2011 EAL South Championships

Finn and Chamberlen easy winners at EAL South championships
Oroville (girls) win big, Red Bluff boys nips Paradise in team competition

By Jeff Larson - sports editor Paradise Post
Thursday November 3, 2011

Oroville's Julie Finn (109, right) and Rosy Reyes (110, center) lead other competitors in the varsity girls the Eastern Athletic League South cross country championships held at the North Forebay State Recreation area in Oroville. Finn would go on to win in a course record time of 18:08.

OROVILLE — Paradise High and Red Bluff were clearly the class of the Eastern Athletic League South division in boys cross country this year. In fact, Paradise squeaked past Red Bluff in the teams' only meeting of the year two weeks ago at DeSabla Lake, the Bobcats' home course.

The girls race wasn't expected to be so close, not with the way Oroville has performed this season. So while Paradise coach Brianne Stanley felt optimistic at pulling out a boys league title at Thursday's EAL South championships at the North Forebay Recreation Area, she said it would be a battle until the final runner crossed the finish line.

Well, it was until — the sixth runner — for both Paradise and Red Bluff finished the 3-mile course that included plenty of hills, a lake and an abundance of rain. When it was all said and done Red Bluff and Paradise each finished with 37 points, but the Spartans secured the tiebreaker when its sixth runner, freshman Greg Espinosa, beat Paradise senior Brent Rowse by three places. Espinosa finished 17th in 18 minutes, 55 seconds. Rowse placed 20th in 19:26 and Red Bluff won the five-team meet to earn a co-league championship with Paradise.

"Obviously, we thought it was going to be a good race. I knew that," Stanley said. "We haven't lost anything. We still are (co-champions) but it would have been nice to have a single championship."

Paradise senior Dylan Chamberlen did grab a league championship for the Bobcats with his victory, finishing first among the 31 runners in 16:15. It wasn't a course record for the Chico State University recruit, which was disappointing a little bit, but at the same time understandable, Chamberlen said. "We haven't run in this kind of weather before, like really cold and kind of raining," he said. "We probably weren't prepared for that as much as we should have been."

Chamberlen even struggled due to an illness he sustained early in the week. He wasn't at full strength so rather than blow by the competition, Chamberlen tucked in behind Red Bluff's Eric Espinosa for a good portion of the race. The Bobcat still defeated Espinosa by 27 seconds, but it wasn't close to his course record of 15:40 set on Sept. 16 at the Las Plumas invite. "I didn't want to make it worse by trying to go out and break the record again," Chamberlen said. "I could have definitely run faster."

One racer in particular who went all out Thursday was Oroville senior Julie Finn. The first-year competitive girls runner won the race in a course record 18:06, while teammate Rosy Reyes finished second in 19:40. But it was a team effort, though, as four Oroville runners were among the top-seven finishers for 19 points, a back-to-back league title and second straight undefeated season.

While Finn led the pack, Natasha Wizsche and Cassie Rossiter were both solid contributors, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively, for all-league honors. "We've been looking really strong," Finn said. Paradise's Annie Stratton and Michelle Gamer also received all-league awards after finishing third and fifth for the Bobcats.

The cross country season continues at the Northern Section meet next Thursday at West Valley in Cottonwood.

Eventual boys race winner Eric Ghelfi of Redding Adventist (center) races with Redding Christian’s Jeffrey Crantz (left) and Etna’s John Whelan (right). Providence Christian’s Tucker Hoffman and Mount Shasta’s Sawyer Durhemme (in blue), compete in the background.

Complete Results

2011 EAL South Championships-Oroville High host
Thursday, November 03, 2011
North Forebay State Recreation Area
Oroville, CA

Team Results

Varsity Boys: Red Bluff 37 (wins via the tie breaker)    
              Paradise  37                                                
              Oroville  53

Varsity Girls: Oroville   19
               Red Bluff  36

JV Girls:  Paradise  15

JV Boys  Lassen 26                                           
         Las Plumas  29

Boys Results 
3 Mile Varsity
==============================================================
 1   Dylan Chamberlen       Paradise              12     16:15
 2   Eric Espinosa          Red Bluff             12     16:42
 3   Dillon Geltz           Oroville              12     16:42
 4   DJ Muller              Oroville              10     16:46
 5   Mike McCullough        Lassen                12     16:48
 6   Kerrick Swangler       Paradise              11     17:05
 7   Justin Garcia          Las Plumas            11     17:22
 8   Jordan McManus         Red Bluff             11     17:27
 9   Jacobe Conrad          Red Bluff             12     17:37
10   Justin McGlone         Paradise              10     17:52
11   Matt White             Paradise              11     18:01
12   Aza Bravo              Red Bluff             10     18:25
13   Tyler Graves           Oroville              11     18:37
14   Dakota Sandborg        Lassen                12     18:46
15   Grey Grotke            Red Bluff             10     18:49
16   Skyler Friedline       Lassen                12     18:52
17   Greg Espinosa          Red Bluff              9     18:55
18   Justin Frazier         Paradise              10     18:59
19   Alex McConnel          Lassen                11     19:18
20   Brent Rowse            Paradise              12     19:26
21   Max Cordiero           Oroville              12     19:40
22   Ian Borchard           Red Bluff             10     19:47
23   Blake Villa            Red Bluff             11     19:59
24   Aaron Vasey            Red Bluff             12     20:42
25   Jacob Margetts         Paradise              12     20:54
26   Logan Pickering        Paradise              11     20:54
27   Nicholas Larsen        Las Plumas            11     21:04
28   Cody Parmentier        Oroville              12     22:42
29   David Stratton         Las Plumas            11     24:26
30   Micah Carey            Red Bluff             11     24:40
31   Jacob Burnett          Paradise              12     26:14

1.9 Mile Junior Varsity x
==============================================================
 1   Jesse Ramirez          Lassen                10     10:35
 2   Luke Lundberg          Oroville              10     10:51
 3   Jakob Newton           Lassen                 9     11:14
 4   Matthew Vang           Las Plumas             9     11:44
 5   Zach Root              Las Plumas            10     11:52
 6   Zachary Johnston       Las Plumas             9     11:54
 7   Karl Parks             Red Bluff              9     11:55
 8   John Pauley            Oroville              10     12:14
 9   Logan Stevens          Lassen                 9     12:19
10   Wayne Lockie           Lassen                 9     12:21
11   Kieran Rivers          Las Plumas             9     12:28
12   Ger Thor               Las Plumas             9     12:48
13   Edgar Turrubiates      Lassen                 9     12:54
14   Nathan Norwood         Lassen                 9     13:03
15   Elijah Farladansky     Las Plumas             9     13:08
16   Austin Badour          Paradise               9     13:18
17   Matt Barton            Las Plumas             9     13:39
18   Samuel Parmentier      Oroville              10     14:27
19   Josiah Vasey           Red Bluff              9     16:13

Girls Results
3 Mile Varsity
==============================================================
 1   Julie Finn             Oroville              12     18:06
 2   Rosy Reyes             Oroville              11     19:40
 3   Annie Stratton         Paradise              11     20:00
 4   Christyn Jeffries      Lassen                12     20:52
 5   Michelle Gamer         Paradise              11     20:59
 6   Natasha Witzsche       Oroville              10     21:02
 7   Cassie Rossiter        Oroville              11     21:08
 8   Adrienne Hinkston      Red Bluff             10     21:47
 9   Claire Lester          Red Bluff              9     22:03
10   Gina Cosentino         Red Bluff             12     22:07
11   Sofia Oropeza          Red Bluff             10     22:07
12   Christina Ferretti     Oroville              12     23:17
13   Lauren McFarlen        Red Bluff             11     23:41
14   Alexandria Dahnke      Red Bluff             11     23:44
15   Janis Carrillo         Las Plumas            12     24:32
16   Amanda Nelson          Oroville              11     24:37
17   Julianna Wiggins       Paradise              11     24:48
18   Valerie Weitze         Oroville              11     24:59
19   Lacey Schwab           Oroville              11     26:43
20   Maria Ahola            Lassen                12     26:48
21   Ann Cain               Lassen                12     27:09
22   Amanda Morgan          Lassen                11     27:52
23   Mikayla Godman         Lassen                12     28:08
24   Punnich Suwatsrisakul  Lassen                12     33:08

1.9 Mile Junior Varsity
==============================================================
 1   Jordan Huff            Paradise               9     12:13
 2   Brenna Hunrath         Lassen                10     12:37
 3   Ali Rank               Paradise              10     12:57
 4   Camille Chamberlen     Paradise              10     13:21
 5   Kellie Fernandez       Las Plumas            10     13:38
 6   Baylee Danz            Paradise              10     13:44
 7   Alyssa Crabtree        Paradise              10     13:44
 8   Emma Boots             Oroville               9     14:22
 9   Samantha Bradeen       Lassen                10     15:01
10   Rebecca Blanchard      Red Bluff              9     15:19
11   Lilly Pinocchio        Paradise               9     15:20
12   Riley O'Neil           Lassen                10     15:42
13   Aubri Queen            Las Plumas             9     16:19
14   Chastity Brown         Las Plumas             9     17:35
15   Rain Williams          Las Plumas             9     17:45