Cross country title up for grabs

DOWNEY - The Downey High School girls' cross country team competed in and won the second San Gabriel Valley League cluster meet held at Cerritos Regional Park on Oct. 11.The Warren Lady Bears won the first cluster meet held on Sept. 20, at Hollydale Park. The third and final cluster meet, which also serves as league finals, will be held Tuesday at La Mirada Park. With both city-rivals winning a cluster meet each, a winner take all meet will determine a league champion. Downey's runners finished in a total time of 1:34:12 and an average runner time of 18:50:40. Warren's runners finished in a total time of 1:34:40 and an average runner time of 18:56. Downey finished first, second, sixth, eighth, eleventh, thirteenth and twenty-first. Warren finished third, fourth, fifth, seventh, tenth, twelfth and seventeenth. The scores and times were close but the Lady Vikings edged the Lady Bears. The Lady Vikings' Lisa Vasquez finished first in 18:10, Meghan Nevarez finished second in 18:28, Gabriela Gonzalez finished sixth in 18:59, Marissa Pluma finished eighth in 19:02, Crystal Raygoza finished eleventh in 19:33, Brittney Martinez finished thirteenth in 19:41 and Stephanie Perea finished twenty-first in 20:46. The Lady Bears' Yajaira Zarate finished second in 18:35, Lali Avila finished fourth in 18:47, Tiffany Hernandez finished fifth in 18:50, Silvia Gonzalez finished seventh in 18:59, Krisstel Gomez finished tenth in 19:29, Gwendolyn Hurtado finished twelveth in 19:40 and Sofia Ramos finished seventeenth in 19:59. Interestingly, as I attended the Downey-Warren volleyball match last week at Warren, I had a chance to talk with Lady Bear runner Lali Avila and Bear assistant cross country coach Eric Nilson. Avila mentioned to me how hard her team was working and how focused the Lady Bears are on winning league finals. I think I may have to travel to La Mirada Park on Tuesday and check this cross country meet out for myself.

********** Published: October 25, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 28