U-Prep double dips winning both team titles at Small School championship In battle of section best, Morzenti outkicks Harper while Gutermuth gaps the field West Valley High School, Cottonwood, California Thursday November 5, 2015 By T.J. Holmes/Record Searchlight sportwriter photos by Greg Barnette/Record Searchlight COTTONWOOD — Winning has become an expectation for U-Prep’s cross-country program. The Panthers have ruled the small schools in the Northern Section since they started competing in 2008 and continued their dominance with the boys and girls teams capturing their sixth straight Mid-Valley League title Wednesday at West Valley High School. “I hold them to a really high standard and when it comes down to the end, they always pull it out,” said U-Prep coach Kristen Reagan, who has been in charge of both boys and girls teams since 2010. U-Prep’s boys had four of the top eight finishers and five of the top 12 to score 29 points, beating MVL foe Hamilton. Michael Cramer led the Panthers with a third-place finish across the 3-mile course in 17 minutes, 5 seconds while teammates Luke Clements was sixth (17:29), Forrest Moore was seventh (17:31), Adam Barsness was eighth and Nathan Lervold was 12th (18:20). “It’s a good feeling,” Cramer said about his team’s performance. “We’re getting better and faster.” Wednesday’s meet also included the Shasta Cascade League and U-Prep edged SCL winner Mount Shasta (30) by one point despite the Bears having the overall winner in Chris Morzenti. Morzenti, in a battle of the top ranked section boys, outsprinted Trinity’s Ben Harper on the final straightaway to win in 15:58, a scant second ahead of Harper. Mount Shasta’s Jaden Anderson was fourth (17:24), Ryan Hering was fifth (17:29), Jarrod Althuas-Cressman was 11th (18:20) and Chris Cheula was 22nd (19:24) to complete the SCL championship team for the Bears. It was the closest Mount Shasta has been all season to U-Prep, Reagan said, and Wednesday’s results are only an indication that complacency can’t set in if the Panthers want to win the division crown at next week’s Northern Section championships, which are held on the same course. “I tell them just because you won last year doesn’t mean those other schools aren’t gunning for you,” Reagan said. “Being on the top, everyone is chasing you. They have to fight for this.” Trinity junior Karly Gutermuth, who is the top ranked female in the section, cruised to a victory in 19:07. Hamilton City’s Kelly Koehnen was distant second in 20:24, U-Prep's Morgan Gregory was next in 20:30 and Mount Shasta’s Marissa Bonivert took fourth (21:03). U-Prep had only two of its girls in the top five, but four in the top ten to handily take the MVL and overall meet title with 41 points. Mount Shasta was second with 73 points and like the boys, was also the SCL champion. Etna was third overall (76), Trinity was fourth (81) and Hamilton fifth (81) After Gregory for the Panthers, Savannah Tate was fifth (21:20), Mackenzie Curzan 10th (23:24), Logan Babcock 11th (23:27) and Melia Matthews finished 12th (24:08) to complete the scoring for U-Prep. Rounding out the rest of the top ten were Etna tandem Marron Bahen (6th, 21:34) and Cassidy Gilmore (7th, 22:12) and Mount Shasta’s Abby Manley was ninth (22:52). All teams are back in action at the Northern Section championships with the division winners and top individuals heading to the state championships over the Thanksgiving holiday. Some editing provided by Tom Cushman