LAKEPORT — All that offseason work turned in by Upper Lake High School runners paid substantial dividends Wednesday as the Cougars — varsity boys and girls — won team titles at the Lake County Meet at Highland Springs Reservoir.
Upper Lake”s varsity boys finished first through sixth to post a perfect score of 15. Jared Wade led the way with a time of 21 minutes, 38 seconds on the 3.4-mile course, barely edging out teammate Cory Rodriguez (21:38.5). The next four red and white jerseys across the line belonged to Gage DeHeer (21:52), Zachary Sneathen (22:01), Alex Rogers (22:01.5) and Greg Gagnon (22:08).
“It was a difficult course, straight up the hill with a little lop and then back,” Upper Lake coach John Woods said. “They met my expectations. I”m pretty excited.”
The Upper Lake pack stayed together most of the race, according to Woods.
“For as far as they could they managed to stay together,” Woods said.
The first non-Upper Lake finisher was Clear Lake”s Christian Van der Jagt at 22:13.
“If you work for things, if you run the whole summer, try hard, you”re going to become good,” Clear Lake coach Peter Stanley said of Van der Jagt, who ran at the junior varsity level a year ago. “Christian ran a good race.”
Kelseyville”s Juan Flores nailed down eighth place at 23:01 and Clear Lake runners Brice Beare (23:14) and Josh Tate (23:17), last year”s Coastal Mountain Conference JV champion, rounded out the top 10.
“It was a great meet for Upper Lake,” Stanley added, “and we”ve got to tip our hats to them. There”s nothing wrong with finishing second to them. I”m pleased.”
Runner-up Clear Lake finished with 59 points, Middletown was next at 73 and Kelseyville had 85.
Varsity girls
Clear Lake”s Tamara Rojas dominated the varsity girls” race, winning in 27:46, a comfortable 50 seconds ahead of runner-up Bianca Cruz (28:36) of Upper Lake. Clear Lake”s Meghan Beare was third in 29:01, Middletown”s Tori Roderick placed fourth in 30:04, and Upper Lake”s Yammileth Plata (31:35) rounded out the top five.
“She”s a leader, an outgoing kid, a nice kid,” Stanley said of Rojas. “She works hard and is seeing that.”
Also finishing in the top 10 from Upper Lake were Lyla Seevers, sixth in 32:59; Jessica Orozco, eighth in 33:32; and Brittany Benner, ninth in 34:18.
Clear Lake”s Melissa Thibeau was seventh in 33:31 and Middletown”s Alana McSween finished 10th in 34:23.
“That”s the first time in my five years here that our girls have won the county meet,” Woods said. “I”m really proud of them.”
Stanley said both Beare and Thibeau entered the race — and the season — wondering if they were cut out for cross country.
“I think no one was more surprised than her,” Stanley said of Beare”s solid third-place finish. “And I think Melissa surprised herself. They both can run and this shows it.”
Upper Lake finished with 30 points to Clear Lake”s 42 and Middletown”s 51. Kelseyville was incomplete.
JV boys
Clear Lake won the junior varsity boys” championship with 21 points. Middletown was second with 52 and Upper Lake had 61.
Owen Lawler of Clear Lake won the individual title with a time of 23:43 and teammates Jake Egger (24:24) and Kenyon Donald (24:47) were second and third, respectively.
Rounding out the top five were Middletown runners Diego Munoz, fourth in 24:48, and Parker Spataro, fifth in 24:48.5.
“He (Lawler) works as hard at cross country as he does at swimming,” Stanley said of the accomplished Lake County Channel Cats team member.
Egger”s runner-up finish was another pleasant surprise, according to the Clear Lake coach.
“I had no idea he”d be up there,” Stanley said.
Lower Lake did not attend the meet.
Meet notes: The county meet ended with an awards ceremony during which the top runners were honored. As it was taking place, a large branch from a nearby oak tree came crashing down directly on top of the area where Middletown runners had left their backpacks and other possessions. If the branch had fallen a few minutes earlier or later, people could have been hurt or killed, such was the size of the branch, according to Upper Lake coach Woods and Clear Lake coach Stanley. The branch fell approximately 20-30 yards from where the awards ceremony was taking place.
