from Glendale News Press
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Locals off and running
Cross-Country: Flintridge Prep takes second in All-City girls’ and boys’ competitions.
By Grant Gordon

PASADENA — There were mixed results, questions still to be answered and progress to be made, but the overall sentiment following the 12th annual La Cañada All-City Cross-Country Meet was relief for the season’s start.

“It’s always nice to start racing,” said Flintridge Prep boys’ Coach Ingrid Herskind.

Herskind’s boys lost out in a spirited duel with La Cañada, as the Spartans won the team title for the third straight year, with Spartans harrier Sean Sharma running to the team’s third straight individual crown on Thursday at Hahamonga Watershed Park.

It was more of the same in the girls’ field, as Spartans runner Jessica Lam was the seventh La Cañada runner in a row to lead the Spartans to an All-City crown.

In the girls’ race, both Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Flintridge Prep tied for second with 51 points, while the Rebels boys took second with 33 points and St. Francis finished a distant third with 63 points.

Prep’s Dot Silverman took second in the girls’ race, finishing in 19 minutes 57 seconds, just two ticks behind Lam.

“Getting into the season’s always [about] breaking the surface, overall [it was a] good race,” Silverman said. “I was right behind [Tam] when we got to the final curve and then, oh gosh — it’s that feeling you can’t explain.”

The Spartans had their top-five runners finish in the top 10.

Prep, the defending Prep League champion, had three top-10 finishers, with Brooke Elby taking fourth in 20:17 and Kathryn Iwata taking eighth in 21:14.

After that, the Rebels didn’t get another finisher in until the 18th spot. So, at the end of the day, Cohoon was particularly happy with her top two and realizes her bottom two need to be worked out.

“It is a work in progress,” Cohoon said. “I was really, really happy with Dot and Brooke.”

It was Elby’s first cross-country race ever.

For defending Mission League champion Sacred Heart, Thursday was a bit of a wake-up call.

Erin Hartwig took fifth (20:19) and Amanda Rincon followed in sixth (20:34), but 11th-, 14th- and 15th-place finishes were the next best.

“[It’s] not where I hoped,” said Tologs Coach Kirk Nishiyama of the finish. “It’s good to have the first race out of the way, it’s a wake-up call for us — we were getting a little complacement.”

The Flintridge Prep boys had three top-six finishers in Paul Weitekamp (third, 16:24), Connor Verreaux (fourth, 16:52) and Kevin Heintz (fifth, 16:57).

“We were really happy with how our varsity performed,” Weitekamp said.

Added Herskind: “I thought we ran well, I’m pleased with [Thursday].”

It was a bit different story for St. Francis.

Its top finisher was Jack Bruer, who finished ninth in 17:22. Following him was Zayd Dinaully, who took 11th in 17:39.

“They can get better,” St. Francis Coach Dennis McNulty said.

One Golden Knights bright spot was a dominant showing in the lower-level race, as St. Francis had the competition’s top-six finishers.

McNulty said three to four of his freshman and sophomores will be moving up to varsity.

Overall, it was all about getting the season started, though.

Said Weitekamp: “I’m really happy to start racing.”

 

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