The dark side of Mt. SAC Invitational managed to cast a shadow over the entire meet this last Friday and Saturday. The performance of the weekend and perhaps the season belongs to Sarah Baxter’s unworldly solo course record of 16:00. You can relive the race here.

Within a well-managed hour, the four marque races at the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational had been run. These races include the Boy’s and Girl’s Individual and Team Sweepstakes.

Among the mayhem and excitement that happened when Baxter crossed the finish line, many forgot that there was a team battle going on behind her. Even still, the boy’s premier races had not even been run.
 

You can’t forget the team introductions. You’re welcome.

The Opening Act

The stage was set before the biggest race of the morning went off. In the Girl’s Individual Sweepstakes Race, junior Addi Zerrenner from Dos Pueblos ran 16:59 for the win. Last year, this race was won by Karis Frankian from Saugus High School in 17:12. The weather was perfect, the course was pristine, and fast time were ahead.



Addi Zerrenner - 2012 cross country highlights

Race	Place	Time	Distance	Date
Asics Clovis Invitational	3rd	17:41.00	5k	10/6/2012
Woodbridge Cross Country Classic	11th	17:05.00	3 miles	9/15/2012
Seaside Invitational	1st	16:44.19	3 miles	9/7/2012

More on Dos Pueblos later

#3 Xavier Prep from Arizona won the Girl’s Team Race with 105 points and accumulated a total team team of 1:30:28. Their performance would have placed them third in the next event.

The Main Act

It’s Sarah Baxter’s world and we’re all just living in it. After 400m, the spotlight was on Baxter as she pulled away and ran one of all-time greatest races in high school cross country history.

But what about everyone else?
 

Periodically, the meet announcer (who, by the way, was spectacular) would take a look back 300m to see how the race for the team title was shaping up. Much like how the race for the individual title was about one runner, the race for the team title was between two teams.

#6 Great Oak and #16 Simi Valley made the Girl’s Team Sweepstakes seem like a dual meet. 

Early on in the race, there were seven Great Oak girls and five Simi Valley girls in the top twenty. Simi Valley was going to score one point with Sarah Baxter up front, which meant that Great Oak had to try and use their depth to balance out the team scores.

In the end, Great Oak was triumphant over Simi Valley 38 points to 59. Although Simi Valley ended up with 88:30 for their team’s total time (#4 all-time), it was scewed by Baxter’s course record. Great Oak won with the #5 team all-time team time with 88:51.


Ashley Helbig and Haley Dorris go 3 - 4

Great Oak

Place	Name	Time
3	Ashley Helbig	17:28
4	Haley Dorris	17:28
8	Maiya Larsen	17:55
9	Miranda Kewley	17:56
14	Christian Calain	18:04
22	Destiny Collins	18:22
28	Kim McNamee	18:38

 

Simi Valley

Place	Name	Time
1	Sarah Baxter	16:00
10	Samantha Tetef	17:58
11	Sarah Riggs	18:00
17	Olivia Rosellini	18:11
20	Charlotte Utash	18:21
23	Desirae Jones	18:24
35	Courtney Korven	18:49

The Final Act

It’s tough to follow course records and top five all-time team records. But Juan Gonzalez, Tal Braude, Steven Fahy, the Arcadia Boys, and Bryan Fernandez did not disappoint.

Juan Gonzalez saw records being set left and right and wanted one of his own. The school record at El Toro High School for Mt. SAC of 14:30 was set by Brandon Bethke in 2004. It would take a huge effort and confidence to run the #6 fastest run in Mt. SAC history.



Whether it was race tactics or sheer confidence, Gonzalez took the race out hard. Through 400m, Gonzalez was out in 61 seconds. If we’ve learned anything this season, it’s to never doubt someone who is on a mission (except if they’re a crazed freshman. Then they just die a terrible death for the next 2.75 miles).

Gonzalez, Braude, and Fahy were together as they came down Reservoir Hill. Gonzalez seized the team on the downhill, took a quick look back, and held on for a close win in 14:38. Braude was second in 14:41 and Fahy took third in 14:46.

The Encore

The last main race of the day was the Boy’s Team Sweepstakes, which featured #11 Bryan Fernandez from Dos Pueblos High School and #6 Arcadia.

This race started off much, much slower than the last one as Fernandez lead the field through 400m in 63 seconds. The picture for the medals started to become a bit clearer when the Arcadia duo of Mitchell Pratt and Estevan De La Rosa lead through two miles in 9:55.

When the leaders turned into the Gauntlet, it was only Fernandez and Pratt that remained. Fernandez hung on for the win in 14:34 while Pratt took second in 14:39. De La Rosa finished in third with a time of 14:44.

Arcadia High School now has the top three all-time team times on the Mt. SAC course. They scored 86 points and finished a team total of of 1:15:45, which was good for #2 all-time.

All-time Top Team Times

Rank	Total Time	Team	Meet	Date
1	1:15:16	Arcadia	Mt. SAC Invitational	2010
2	1:15:45	Arcadia	Mt. SAC Invitational	2012
3	1:16:19	Arcadia	Mt. SAC Invitational	2011

Arcadia

Place	Name	Time
2	Mitchell Pratt	14:39
3	Estevan De La Rosa	14:47
17	Philip Rocha	15:14
28	Mahmoud Moussa	15:27
39	Thomas Tran	15:38
72	Thurain Hlaing	16:00
84	Sean Wanket	16:09

Things That Didn't Make it into the Program

Julia (Branson) and Anna (San Lorenzo Valley) Maxwell both clocked sub-17 victories in two different races. Julia won Sweepstakes #44 in 16:52 and Anna won Sweepstakes #42 in 16:57. Both winning times were over a minute faster than second place.

The largest cross country meet in the country went off almost with a hitch. There was an issue with the software that scored the meet, but the full results are now available. 

They’ve proven that their the top teams and individuals in California, but there are still bigger races to be run in California (not in size). The California State Meet, NXN Regionals, Foot Locker Regionals, and Foot Locker Finals will again test these teams to  recreate their Mt. SAC performance.

Hopefully lightning strikes more than once at Mt. SAC Invitational.