MIDDLETOWN >> Remy Namvar of Fort Bragg and Tyler Cobb of Middletown finished within an eyelash of each other in the varsity boys division Wednesday afternoon during a four-team Coastal Mountain Conference cross country meet at the 2.8-mile Diamond D Ranch in Middletown.
Also competing were Clear Lake and Lower Lake high schools. Lower Lake was the official meet host and Lower Lake coach Ann Nolasco said the original plan to run at Anderson Marsh State Park in Lower Lake had to be changed at the last minute.
“I had checked with Sarah (Carlisle, the Middletown coach) beforehand to see if we could run here in case Anderson Marsh fell through,” Nolasco said. “It was a good thing I did.”
The Diamond D Ranch was a bit dusty on Wednesday because of roadwork and with the temperature hovering in the low 90s, it wasn’t your typical late October race day.
“The kids really like this course,” Nolasco said. “Everything went well.”
Ankle-high water in a creek the runners must cross helped cool them off, according to Nolasco, who said no one seemed to be complaining about it.
Varsity boys
Namvar and Cobb were never separated by much during their race.
“It was neck and neck at the end,” Nolasco said of the tight finish. “It was wonderful.”
Namvar finished at 17 minutes, 12 seconds to Cobb’s 17:13. The race for third place was no less exciting as Isaac Rascon of Middletown finished in 17:40 to 17:41 for Lower Lake’s Billy Melvin. Clear Lake’s Ethan Wynacht also was in the mix and ended up fifth overall.
In team scoring, Middletown defeated Fort Bragg 22-34 while Clear Lake edged out Lower Lake 27-28.
Girls
Aubrey Freeman of Fort Bragg cracked the 20-minute barrier while winning the girls race in 19:59. Her teammate, Haley Hutchinson, was second in 20:29 while Middletown’s Grace Southern came in third in 20:59.
Rounding out the top five places were Fort Bragg’s Natalie Baumgartner (21:46) and Middletown’s Erica Kinsel (22:24).
Lower Lake’s top runners were Lily Wetmore, ninth in 23:40, and Jenny Landetta, 10th in 24:23.
Fort Bragg beat Middletown 21-35 in team scoring while Lower Lake beat Clear Lake 25-32.
JV boys
Forrest Devine and Isaiah Diaz of Middletown ran 1-2 in the junior varsity boys race. Devine crossed the finish line in 19:37 while Diaz clocked in at 19:50.
Fort Bragg defeated Middletown 25-32 in team scoring and Clear Lake beat Lower Lake.
Schedule
Lower Lake closes out its dual season next Wednesday in Cloverdale. Middletown and Clear Lake travel to Fort Bragg where they’ll be joined by Kelseyville.
