Bears’ home course, rallying for a 57-58 triumph to not only capture the first state championship in program history, but achieving the feat by clocking the all-time mark of 88 minutes, 59.3 seconds.

Rylee Blade, a junior, became one of only five female athletes to run sub-16:50 on multiple occasions at Woodward Park, including one of just three competitors to produce both performances in the same season, joining Ventura junior Sadie Engelhardt in Division 2.

Blade was victorious in 16:48.5 after clocking 16:45.8 to finish runner-up behind Engelhardt in the Bill Buettner girls championship race Oct. 7 at the ASICS Clovis Invitational, when the Sharks and Buchanan battled to a 128-128 tie, with the Bears edging Santiago on a sixth-runner tiebreaker for third place behind JSerra and Ventura.

Braelyn Combe was fifth in 17:35.1, Taylor Davis took 10th in 17:51.6, Madilyn Siana finished 24th in 18:13.9 and Audrey Buckley secured 38th in 18:30.2 for Santiago, which improved from placing ninth in the Division 1 state final last season.

Buchanan, which was attempting to win a fourth consecutive Division 1 state crown and fifth championship overall in program history, had Tayler Torosian (17:54.2) and Molly Sundgren (17:59.2) place 11th and 12th, respectively, with Stefania Sesock capturing 15th in 18:04.2, Avery Hutchison achieving 21st in 18:09.6 and Kynzlee Buckley finishing 23rd in 18:11.7.

Elle Lomeli, the Central Section Division 1 champion for Buchanan, went from eighth place at the mile to last in the race at the 2-mile mark and did not finish the competition for the Bears.

Holly Barker, a Laguna Hills transfer, was second in 17:05.0 and Skylar Watts earned eighth in 17:51.1 for Trabuco Hills, which took third in the Division 1 final with 76 points.

Sydney Rubio, a ninth-grader at Huntington Beach, became the seventh-fastest freshman in California prep history and eighth all-time at Woodward Park by taking third in 17:26.5, with Chula Vista Eastlake sophomore Jaelyn Williams finishing fourth in 17:31.4. Both competitors will race Dec. 2 at Nike Cross Nationals.

Engelhardt ran 16:40.7 to repeat as Division 2 champion after clocking 16:39.3 to win the Bill Buettner girls championship race at Clovis. Blade and Engelhardt joined Santa Rosa graduate Julia Stamps in 1995 as the only female athletes to eclipse the 16:50 barrier twice in the same season.

Malibu’s Claudia Lane and Simi Valley’s Sarah Baxter are the only other female competitors to run sub-16:50 multiple times in their prep careers at Woodward Park.

Ventura prevailed by an 85-114 margin against Rocklin Whitney, with St. Francis Mountain View taking third with 138 points.

Melanie True secured sixth in 17:57.1, Tiffany Sax (18:26.0) and Aelo Curtis (18:29.2) were 22nd and 23rd, respectively, and Violet Hurguy grabbed 54th in 19:11.4 for the Cougars, who captured back-to-back Division 1 state championships in 2003-04.

Karissa Chamberlain, who helped Del Oro place second in Division 3 in 2021, led Whitney by finishing 16th in 18:12.7.

Caitlin Cilley was 19th in 18:20.1 for St. Francis Mountain View, which has been in the top four in the past four Division 2 state finals, including three podium appearances.

Arielle Avina was runner-up in 17:41.9 for Murrieta Valley, which finished fifth with 174 points.

Denise Chen took third in 17:46.5 for Claremont, which placed fourth at 162 points.

Newport Harbor’s Keaton Robar grabbed fourth in 17:51.9 and El Toro freshman Gweneth Williams was fifth in 17:56.7 in her state debut.

JSerra not only produced the Division 4 record for lowest championship score with 40 points and fastest team time at 89:40.6, but the Lions also achieved their second three-peat, along with 2010-12.

JSerra joined San Francisco University in Division 5 as the only girls programs in state history to produce separate state championship three-peats, in addition to becoming the sixth girls team to win at least six titles in the same division.

With reigning Division 4 state champion Payton Godsey of Oaks Christian sidelined with a stress fracture, La Jolla sophomore Chiara Dailey triumphed in 17:09.2, helping the Vikings take third by a 151-152 margin behind Palos Verdes.

Summer Wilson led JSerra by placing second in 17:31.6, with Santa Margarita transfer Sophie Polay garnering her third career all-state recognition and first for the Lions by taking third in 17:32.9.

Kaylah Tasser earned eighth in 17:51.9 and Brynn Garcia – a member of all three state championship lineups – finishing 10th in 18:02.0, with freshman Reese Holley overcoming being knocked down in the first 800 meters to rally for 19th in 18:42.2 for JSerra, which also had Xavier College Prep transfer Chloe Elbaz achieve 21st in 18:49.6 and ninth-grader Hayden Kroger capture 32nd in her state championship debut in 19:10.0.

La Canada’s Maya DeBrouwer was fourth in 17:37.4, joining several returning all-state honorees, with Scotts Valley’s Ashlyn Boothby securing sixth in 17:50.0, Jesse Redding from Colfax capturing seventh in 17:50.3 and Martinez Alhambra’s Renae Searls grabbing ninth in 17:57.6.

Olivia Williams of Acalanes, who placed second in the 2021 state championship meet, returned to competition this season after sharing publicly her challenges with overcoming an eating disorder and finished fifth in 17:41.6.

Hanne Thomsen became the first female competitor in state history to win three consecutive Division 3 championships, clocking 17:10.2, with Santa Rosa Montgomery teammates Seelah Kittelstrom finishing fifth in 17:54.3 and Amrie Lacefield earning eighth in 18:06.4.

Thomsen is the seventh female cross country competitor all-time in the state to win at least three consecutive state titles.

Cathedral Catholic, which had produced three second-place efforts and a third-place finish in Division 3 in program history, finally captured the long-awaited state championship with an 83-92 victory against seven-time champion Campolindo, which was seeking a fourth consecutive crown.

Lindsay Zimmer finished fourth in 17:45.1, Alexandria Pena secured seventh in 18:03.6 and Scarlett Martin placed 14th in 18:20.8 for the Dons, who rallied from a projected 21-point deficit entering the final mile.

Kristine Bickler achieved 37th in 19:07.1 and Liesel Sellerberg grabbed 46th in 19:12.2 for Cathedral Catholic, which became the first San Diego Section girls program to prevail in Division 3 since La Jolla in 1990.

Gioana Lopizzo of La Costa Canyon was second in 17:32.0, with Campolindo’s Shea Volkmer taking third in 17:41.9 and Corona del Mar’s Melisse Djomby Enyawe earning all-state honors again by achieving sixth in 17:59.9.

Santa Margarita placed third with 187 points, led by Alahna Thomas finishing 13th in 18:20.3.

The showdown involving Crystal Springs Uplands and Immanuel resulted in the most thrilling finish in Division 5 girls history, with the Gryphons capturing back-to-back championships, becoming the first program to achieve the feat since Lick Wilmerding in 2018-19.

Crystal Springs Uplands rallied from a projected 11-point deficit in the final mile to pull even with Immanuel in a 97-97 outcome, with the Gryphons relying on a 43rd-place effort from Maya Wohl in 19:51.6 to emerge victorious on a sixth-runner tiebreaker.

It marked only the third time in California girls cross country state finals history that a sixth-runner tiebreaker decided a championship, with Buchanan edging Yucaipa in Division 2 in 1994 and College Park prevailing against Sultana in the same division in 2003.

The Gryphons also joined only Division 1 program Great Oak as the only two schools in California prep history to sweep boys and girls state titles in consecutive years.

Crystal Springs Uplands, which graduated last year’s state champion Kaiya Brooks, had sophomore Anna Salter secure 11th in 18:46.7, Allie Willis (19:33.4) and Heidy Avina (19:34.6) place 27th and 28th, respectively, Liliana Kaludzinski achieve 35th in 19:45.8 and Kira Dye earning 37th in 19:46.9.

Immanuel, which elevated from seventh place last season after also being edged on a sixth-runner tiebreaker against Francis Parker, was led by Clara Riddle finishing fifth in 18:30.3.

Gaby Ramirez was 19th in 19:13.4, Lexi Schartmann took 23rd in 19:22.5, Sarah Larger captured 39th in 19:49.0 and Ainsley Jackson grabbed 47th in 19:56.4 for the Eagles, who had Bailey Robb as their sixth competitor placing 70th in 20:18.6.

San Francisco University added to its state record with a 19th overall podium finish, placing third with 108 points, just ahead of Francis Parker finishing fourth at 110 points. Lucinda Laughlin secured seventh for University in 18:31.0.

Elsa Krummel of Bay School in San Francisco ascended from 29th place last season to capture the state title in 18:06.3. Krummel improved from 19:27.1 at the state final last year.

Ella Mogannam from Lick Wilmerding was second in 18:11.7 and teammate Caroline Chang captured sixth in 18:30.5, Ayanna Hickey from The Bishop’s School achieved third in 18:20.5 and Francis Parker’s Olivia Teates earned fourth in 18:26.8.

TEAM CHAMPIONS

Division 1: Corona Santiago 57 points - RESULTS

Division 2: Ventura 85 points - RESULTS

Division 3: Cathedral Catholic 83 points - RESULTS

Division 4: JSerra 40 points - RESULTS

Division 5: Crystal Springs Uplands 97 points - RESULTS