MIDDLETOWN >> A record 300 runners representing the North Central League I and NCL II put their considerable talent and ability on display Wednesday during the Coastal Mountain Conference Cross Country Championships on the 2.9-mile Diamond D Ranch course in Middletown.
Powerhouse Sonoma Academy out of the NCL II had the top runners in both the varsity boys” and girls” races as Caleb Ricahrds and Rylee Bowen overpowered the field with impressive victories of 14 minutes, 45 seconds and 16:34, respectively. They also led the Coyotes to a pair of league championships — the girls were the outright NCL II champions while the boys shared the title with Roseland Prep.
Lake County runners also had their moments during the day”s racing program, led by a pair of Lower Lake standouts. For the varsity boys, Everarado Chavez finished eighth overall and second among NCL I runners at 16:04. He received medals for both accomplishments as well as All-League honors (which go to the top 10 finishers in the NCL I and NCL II). For the varsity girls, Aleia Milano, just a freshman, came in ninth overall at 19:45 and was fifth among NCL I runners. Like her teammate Chavez, she received medals for both finishes and All-League honors, which is not bad for someone who said she participated in the sport simply to get in shape for the upcoming basketball season.
Boys
Other notable achievements for Lake County runners included the Middletown varsity boys and Lower Lake JV boys winning NCL I team titles.
County runners also pulled down a fair share of medals. Finishing in the top 15 among the boys besides Chavez were Middletown”s Justin Hingston, ninth overall in 16:18, and Diego Munoz, 11th overall in 16:20.
Among just NCL I boys, Chavez, Hingston, Munoz, Kelseyville”s Roberto Lozano, Middletown”s Tanner Tarelli, Lower Lake”s Joey Llewellyn and Clear Lake”s Alex Beare all placed in the top 10 to win medals and earn All-League recognition.
“I know he wanted to do better,” Clear Lake coach Peter Stanley said of Beare, “but it was good for him to get All-League honors.”
Stanley said his Cardinal runners either did much better than expected or much worse.
“Some runners did surprisingly well, other did not,” Stanley said.
Girls
For the girls, top-15 Lake County finishers in the overall standings besides Milano were Middletown runners Tori Roderick, 14th in 20:41, and Tiyanna Meese, 15th in 20:54.
Among just NCL I girls, Milano, Roderick, Meese and Kelseyville”s Laurel Weller all finished in the top 10 to receive medals and garner All-League recognition.
Cloverdale won the girls” team title in the NCL I, led by Angela Romero, who was sixth overall in 19:17, and Katie Edwards, eighth overall in 19:42.
Amelia Wirt of Fort Bragg led the NCL I girls and finished fourth overall with a time of 18:34.
JV boys
NCL II runners, led by race winner Jackson Blake (17:27) of Technology High School, won all 10 medals for overall finish. The top times by Lake County runners went to Lucas Plesia of Lower Lake (13th in 18:49), James Stalker of Middletown (17th) in 19:08, and Nate Falkenberg of Clear Lake (19th in 19:31).
Technology won the NCL II team title.
The next stop for the CMC”s cross country runners is the North Coast Section Championships, an open meet, on Nov. 22 at Hayward High School. The NCS Championships serve as the qualifying meet for the CIF State Championships on Nov. 29 in Fresno.
Sonoma Academy”s Richards and Bowen are certainly threats to place high at the sectionals and advance to the state meet, either as individuals or with their teams. Richards finished 30 seconds ahead of teammate Eli Rosan-Duran on Wednesday while Calistoga”s Erik Valencia came in third overall at 15:28. Rounding out the top five boys” spots were Roseland Prep”s Brandon Escandon at 15:34 and Willits” Robert Swoboda at 16:01, the NCL I champion.
Bowen finished 34 seconds ahead of teammate Alyssa Goody in the girls” race. McKenna Sell, also of Sonoma Academy, came in third at 18:32, Wirt of Fort Bragg was fourth as well as the NCL I leader at 18:34, and yet another Sonoma Academy runner, Lilly Reinstein, rounded out the top five at 18:49.
Prior to the awards ceremony, a moment of silence was held for Giovanni Bautista, a former Upper Lake High School cross country runner and 2013 graduate who was killed earlier this week in a vehicle accident.
