Peck, Rhone in contention for Division 1 individual titles at Mt. SAC; Palmdale Highand’s Donis produces top boys performance, with Redondo Union’s Fedio leading all female competitors

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

WALNUT – Long Beach Poly has had good cross country teams through the years, and it will be in contention to be represented again at the California state meet this year with both the boys and girls teams qualifying to compete Nov. 19 at the CIF-Southern Section Finals.

More impressive? The Jackrabbits have a legitimate chance to have two Division 1 individual champions.

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That became apparent Friday, when Poly senior Cameron Rhone and freshman Avery Peck won individual heats during the first day of the Southern Section prelims at Mt. San Antonio College.

Teams from Divisions 1 and 5 attempted to extend their seasons Friday by being one of the top four finishers in each heat, and individuals among the top six competitors in each race not on a qualifying team. Divisions 2,3 and 4 are scheduled to run Saturday.

Like many top teams Friday, Poly runners were toeing the fine line between racing well while conserving energy for an all-out run Nov. 19 at the Southern Section finals.

Rhone certainly did that while controlling his heat and winning fairly easily in a time of 15 minutes, 33.7 seconds on the 2.93-mile layout. Fontana junior Micah Watson was second in 15:40.8.

“I wasn’t trying to go all out,” Rhone said. “I was just trying to take it easy, but at the mile, I knew I could take it, because no one was trying to pass me.”

Staying in control and not going all out requires patience, that, at times, is trying, especially running on the same course that will showcase 10 races at the Southern Section finals next week.

“It was really hard,” Rhone said. “I felt like speeding up a few times, but I knew I had to race next week, so I had to take it easy.”

A 29th-place finisher at the Southern Section finals last year who missed qualifying for the state meet, the goals will obviously be far higher for Rhone this year.

“I want to run at least 14:47 at finals,” Rhone said, “and make it to state and run in (the Nike Cross Nationals).”

Rhone ran a course-best 14:58 earlier this season at the 74th Mt. SAC Invitational. And he’ll certainly have plenty of competition next week in Division 1.

In the division’s second heat, Long Beach Millikan junior Jason Parra won in 15:25.3, with Etiwanda junior Gabriel Castillo finishing second in 15:33.1. Santa Ana senior Jimmy Dominguez won the fourth heat in 15:37.8.

But Friday’s fastest race was the third section of Division 1 that saw five runners break 15:30.

Palmdale Highland senior Matthew Donis ran the fastest time of the day in 15:10.0, with Crescenta Valley senior Parker Simmons placing second in 15:17.8. All of them will vie for the Division 1 individual crown next week.

With five runners in the top 10 in Heat 1, San Clemente ran the fastest Division 1 team time in 1:19.10, but not by much. Heat 3 winner Crescenta Valley ran 1:19.13, while perennial power Great Oak won the second heat in 1:19.38.

Peck, a freshman who has balanced cross country with soccer, had great perspective for Friday’s racing despite her youth.

“This is my second time at Mt. SAC, and it’s my favorite course, so I was really excited to come back,” Peck said. “My team and I were looking at the competition we would have, and I just knew my goal going into this race was to place top three and help my team to get the low score so we could make it into (section) finals. I’m glad I did what I came here to do.”

Peck outlegged Arcadia sophomore Reena Hsieh to win in 18:22.7. Hsieh qualified for next week individually, with Beaumont sophomore Angie Valenzuela moving on with her third-place team after running 18:41.8.

Two Division 1 girls broke 18 minutes Friday, with Lyla Fedio of Redondo Union turning in the fastest girls time of the day in the fourth heat by clocking 17:54.5.

Corona Santiago sophomore Rylee Blade was second in that heat in 18:04.0. Quartz Hill senior Brianne Smith ran a time just off Fedio, covering the hilly course in 17:56.4 to win the third heat.

Rancho Cucamonga’s girls, who have high aspirations this season to capture their first section title, dominated the first heat with sophomore Nicole Alfred winning in 18:30.6.

Freshman Braelyn Combe was second in 18:34.4, with freshman Malia Reinhold finishing fifth in 19:03.3 and junior Jaden Miura securing sixth in 19:03.4.

Rancho Cucamonga had the top team Friday with a mark of 95:21. Heat winners Santiago (96:24) and Great Oak (96:27) were the next fastest.

This group will make for an entertaining Division 1 championship race Nov. 19.

“Going into next week, I’m not going to really focus on time,” Peck said. “I’m just going to try to do what I can do to help my team out and place high and qualify to be able to go to state, which would be an amazing experience.”

Peck said this cross country season has seen a lot of growth for her as a person.

“It’s been so eye-opening and life-changing,” she said. “I discovered this is what I love to do and these are the people I’m meant to be with.”

In Division 5 competition, one second separated the top two team times. Sophomore Eyan Turk led Woodcrest Christian to a team time of 87:38 by winning the fourth heat in 16:04.5.

Viewpoint ran 87:39 as a team, although Chadwick senior Joshua Thomas was the only Division 5 runner to break 16 minutes by winning the first heat in 15:55.4.

Viewpoint’s girls turned in the fastest Division 5 team time in 102:36. The only Division 5 competitors to break 19 minutes were Buckley sophomore Lorelei Barrett winning the second heat in 18:50.8, just ahead of Burbank Providence sophomore Aubrey Eaton, who ran 18:51.1.