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Hasvold wins CIF meet

Fallbrook High School Senior Bret Hasvold won the CIF Division I cross-country meet November 17 at San Diego’s Morley Field.

Hasvold had a time of 15:59 on the 3.1-mile course. The second-fastest Division I runner, sophomore Jacob Roach of Otay Ranch High School, posted a time of 16:19.

“He pretty much won it handily,” said Fallbrook coach Marco Arias. “He just ran the exact race we planned out.”

Hasvold’s win qualifies him for the CIF state meet this Saturday in Fresno. Fallbrook finished fourth among the 22 Division I teams, missing team status for the state meet by a single position.

“It was disappointing, but at the same time it’s rewarding,” Arias said of the fourth-place finish one position away from a state meet berth. “The kids have gone through quite an ordeal this season.”

Arias became the head coach after Marty Hauck suffered a fatal heart attack September 19. The Warriors also spent most of the season without injured senior Kevin Strickfaden, whose only meet of the year was the CIF finals. Senior Todd Van Duzer had respiratory problems throughout the season and missed the CIF finals due to walking pneumonia.

“Given everything that we’ve gone through and some of the ups and downs, I’m extremely proud of the way the guys finished,” Arias said. “Those guys raced with a lot of heart.”

The top three teams in each division advance to the state meet as a team. The top five runners from each division not on one of the top three teams earn an invitation to the state meet as individuals. In addition to Hasvold, senior Josh Smith also qualified for the state meet as an individual. “He put it together today,” Arias said of Smith.

“It was a surprise. We knew he had it in him,” Arias said of Smith qualifying for the state meet. “All of a sudden the last two races he’s come along.”

Smith finished eighth at the CIF meet with a time of 16:37. The Avocado League meet was also on a 3.1-mile course, although at Escondido’s Kit Carson Park rather than at Morley Field. Smith placed 11th at the league meet with a time of 17:01. “He always has his greatest races toward the end of the season,” Arias said of Smith, who was on Fallbrook’s freshman football team in 2004 and did not run cross-country until tenth grade.

The top ten finishers in each division also earn first-team all-CIF status, so Hasvold and Smith received that honor.

Junior Uriel Aguirre ran in the league met despite a sprained ankle which was swollen after the race, finishing 19th with a time of 17:24. He improved his time to 17:02 in the CIF meet although he finished 21st. “He ran a good race,” Arias said.

Senior Sam Liner was 44th with a time of 17:35 while Strickfaden placed 54th at 17:45.

The positions of the top five runners from each school are added for the team score. Rancho Buena Vista, which also won the Avocado League meet, won the CIF Division I meet with 55 points. Otay Ranch was second with 105 points while Torrey Pointes accumulated 114 points to take third place. Fallbrook had 128 points while Bonita Vista was fifth with 165 points.

Fallbrook entered the CIF meet ranked 13th among San Diego Section teams in all divisions and ninth among Division I teams. “To come back and finish fourth in this meet was just tremendous,” Arias said. “All the guys really ran a good race”

Teams can enter seven runners in the CIF meet. Fallbrook’s sixth runner, Liner, had an 80th-place time of 18:11.

Junior Aaron Thielk was the final Fallbrook runner, placing 104th among the 151 Division I runners with a time of 18:50. Thielk transferred to Fallbrook High School this year from New York. “He ran well,” Arias said. “He’s gained a lot of confidence as far as running at the Division I level.”

Although Arias was disappointed at missing the state meet by a single team position and 14 points, he noted that fourth place was better than 13th place. “That was really gratifying,” he said.

Hasvold’s pre-season goals included winner the league and CIF races and finishing in the top five in the state meet. His CIF win completed the first two of those three goals. “He set some pretty high goals,” Arias said.

The Warriors will lose the five seniors who competed at the CIF meet as well as Van Duzer. “It’s rebuilding.” We’re going to get some guys back, but nowhere near what we had this year,” Arias said.

“We went through quite a trying season. I’m proud of the guys, the way they responded at this meet,” Arias said. “They showed a lot of commitment, a lot of courage.”

“He came back and ran to his usual self,” Arias said of Smith’s performance at the CIF meet. “He did an incredible job of holding on.”

 

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