PALO CEDRO, CA -- The best runners once again hail from Chico High.
Just like two weeks ago at the second league center meet, Panther juniors Britta Bundy and Charlie Giannini took individual varsity titles at the Eastern Athletic-Sac River League Championships held Thursday on the Foothill High course.
A lot less drama in the varsity boy race as Giannini established his lead early and never was seriously challenged to win by a very comfortable 28 second margin.
"I mean, I did what I planned, just gonna try to take the lead from the start and then try to put as much distance between me and the other guys as I could that second mile and then, hold it for the third mile," Giannini said.
No surprises for the team title either as Chico, the defending section champions, ran away from the field on Thursday with the Panthers having seven of the top 10 finishers. Finishing in the runnerup position was Giannini's teammate Jaxon Leduc, whose inspired performance was easily his best race of the year.
Pleasant Valley standouts Kyle Johnson and Donovan Freer finished 3rd and 4th respectively, followed closely by the next Panther Rory Monninger. Chico then filled out the top ten with Riley Farrell (7th), Bretten Farrell (8th), Kaleb Traficante (9th) and Noah Trento (10th). It
didn't matter that their usual number two runner, but now dinged up, senior Ty Thompson finished 11th (or a non-scoring, non-displacing 8th on the team).
The only runner in the top ten that didn't belong to either Chico or Pleasant Valley was Avery Grady from Enterprise, who finished in sixth place.
The Panthers totaled 23 points to Pleasant Valley's 64 with Shasta (74) edging Enterprise (76) for third. Red Bluff rounded out the team scoring with 149 as Foothill did not have a complete team.
The section championships are scheduled for next Thursday at West Valley High with the varsity boys the opening race at 2pm.
Two weeks ago at the final league center meet before Thursday's championships, Chico's Britta Bundy won the race, but five of the next seven finishers were from Foothill and the Cougars beat the Panthers 24-46.
The results on Thursday were similar as Bundy again took first although this time out the margin was razor thin. And while Foothill again won as the Cougars had four runners - Payton Osborne, Rize Oliveira, Claire Durbin and Emma Flynn - place in the top 10, the race was much more competitive as Shasta, and to a lesser extent Chico, also made a bid for league surpremacy.
Still superior depth gave Foothill the win, despite not having a senior in the scoring seven, by totaling 32 points over second place Shasta (46) and third, Chico (55).
Early on it was apparent that Osborne wanted the lead. She maintained an advantage of varying distance over a chase pack until finally caught for good by Bundy approaching the track finish. Bundy opened a gap shortly after reaching the track, but Osborne wasn't done and made it a neck-and-neck finish as the two barreled toward the line. Chico's Nahkia Clements, who had also caught Osborne,
finished third after being gapped during the spirited track finish. Foothill's Oliveira was next in to take fourth.
While Chico girls were the second-place team this year at both league center meets, it was vastly improved Shasta team who grabbed the runner-up spot Thursday by placing five in the top fourteen (Only Foothill was better with seven in the top fifteen). Aislinn Matagulay and Isabelle Tate-Arevalo led the way for the Wolves with fifth and sixth place finishes, respectively, and Lindie Larson's first foray into the top ten to boost the Wolves past Chico. Pleasant Valley took fourth (103)
while Red Bluff rounded out the team scoring in fifth (144). Enterprise did not enter any girls in the varsity race.
One by one, the black and red-clad Foothill runners streamed down the track toward the finish line. Some had bloody knees from falling on the hilly course at Foothill High. Others were exhausted and clutching their sides after finishing. All season, the Foothill girls' cross country team has leaned on its depth to win races by a comfortable margin. They started in a pack Thursday, spread out a little bit, but were fairly close at the end. Osborne said it helps knowing there's 3-4 teammates close by who are running well more often than not. "It's definitely a team sport because you know if you aren't doing well your teammates have your back and one of them can step up and take your place if you're not doing so hot," Osborne said. Osborne led the race most of the way, until Bundy caught up to her and took a lead down the final stretch, but Osborne made it interesting as the two barreled down the track. Not far behind was Oliveira, who said she paced herself better than the EAL meet at Foothill two weeks ago. "I started out too fast the last race and I was trying to pick it up later on, and I got fourth (today), which I think is pretty good for league," Oliveira said.
