COBB — Chalk up three more victories for the Middletown High School cross country teams, winners over the Kelseyville Knights in head-to-head Coastal Mountain Conference scoring action Wednesday at the 2.6-mile Adams Springs course.
Lower Lake, Willits, Calistoga, Rincon Valley Christian and Point Arena also took part in the meet, which takes place on the grounds of Adams Springs Golf Course, the home course for both Middletown and Lower Lake this season.
“They”re just great hosts and it”s a great place to run,” Middletown coach Eric Olson said of the Cobb Mountain course. “You get a little bit of everything up there, gravel and grass, and there are ups and downs on the course.”
Olson said he hopes the Adams Springs staff will allow them to use the course next year as well.
“If we do right by them I”m sure they”ll do right by us,” Olson said.
n Varsity boys
Chris Orr won the varsity boys” race in 15 minutes, 18 seconds, technically a course record since Middletown lengthened the course in its second and final home meet of the season. Middletown”s Gerardo Vargas, a freshman, kept pace with Orr until the 1-mile marker.
“That”s when he (Orr) decided he had enough of that,” Olson said. “He pulled away.”
Vargas ended up second in 15:54, beating fellow freshman and teammate Ian Bright for the first time this season. Bright was third in 16:23. Pico Landa of Kelseyville came in fourth in 16:41 and Lower Lake”s Zef Roofner rounded out the top five in 16:48.
Also finishing in the top 10 were Middletown”s Sam Lomakin, eighth in 17:10, and Brandon Earl, 10th in 17:17.
“That”s kind of what I”ve been expecting,” Olson said of Vargas” breakout performance. “He”s worked so hard in practice.”
Middletown beat Kelseyville 19-38 in team scoring while Willits defeated Lower Lake 22-41.
Varsity girls
Middletown had the only complete team in the varsity girls” field although Rincon Valley Christian runners finished 1-2-3, led by Madison Provost at 18:06. Alison Bricker was next at 18:15 and Catherine Wharton came in third at 19:25.
Middletown runners Tori Roderick (19:51) and Amber Ramponi (20:13) nailed down the fourth and fifth spots. Kelseyville”s Lisa Kurth was sixth in 21:04 and Middletown Amber Hart was seventh in 21:37.
Also for Middletown, Bri Nelson finished ninth in 22:28, just four seconds ahead of teammate and 10th-place finisher Amanda Martin (22:32).
“She had a good run,” Olson said of Roderick. “And it was pretty much back to normal for Amber. We had a lot of fans up there rooting them on.”
JV boys
Middletown also had the only complete team in the junior varsity boys” division, where Point Arena”s Max Hantsche topped the field in 16:27, edging out Middletown”s Jake Tangerman by six seconds (16:33). Tangerman lost by seven seconds to Hantsche earlier this season.
“Jake led for a while,” Olson said. “Hantsche went ahead near the 2-mile marker.”
Middletown”s Madax McDowell (19:06) and Tanner Kelly (19:11) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Middletown runs against Cloverdale next Wednesday in Upper Lake at 3:30 p.m.
