Girls cross-country fifth at So Cal Invite

Fallbrook High School’s girls cross-country team finished fifth at the Southern California Invitational held October 13 at Guajome Park.

The Warriors’ 156 points, based on cumulative positions, placed behind Torrey Pines, Rancho Bernardo, Vista, and La Costa Canyon but ahead of Carlsbad, Escondido, and Westview. “We didn’t lose to anybody that we were ranked ahead of, so that’s good,” said Fallbrook coach Troy Hamlin. “I was very pleased to take home fifth place in this level of competition.”

Fallbrook entered the meet ranked ninth among all San Diego Section schools and sixth among Division I teams. “This team has really impressed me and come together as a group,” Hamlin said. “We continue to improve, and the girls are just getting stronger and stronger every week.”

The Southern California Invitational pits each school’s #1 runner against the other #1 runners, each #2 runner against the other #2 runners, and each #3 runner against the other #3 competitors. The #4 and #5 runners compete in the same race, as do the #6 and #7 runners. Noelle Garcia was Fallbrook’s #1 runner and finished ninth among 18 runners in the #1 race with a time of 15:26. The time on the 2.4-mile course was a personal record at that distance for Garcia.

“Noelle just went out there and ran really, really effectively,” Hamlin said. “She’s emerged as our clear #1.”

Times were adversely affected by rainfall earlier that day which created a muddy and slippery course. “There were girls going down left and right in that race,” Hamlin said. “It was just two, three inches of muck.”

Garcia had a first-mile time of 6:18. “The Guajome first mile is tough. It’s a hard first mile,” Hamlin said.

In the #2 race Brianna Lopez finished ninth among 16 runners with a time of 16:09 after starting the race close to last place. “She slipped at the starting line,” Hamlin said. “Her feet went out from under her and she almost fell down.”

Kristin Parry’s time of 15:59 placed her sixth among the 16 #3 runners. “#3 was a huge surprise,” Hamlin said. “She came through like a shining star.”

Olivia Tidd was seventh among 36 runners in the 4-5 race with a time of 16:15 while Leslie Grantham placed eighth at 16:16. “We had two girls who ran side-by-side the whole way,” Hamlin said.

In the 6-7 race Christa Bausch placed sixth with a time of 16:31 while Cassie Mulkey’s time of 17:07 was worth 17th place among the 35 runners.

Fallbrook placed fourth in the novice race. Nicole Van Duzer was second in that race at 16:17, Amanda Mulkey was fourth with a time of 16:31, Brittany Smith ran the course in 17:08 to finish seventh, Julie Cramer placed 63rd at 19:56, and Chelsea Carpenter was 70th at 20:10. “It was a very good showing for the novice girls,” Hamlin said.

Although Fallbrook did not have a full team in the junior varsity race, three JV runners placed in the top 50. Jade Lawrence had a time of 17:19 to place 19th, Madison Donaghue was 49th at 18:59, and Carrie Jercinovich had the 50th-place finish with a time of 19:02.