WALNUT — Grace Southern, a 2019 Middletown High School graduate and former cross country and track star with the Mustangs, won the 1,500-meter women’s race Saturday during the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships in Walnut.
Southern crossed the finish line in 4 minutes, 33.55 seconds to edge out Sofia Camacho of Hartnell, the runner-up in 4:37.01. Hannah Hartwell of Redwoods placed third in 4:42.34.
During the CCCAA state cross country championships back in November at Woodward Park in Fresno, Southern placed sixth overall.
Southern, a sophomore, posted her second-best time of the season in the 1,500 after running a 4:31.15 at the Humboldt Invite on March 26. It also marked the fourth time in the past five races Southern has tied or beat the old Shasta record in the 1,500 (4:38.39) set by Yoshi Shimizu in 1986. Entering last season, Southern’s best time in the 1,500 was only 5:22.
“Her story of running a 5:22, which is OK, to becoming a state champion a year later will be one of the most remarkable stories of Shasta College track history,” Shasta head coach Anthony Williams said in a story on Southern’s state victory on the Shasta College website. “What she did this year was incredible and it couldn’t have happened to a better person. She worked tirelessly to make this dream become a reality.”
Southern was one of three Knights competing at the state championship meet. Anthony Pigoni-Covington finished third in the high jump and Audrie Reuss took fourth in the heptathlon.
