By Adobe Staff

 Friday November 28, 2013

Nipomo High School’s girls cross country team ran its way to history Saturday, Nov. 23.

The Titans became the first Nipomo girls cross country team — and just the second school squad of any kind — to qualify for a state competition with their sixth-place finish in the girls Division 4 race at the CIF Southern Section Cross Country Championships at the Mount San Antonio course in Walnut.

Nipomo scored 167 points, with Gracie Albano leading the Titans. Her place, when adjusted for team scoring, was eighth. She ran 18:44.

The CIF state meet will take place Saturday, Nov. 30, at Woodward Park in Fresno.

“I am so proud of the way this team has fought through everything,” Albano said after the Titans found out they were going to the state competition.

The Titans won the Los Padres League championship earlier this month.

Nipomo coach Arianne Rollinger said, “We were ranked ninth going into the prelims, then we were fourth (overall) there. Gracie Albano and Taylor Witcher really stepped it up” in the divisional final.