REDLANDS – Cal Lutheran had not defeated the University of Redlands football team since 2012. The Bulldog players were pre-teens then.
SAN BERNARDINO – It was a perfect day for running Saturday, even if the results were not ideal for Redlands teams.
SAN BERNARDINO – It was a perfect day for running Saturday, even if the results were not ideal for Redlands teams.
The Citrus Belt League No. 1 cluster meet took place at Cal State San Bernardino. The weather was cool and overcast – tailor-made for fast times.
The Redlands East Valley boys and the Citrus Valley girls both claimed fourth-place team finishes.
Runners from the Redlands schools made mostly positive comments following the first league cluster meet of the year (there are three).
“I feel good, but kind of tired,” Citrus Valley’s Alyssa Castaneda said after finishing seventh in the 3-mile girls’ race in 18 minutes, 50 seconds. Yucaipa’s Brooks Tarcon (18:11.2) won the race.
“I was pushing to catch the pack,” Castaneda said. “I had a cramp at the start.”
Castaneda is only a freshman but has experience running for the Roadrunners club team.
Finishing 21st from Citrus Valley was sophomore Suheily Chavez in 20:32.
“I was a little scared coming in,” Chavez said. “I haven’t raced against varsity runners that much. “But I was happy to get a (personal record). I’d like to get down to 19 (minutes).”
The Blackhawks also picked up a 22nd place from Abrielle Ontiveros (20:35.0), a 24th from Alegre Caldera (20:57.8), and a 26th from Angelina Campos (23:09.6).
The Yucaipa girls finished first as a team with 29 points, followed by Beaumont (48), Cajon (82), Citrus Valley (100), REV (144) and Redlands (147).
Redlands High’s top girl finisher was also a freshman. Lyanna Garcia placed 19th in 20:07.3, then got a hug from her grandmother Irma, as well as congratulations from her parents.
“I’m proud of how I did,” Garcia said. “I was mostly running against upperclassmen. Usually I’m in the freshman race, so it was a new experience for me.”
REV’s top girl finisher was Kiera Dornieden who took 16th in 19:51.6.
“I feel all right but I’m not that happy with my placement,” Dornieden said. “I’ve run a 19:12. I usually run better on courses where I’m comfortable, but this isn’t one of them.”
Finishing seven places behind Dornieden was REV’s Melany Plumb who crossed the finish line in 20:47.6.
One REV runner who excelled was sophomore boy Elijah Medina who took fourth in 15:13.
“I think I should have done a bit better,” Medina said. “The last 400 or 500 yards was a battle. That’s where you’re on the last of your energy and you have to go all out.”
Medina could not catch Cajon’s first-place Ayden Ramirez (14:53.3), Beaumont’s second place Jacob Light (15:04), nor Cajon’s third place Ramon Dorado (15:85.04).
But there are better days ahead for Medina, whose mother Aracely (Hernandez) Medina was a three-time CBL girls cross-country champ at REV.
“I think he’s doing great – really good,” Aracely said. “He trains hard and gets up early and puts in the work. And he’s also a club soccer player and has a 3.5 grade point average.”
Cajon won as a team on the boys’ side with 35 points, followed by Beaumont (54), Yucaipa (59), and REV (73). Citrus Valley placed fifth with 118 points and Redlands was sixth with 148.
Finishing second for REV and 11th overall was Dominick Vasquez who crossed the finish in 15:46.9.
“I’ve been training hard,” Vasquez said. “I want to get into the low 15’s by CIF. As a team, we’d like to make state.”
Placing first for Citrus Valley and 13th overall was Evan Rout (15:50.9).
The top Redlands High boy was Calvin Osborn who finished 22nd in 16:28.5.
The next CBL cluster meet is Oct. 18 at Beaumont High. The finale is on November 1 at Yucaipa Regional Park.
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