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Warrior boys place 9th as team at CIF cross-country meet

Fallbrook High School's boys' cross-country team placed ninth among the 18 Division 1 schools with the minimum five runners at the CIF San Diego Section meet Nov. 23 on the Morley Field course in San Diego.

Cross-country team scores add the positions of a school's first five finishers. The sixth and seventh runners are not scored but can add points to opponents' totals. Fallbrook accumulated 257 points. Holtville, which placed eighth, had 213 points. Grossmont totaled 258 points for 10th place.

"Overall I'm proud of what our boys did," Fallbrook assistant coach Joel Rivera said.

Fallbrook's first finisher, senior Josh Hernandez, placed 22nd overall with a time of 16 minutes 19.5 seconds on the 2.96-mile course.

"On the downhill I twisted my ankle and after that I fell off," Hernandez said.

The first 10 finishers were given all-CIF first team recognition and the next 10 runners across the finish line earned all-CIF second team status so Hernandez missed all-CIF designation by two positions. The top three Division II boys teams at the CIF section meet qualified for the CIF state meet, Nov. 30, in Fresno as did the top five individuals not affiliated with a qualifying team contingent upon those individuals finishing among the top 14 overall.

"I was trying to get top 14," Hernandez said.

Hernandez exceeded his goal of a time of 5:20 for the first mile, reaching that point 5:09 after the start of the race.

"It was really fast the first mile," Hernandez said.

Hernandez used an uphill ascent to gain positions.

"I caught a couple of people," he said.

His twisted ankle going down the hill deprived him of a state meet or all-CIF position.

"He did his best," Fallbrook assistant coach Joel Rivera said. "The other kids had a better day."

Hernandez was also Fallbrook's first finisher at the 2018 CIF meet, when his time of 16:41.4 placed 49th, and in 2017, when he finished 40th at 16:54.5. The course was 3.04 miles in 2016 when Hernandez had a time of 18:35 for 86th place.

John Regan completed his senior season and his high school cross-country career as the 29th finisher and with a time of 16:31.1. Regan finished 86th at last year's meet after completing the course in 17:38.6. He ran for Lejeune High School in North Carolina as a freshman and sophomore.

A time of 17:14.1 gave Fallbrook junior Danny Contreras 54th place.

"It was a good race for our top three boys," Rivera said.

Contreras was 61st in last year's CIF race with a time of 16:54.4. As a freshman in 2017, his 18:39.1 performance was worth 99th place.

A time of 17:26.8 gave sophomore Ivan Ixta 67th place, senior Joseph Bell completed the course in 17:55.4 for 85th place, sophomore Dawson Fluck had the 92nd-place time of 18:11.3 and senior Ricardo Martinez had a time of 19:18.7 for 116th place.

"It wasn't a bad race. The weather conditions were perfect," Rivera said. "Just glad my boys came out here super competitive. Looking forward to seeing what these boys can do for track season."

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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