HAYWARD — Three Middletown High School cross country runners, including brothers John and Jeremy Dedmon, closed out their 2006 season Saturday during the North Coast Section Championships held at Hayward High School.
It was a perfect fall day for running as 126 competitors, including the Middletown trio, lined up for the start of the boys” Division IV race on the 3-mile Hayward High course, which is about as fan friendly as they come in cross country. The runners are in full view at the start and for most of the race, disappearing from sight only near the beginning when they loop around the high school track before coming back into sight, including two loops on a narrow paved path that cuts right through the majority of spectators.
The top three teams and the top five runners who do not belong to the top three teams advance to the state finals next Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.
Matt Duffy of St. Mary”s College High School in Berkeley dominated the division, winning in 15 minutes, 25 seconds and leading St. Mary”s to the team title as well. Well back in second place was David Buscho of San Rafael (15:51) and Rob Riccardi of St. Mary”s was third in 16:03.
Piedmont and Arcata finished second and third, respectively, in the team standings.
The last individual state qualifying berth went to Jack Lagomarsino of Drake High School at 16:19. He finished ninth overall. Kenny Smith of Willits also qualified for state with a seventh-place time of 16:10.
Jeremy Dedmon, a sophomore, was Middletown”s top finisher at 17:54, good for 48th place. John Dedmon, a junior, came in 63rd in 18:15. Russell Rosenthal of Middletown finished 118th in 20:56.
Middletown was scheduled to enter runners in the Division IV girls” race but they decided not to compete.
Brittany Escamilla of El Molino High School in Forestville won the girls” race in 18:15. She ran second to Healdsburg”s Sarah Sumpter nearly the entire distance before making the winning pass on the final hill. Sumpter was second in 18:20. They both finished well ahead of the pack as third-place runner Jamie Kent of team champion Piedmont finished in 18:56.
Moreau Catholic of Hayward came in second in the team standings and St. Mary”s of Berkeley was third.
