LOWER LAKE — Jose Hernandez of Lower Lake won the varsity boys race with ease while Middletown’s Nicole Pyzer led the girls Wednesday afternoon during a three-team North Central League I cross country meet at the Six Sigma Ranch and Winery course near Lower Lake.
The only two complete teams (at least five runners) in the field were the Middletown and Roseland Univeristy Prep boys and the Mustangs edged out the Knights 27-28.
“The boys ran well,” Middletown head coach Taylor Tiraterra said. “(Dean) McComas and (Aiden) Cadwallader PRd. Overall the boys ran a good, strong race.”
Middletown had only four girls available Wednesday as did RUP. While Pyzer returned from the sick list, the Mustangs were without Issy Barriga (injury) and Maya Leonard (illness).
Varsity boys
Hernandez, the only Lower Lake boy in the field, circled the 2.9-mile Six Sigma course in 17 minutes, 28 seconds, his second victory in as many weeks (he also won his previous race at Fort Bragg). Two other runners did crack 20 minutes as McComas (19:15) held off RUP’s Juan Rios (19:27) for second place.
Middletown and RUP runners filled out the top 10. For the Mustangs, Bryton Caviness came in fourth at 20:00 flat, Cadwallader was seventh in 20:36, and Caden Gotz came in eighth in 22:48.
Girls
Pyzer crossed the finish line in 22:05 in the girls race, slightly more than two minutes ahead of teammate and runner-up Cat Barriga (24:13). Middletown’s Holly McComas finished third in 25:25, Shayla Ornelas of RUP came in fourth in 27:20, and RUP’s Natalie Ruiz rounded out the top five in 29:15.
Hadia Rippe, the lone Lower Lake runner in the girls field, was sixth in 30:45. Sara Sintubin of Middletown was seventh in 31:33.
Schedule
Middletown and Cloverdale travel to Willits next Wednesday while Lower Lake and Kelseyville are scheduled to run against Clear Lake at Highland Springs, which is Clear Lake’s home course.
“We need to rest up and get healthy for the CMC Championships,” Tiraterra said with a look ahead to the Mustangs’ participation in the the conference finals Nov. 9 at Spring Lake in Santa Rosa.
