SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Cross Country

Chula Vista edges SuHi, 27-29, to face showdown with undefeated Barons

Chula Vista-Sweetwater dual meet photo album

By Phillip Brents

CHULA VISTA, Oct. 11, 2001 -- Though the recent terrorist attacks on the United States may have thrown the transportation industry for a loop, the Chula Vista High cross country team has a firm destination in mind come late November: competing at the state championship meet in Fresno.

For the boys team, such a journey would be the fourth during the reign of Art Johnson and Jeanne Lasee-Johnson, who previously guided teams northward in 1993, 1994 and 1995. The 1994 team finished second. Art Johnson said he likes the mettle of the 2001 edition.

"Very comparable," Johnson said in measuring glory teams of the past to the present Mesa League super power. "If they can put it together mentally, the talent is there. The biggest thing is just staying mentally tough."

With Mesa League rival Bonita Vista watching from the sideline, the Spartans slipped past their first major challenge for this year’s league dual meet title by nipping Sweetwater, 27-29, Oct. 11 at Rohr Park. Chula Vista and likewise unbeaten Bonita Vista now meet in a climactic showdown Oct. 25 at Rohr Park.

Andres Padilla led the Spartans to victory with a first-place individual finish, crossing the finish line several strides ahead of the Red Devils’ top runner Abdirizak Abdi. Accurate times were not available, however, because of a technical malfunction.

Chula Vista took two of the top three finishing positions as Ismael Miranda was third. Jose Guardado and Hector Arreola boosted defending champion Sweetwater’s chances with fourth- and fifth-place finishes but Chula Vista’s Danny Medrano held off a late push by SuHi’s Dustin Boyer to secure sixth place. Twins Eduardo and Apolinar Mariscal were eighth and ninth overall to round out the fourth and fifth scoring positions, respectively, for the Spartans.

Chula Vista finished with six of the top 10 individuals in the race, with Jesus Mariscal placing ahead of Sweetwater’s Sam Zapata for 10th place.

The Spartan girls, who are bidding to double as Mesa League champions this season and also contend for a berth in the state meet, ran to a 17-43 victory with the team’s top runners, Sophia Marquez and Lynn Hernandez, both sitting out the race. Darla Reader, Nelly Hernandez and Johanna Suaza were the top three finishers in the girls race, followed by Sweetwater’s Lizette Villasana. Rounding out the five Chula Vista scorers in the race were No. 4 Jackie Mandy (fifth overall) and No. 5 Cindy Guaray (sixth). The Red Devils also received support from Kenya Caro (seventh), Priscilla Garcillano (ninth), Yvonne Torres (11th), Joanna Gallarzo (14th) and Princess Mitchell (15th).

Metro Conference Scoreboard

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001 at Rohr Park

Boys Varsity (3.1 miles)

Chula Vista 27, Sweetwater 29

1. Andres Padilla (CV) 16:00 (approximate, technical malfunction)

2. Abdirizak Abdi (SuHi) 16:15

3. Ismael Miranda (CV) 16:30

4. Jose Guardado (SuHi) 16:44

5. Hector Arreola (SuHi) 16:47

6. Danny Medrano (CV) 16:48

7. Dustin Boyer (SuHi) 16:53

8. Eduardo Mariscal (CV) 16:53

9. Apolinar Mariscal (CV) 16:59

10. Jesus Mariscal (CV) 17:02

11. Samuel Zapata (SuHi) 17:13

12. Cesar Torres (SuHi) 17:29

13. Robert Isais (SuHi) 17:31

14. Dennis Higgins (CV) 17:34

15. Rogelio Gonzalez (SuHi) 17:35

16. James Groves (CV) 17:36

17. Victor Mariscal (CV) 17:48

18. Juan Jauregui (CV) 17:57

Girls Varsity

Chula Vista 17, Sweetwater 43

1. Darla Reader (CV) 13:53

2. Nelly Hernandez (CV)

3. Johanna Suasa (CV)

4. Lizette Villasana (SuHi)

5. Jackie Mandy (CV)

6. Cindy Guaray (CV)

7. Kenya Caro (SuHi)

8. Carlene Belen (CV)

9. Priscilla Garcillanosa (SuHi)

10. Brenda Sandoval (CV)

11. Yvonne Torres (SuHi)

12. Liliana Acevedo (CV)

13. Natasha Miles (CV)

14. Joanna Gallarzo (SuHi)

15. Princess Mitchell (SuHi)

Boys Junior Varsity (3.1 miles)

Sweetwater 21, Chula Vista 39

1. Angel Acevedo (CV) 17:39

2. John Cleveland (SuHi) 18:05

3. Salvador Suarez (SuHi) 18:25

4. Miguel Diaz (SuHi) 18:36

5. Rene Isais (SuHi) 18:53

6. Omar Segura (CV) 18:55

7. Rames Beltran (SuHi) 18:55

8. Ivan Villareal (CV) 19:10

9. Alonzo Macial (CV) 19:16

10. Kyle Ramirez (CV) 19:17

Red Devils post third-place finish at SoCal Invitational

Sweetwater High cross country coach Tim Latham may have been a bit concerned about the road-weariness of his team when surveying the course at this year's Southern California Invitational at Guajome Park in Oceanside. But those fears proved groundless after the Red Devils posted a third-place finish — first among San Diego Section teams — in the boys Division I race, held Oct. 13.

"The course was 3.22 miles — a long race — and had a couple hills. We ran really well. Because of recent injuries I was concerned how they would handle the hills but they handled them fine," Latham said.

Team scoring was completed by adding the times of each of the teams’ seven runners, who competed in separate races. Sweetwater posted a combined time of 2:04.40, trailing division champion Catalina Foothill from Arizona (2:01.49) and runner-up Hesperia Sultana (2:04.08).

Dustin Boyer was second with a time of 17:30 in Race 5 to highlight the team’s top individual place-finishers. Sam Zapata (18:12) was fifth in Race 6, Hector Arreola (17:38) was sixth in Race 3, Cesar Torres (17:52) was sixth in race 4, Robert Isais (18:25) was sixth in Race 7, Jose Guardado (17:32) was 10th in Race 2 and Abdirizak Abdi (17:21) was 11th in Race 1.

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