SANTA ROSA — Kenny Smith of Willits and Grace Hafner of Sonoma Academy won the individual titles on Thursday during the Coastal Mountain Conference cross country championship meet at Spring Lake in Santa Rosa.
Smith, whose next stop is the North Coast Section Championships on Nov. 17 in Hayward, scored a 20-second victory over Zach Nave of Santa Rosa Christian, completing the 3.05-mile course in a meet-record 15 minutes, 31 seconds. Nave finished in 15:51.
Three runners battled it out for third place and it was Sonoma Academy”s Daniel Hanson (17:04) edging out Middletown”s John Dedmon (17:12) and St. Vincent”s Brendan vonKoss (17:15).
Rounding out the top 10 in the 83-runner race were Laytonville”s Travis McCaffrey (17:27), St. Vincent”s Albert Filice (17:29), Rincon Valley Christian”s Luke Sanders (17:31), St. Helena”s Tristan Cole (17:34) and Rincon Valley Christian”s Jonathan Edens (17:36).
Clear Lake”s Tyler Hayes placed 18th overall in 18:13 and teammate Leif Tisell was 30th in 18:33.
“As individuals everyone improved on their times and did well today,” Clear Lake coach Peter Stanley said. “Tyler”s time was a minute faster than his previous best here.”
Rincon Valley Christian won its first team title with 57 points to St. Vincent”s 68 and Santa Rosa Christian”s 73.
In the varsity girls” division, Hafner finished comfortably in front of Santa Rosa Christian”s Faith Hall, winning in a meet-record 19:19 to Hall”s 19:47. Noelle Hosler of Santa Rosa Christian was third in 20:43.
Two Lake County runners did place in the top 10. Middletown”s Kelsey Welton was seventh in 21:48 and Kelseyville”s Amanda Horne was ninth in 22:03.
Charnee Vincent had the top Clear Lake time, finishing 24th in 23:53. Another Clear Lake runner, Stephanie Rasmussen, was 28th in 24:03.
Middletown coach Cia Dedmon said all of her runners — boys and girls — improved on their previous best times at Spring Lake. Her son, John, dropped his time by 37 seconds, and Middletown”s next finisher, Chris Nance (22nd in 18:16), lowered his time by 25 seconds.
Thea Olson of Middletown, 44th in the girls” field, cut nearly a full minute off her previous best at Spring Lake, finishing in 26:11.
“I”m real proud of all my kids,” Dedmon said. “They all worked hard and they all had fun.”
Cl0verdale won the junior varsity boys” race and St. Vincent”s Ethan Pawson had the best time (20:01).
