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Falcons, Tologs turn in big days
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| Crescenta Valley High junior Claudia Pham, center, leads the pack. (Raul Roa/News-Press) |
Cross-Country: Pham, Vargas and Pasamba garner top-five individual finishes at Staub.
By Grant Gordon
LA CRESCENTA — At the 42nd running of the annual Barnes/Staub Invitational cross-country meet on Saturday at Crescenta Valley Park, for two of the top girls’ programs in the area, the day served in reaffirming their positions as hopeful division powerhouses.
Crescenta Valley High’s girls’ squad, led by Claudia Pham’s fifth-place finish, took second in the Girls’ Division I race, while Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy brought home victory in the Division 3 race, led by Stephanie Vargas’ second-place finish.
“We needed to step up because we’ve been struggling,” said Tologs Coach Kirk Nishiyama, whose team began the season ranked fourth in the CIF Southern Section Division IV rankings, but has since fallen out of the top 10. “This was a step in the right direction.”
It was much the same for the Falcons, who had a 14-meet Pacific League winning streak broken earlier in the season, but compiled 61 points on Saturday with three top-10 finishes, taking second behind West Ranch (40), which is ranked sixth in Division II.
“This was a good race for us,” said Falcons Coach Mark Evans, whose team did well despite missing top-five runner Ali Johnson. “I think they ran with a lot more confidence.
“We’re getting better and they’re getting more confident. We’re just working on being more consistent and running at the top.”
At the top for the Falcons as has been the case most of the season thus far was Pham, who was her team’s fifth-place runner a year ago at Staub in 19 minutes 52.31 seconds. On Saturday though, in a race won by Arcadia’s Catriana McAlister (18:10.27), she finished almost a minute better than the prior year with a time of 19:21.21.
“She’s doing very well,” said Evans of Pham. “She’s very competitive and she’s very focused.”
Pham, a junior, has been thrust into the frontrunner role, replacing last year’s All-Area Runner of the Year Michelle Callister and her older sister, Carlotta Pham.
“It is a little different,” Claudia said of running atop the Falcons’ lineup. “We kind of all balance it out. We all help each other. The dynamics have changed, but it’s still a really good team.”
Pham was followed by Falcons sophomore Brooke Moultrie (seventh, 19:49.63), who ran a subpar race in the first Pacific League meet due to illness, but reaffirmed her status as the team’s No. 2.
“Brooke’s race a couple weeks ago I think was an aberration,” Evans said. “She ran, I think, where she’s capable of running.”
Junior Annake Kakebeen rounded out the Falcons’ top-10 finishers, taking 10th in 20:06.25. Freshman Cali King took 15th in 20:21.47 and senior Eliza Collison came in in 20:40.05 for 24th.
Also telling in the race was the Falcons finishing ahead of Arcadia (third, 105).
“Always nice to beat Arcadia and get them back after they got us in league,” said Evans, whose team faces the Apaches again in the second league meet of the season on Oct. 15. “Hopefully we can get them back in a couple weeks when it really means something.”
Despite being without reigning Division IV All-State runner Andrea Kropp, the Tologs got back on track.
Vargas took second in 20:27.93 behind Alemany’s Charlene Flores (19:56.01). Vargas was the first of three top-10 Tologs en route to garnering 49 points to second-place Temple City’s 75.
“I’m glad with how we did,” said Vargas, a sophomore. “We know we can do even better.”
With Kropp, whose missed races due to college visits, not there and Katie Johnson no longer with the team, Vargas has stepped up to take the lead.
“Right now, Steph’s our No. 1 even when Andrea’s run,” Nishiyama said.
Sacred Heart sophomore Amanda Aguilar took ninth in 21:35.26, nosing ahead of teammate Paige Conti, as the junior took 10th in 21:35.65.
“We did everything we wanted today, we packed together,” Nishiyama said. “Amanda and Paige ran well today.”
Rounding out the Tologs’ top five were senior Emily Brown (21st, 22:12.69) and sophomore Mary Senstad (22nd, 22:17.97).
Likely considered the marquee race of the day, the Boys’ Division I race was won by Camarillo’s Heyden Wooff in 15:30.78, which also propelled Camarillo to the team victory with 75 points, just ahead of Golden Valley (92), which is coached by Evans’ sons Chris and Rob.
Crescenta Valley finished eighth with 205 points and was led by Mike Duncan, as the sophomore held his own in the high-level field, finishing 12th in 16:11.79.
“He ran real well, I was really pleased,” Evans said. “He beat some guys that had beat him previously. He was real focused.”
Frances Pasamba of Glendale turned in a fine performance in the Girls’ Division 2 race, as she grabbed fifth in 20:03.81. Hoover’s Kathryn Brouwer took 14th in 20:48.60. The race was won by Venice’s Jacklyn Walles (19:17.57). The younger Evans’ Golden Valley squad took first with 72 points. Hoover finished seventh with 154 points.
In the Boys’ Division 2 race, Chris Canlas was Glendale’s top finisher, as the sophomore finished 34th in 17:47.58. Hoover’s Salvador Vega, a junior, took 51st in 18:29.78.
The race was won by La Cañada senior Aayush Shah, a reigning All-Area selection. The Spartans finished second with 58 points to first-place Granite Hills’ 40. Glendale took 10th with 244 points.
The Boys’ Division 3 race was won by L.A. Baptist’s John Hudson in 17:00.93, while Western Christian tallied 49 points for first place.
Crescenta Valley High’s girls’ squad, led by Claudia Pham’s fifth-place finish, took second in the Girls’ Division I race, while Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy brought home victory in the Division 3 race, led by Stephanie Vargas’ second-place finish.
“We needed to step up because we’ve been struggling,” said Tologs Coach Kirk Nishiyama, whose team began the season ranked fourth in the CIF Southern Section Division IV rankings, but has since fallen out of the top 10. “This was a step in the right direction.”
It was much the same for the Falcons, who had a 14-meet Pacific League winning streak broken earlier in the season, but compiled 61 points on Saturday with three top-10 finishes, taking second behind West Ranch (40), which is ranked sixth in Division II.
“This was a good race for us,” said Falcons Coach Mark Evans, whose team did well despite missing top-five runner Ali Johnson. “I think they ran with a lot more confidence.
“We’re getting better and they’re getting more confident. We’re just working on being more consistent and running at the top.”
At the top for the Falcons as has been the case most of the season thus far was Pham, who was her team’s fifth-place runner a year ago at Staub in 19 minutes 52.31 seconds. On Saturday though, in a race won by Arcadia’s Catriana McAlister (18:10.27), she finished almost a minute better than the prior year with a time of 19:21.21.
“She’s doing very well,” said Evans of Pham. “She’s very competitive and she’s very focused.”
Pham, a junior, has been thrust into the frontrunner role, replacing last year’s All-Area Runner of the Year Michelle Callister and her older sister, Carlotta Pham.
“It is a little different,” Claudia said of running atop the Falcons’ lineup. “We kind of all balance it out. We all help each other. The dynamics have changed, but it’s still a really good team.”
Pham was followed by Falcons sophomore Brooke Moultrie (seventh, 19:49.63), who ran a subpar race in the first Pacific League meet due to illness, but reaffirmed her status as the team’s No. 2.
“Brooke’s race a couple weeks ago I think was an aberration,” Evans said. “She ran, I think, where she’s capable of running.”
Junior Annake Kakebeen rounded out the Falcons’ top-10 finishers, taking 10th in 20:06.25. Freshman Cali King took 15th in 20:21.47 and senior Eliza Collison came in in 20:40.05 for 24th.
Also telling in the race was the Falcons finishing ahead of Arcadia (third, 105).
“Always nice to beat Arcadia and get them back after they got us in league,” said Evans, whose team faces the Apaches again in the second league meet of the season on Oct. 15. “Hopefully we can get them back in a couple weeks when it really means something.”
Despite being without reigning Division IV All-State runner Andrea Kropp, the Tologs got back on track.
Vargas took second in 20:27.93 behind Alemany’s Charlene Flores (19:56.01). Vargas was the first of three top-10 Tologs en route to garnering 49 points to second-place Temple City’s 75.
“I’m glad with how we did,” said Vargas, a sophomore. “We know we can do even better.”
With Kropp, whose missed races due to college visits, not there and Katie Johnson no longer with the team, Vargas has stepped up to take the lead.
“Right now, Steph’s our No. 1 even when Andrea’s run,” Nishiyama said.
Sacred Heart sophomore Amanda Aguilar took ninth in 21:35.26, nosing ahead of teammate Paige Conti, as the junior took 10th in 21:35.65.
“We did everything we wanted today, we packed together,” Nishiyama said. “Amanda and Paige ran well today.”
Rounding out the Tologs’ top five were senior Emily Brown (21st, 22:12.69) and sophomore Mary Senstad (22nd, 22:17.97).
Likely considered the marquee race of the day, the Boys’ Division I race was won by Camarillo’s Heyden Wooff in 15:30.78, which also propelled Camarillo to the team victory with 75 points, just ahead of Golden Valley (92), which is coached by Evans’ sons Chris and Rob.
Crescenta Valley finished eighth with 205 points and was led by Mike Duncan, as the sophomore held his own in the high-level field, finishing 12th in 16:11.79.
“He ran real well, I was really pleased,” Evans said. “He beat some guys that had beat him previously. He was real focused.”
Frances Pasamba of Glendale turned in a fine performance in the Girls’ Division 2 race, as she grabbed fifth in 20:03.81. Hoover’s Kathryn Brouwer took 14th in 20:48.60. The race was won by Venice’s Jacklyn Walles (19:17.57). The younger Evans’ Golden Valley squad took first with 72 points. Hoover finished seventh with 154 points.
In the Boys’ Division 2 race, Chris Canlas was Glendale’s top finisher, as the sophomore finished 34th in 17:47.58. Hoover’s Salvador Vega, a junior, took 51st in 18:29.78.
The race was won by La Cañada senior Aayush Shah, a reigning All-Area selection. The Spartans finished second with 58 points to first-place Granite Hills’ 40. Glendale took 10th with 244 points.
The Boys’ Division 3 race was won by L.A. Baptist’s John Hudson in 17:00.93, while Western Christian tallied 49 points for first place.
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