RIO HONDO LEAGUE
At Lower Arroyo Park, Pasadena - Kirby Lee
It's become an annual joke among the La Canada High girls cross country
team that the only way the Spartans would lose the Rio Hondo League title
is if there were a three-car pileup on the 210 freeway on the way to the
finals.
It was particularly true at Thursday's Rio Hondo League finals at Lower
Arroyo Park. La Canada swept the top five places to win their eighth consecutive
league championship with a perfect score of 15 points.
Running in a light drizzle, senior Tara Sharma traversed the 3-mile course
that runs similar time wise to Mt. San Antonio College to win in 19 minutes,
15 seconds.
Freshman Michelle Drugan and senior Jessica Moore were second and third
in 19:41 and 20:20, respectively. Junior Stephanie Lee and senior Kristyn
Cosgrove, a first-year cross country runner recruited from the basketball
team, were fourth and fifth in 20:22 and 20:24.
In all, La Canada had seven runners among the top nine with Amy Parker
and Katie finishing eighth and ninth in 20:46 and 20:54. San Marino and
South Pasadena were second and third with 64 and 96 points.
Next up for La Canada is the Southern Section Division III preliminaries
at Mt. SAC where the Spartans will begin their quest for a seventh consecutive
team appearance in the state championships. La Canada has finished no
lower than fourth in the state meet the past six years.
``Every year you ask yourself: `Can you do it again,'' La Canada coach
Tony Haynes said. ``Around the start of the season, you tell the team
`Do you want to be the ones in the book to drop the ball?' So far no one
has.''
The La Canada boys held off defending champion South Pasadena, 30-36,
to win its fourth title in six years behind led by senior Michael Collins.
Collins, last year's runner-up, won in 16:45 for a 10-second win over
Hajine Himeno of South Pasadena.
South Pasadena placed five runners ahead of La Canada's No. 5 man in 14th,
including the 2-3 finish of Himeno and Mark Lem. La Canada clinched the
meet with the 4-5-6 finish of sophomore Ben Frandsen (17:23), senior Thomas
Minter (17:29) and freshman Chris Bruegge (17:30).
Rio Hondo Finals
3 miles at Lower Arroyo Park
Boys
Team: 1. La Canada 30; 2. South Pasadena 36; 3. San Marino 74; 4. Temple
City 118.
Ind: 1. Michael Collins (LC) 16:45; 2. Hajine Himeno (SP) 16:55; 3. Mark
Lem (SP) 17:22; 4. Ben Frandsen (LC) 17:23; 5. Thomas Minter (LC) 17:29;
Others: 14. Takushi Asada (LC) 18:16; 15. Chris Drugan (LC) 18:21; 18.
Lawrence Young (LC) 19:35.
Girls
Team: 1. La Canada 15; 2. San Marino 54; 3. South Pasadena 96; 4. Temple
City 135.
Ind: 1. Tara Sharma (LC) 19:15; 2. Michelle Drugan (LC) 19:41; 3. Jessica
Moore (LC) 20:20; 4. Stephanie Lee (LC) 20:22; 5. Kristyn Cosgrove (LC)
20:24; Others: 8. Amy Parker (LC) 20:46; 9. Katie Barry (LC) 20:54.
DyeStatCal Results
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