SALINAS — Cross country runners from all four South County high schools traveled to Toro Regional Park in Salinas to run in the Monterey Bay Invitational. The meet featured over 80 teams that wanted to run on the Toro Park course that will be hosting the Central Coast Section Championships on the second week of November.
Greenfield Bruins placed well in the running divisions and enjoy competing in this final tuneup at Toro Park before the Mission Trail Athletic League finals and the CCS meet. Greenfield is the defending MTAL boys champion and CCS Division IV champion.
“Our program uses this meet as a measuring stick to see where we are as a team,” said Bruins head coach Angel Villagomez. “We have seen many or our runners’ times drop from the first few times they have ran this season at Toro Park. It is a meet where we have to run against some larger schools that we will not compete against at CCS.”
Willow Glen of San Jose won the varsity boys division in a race that featured 244 runners. Greenfield placed 4th, King City placed 10th, and Soledad finished 23rd. Earning medals for placing in the top 30 finishers from Greenfield were: Luis Meza (11th place, 16:41); Julian Arias (13th place, 16:44); and Mauricio Arias (14th place, 16:45).
Alisal won the JV boys division, Gonzales placed 6th, Greenfield placed 8th, King City placed 12th, and Soledad placed 16th. Earning top 30 medals from Greenfield were: Daniel Cerda (4th place, 18:15); and Juan Bautista (18th place, 19:12). A total of 193 runners competed in the race.
In the large school frosh-soph boys race Alisal was the team winner. Greenfield placed 4th in the division. Top 30 medal winners from Greenfield were: Jose Luis De Jesus (11th place, 18:18); Ricardo Cruz (13th place, 18:24); Douglas Maldonado (21st, 18:44; and Damian Smith (26th place, 18:55);
Sacred Heart Cathedral won small school frosh-soph boys division and Gonzales placed 6th. Earning top 30 medals for the Spartans were: Andrew Funk (4th, 19:06); and Ozzy Garcia (14th 19:47). A total of 111 runners run in the small school race.
Aptos won the varsity girls division in a race that featured 202 runners. Soledad placed 23rd and King City placed 25th. Palo Alto won the junior varsity divisions and Soledad placed seventh; 92 competitors were in the race. Palo Alto won the frosh-soph girls division that had 146 runners. Ashley Ochoa of Gonzales High was the only top 30 finisher in any girls division from South County placing 12th in a time of 21:40.
Tomorrow at Toro Park, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield and King City will join the rest of the MTAL to compete in the league Center Meet, starting at 4 p.m.
