Spartan girls lead local entries

GRIFFITH PARK — More than 100 high school cross-country teams from across Southern California converged on the course of Griffith Park on Saturday for the 33rd running of the annual Bellarmine-Jefferson/Griffith Park Cross-Country Invitational.

La Cañada High enjoyed the best showing of the day among local schools represented, as its girls' team took second place in the 11th race, which combined CIF Southern Section Division II and III teams. The Spartans finished with a total team time of 1 hour 38 minutes 24 seconds.

Jessica Lam finished 11th out of the field to pace the Spartans with a time of 19:21.

She was followed by teammates Sheppard Morgan (13th, 19:27), Kristin Tisdale (15th, 19:40), Erika Hennon (18th, 19:51), and Megan Martin (21st, 20:05) rounding out the top-five finishers for La Cañada.

"We were very, very happy with those results, real happy with the girls' times," La Cañada Coach Tony Haynes said. "It's definitely a step forward for us."

Added Lam: "I just thought about the team and we had to just stick together to finish it together."

Lam and her teammates were edged in the race by Woodbridge (1:35:45), which features junior Christine Babcock, the defending state champion in the 1,600 meters.

Babcock won the race with a time of 17:32.

In the 10th race, the La Cañada boys' team placed seventh out of the field of Division II/III teams.

It clocked an overall time of 1:23:14 and was led by 23rd-place finisher Jake Matthews (16:20).

Glendale also made its mark in the event when Heidi Diaz helped the Nitros' girls capture sixth place in the eighth race, which featured Division I schools, by posting an 18:46, good for fourth-place overall.

"This course is really hard," said Diaz after the race. "I'm not an uphill person, but the downhills made up for it and it was pretty good."

Glendale's boys' teams also had a solid showing, placing 10th (1:24:40) in the field of 22 Division I schools. Arcadia, the Nitros' Pacific League rival, won the competition with a team time of 1:16:17.

"I don't think this was a great race for me personally," said Sevak Avanesi, Glendale's top finisher at 24th with a 15:56 time.

"This is good for the newer runners because it boosts confidence in them early in the season."

Hoover and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy rounded out the local representation at the event, with Hoover finishing 14th and 15th, respectively, in the boys' and girls' Division II/III events.

Flintridge Sacred Heart captured 16th place in the Division IV girls' race.

Bellarmine-Jefferson Coach Jim Couch not only enjoyed a first-place performance from his own girls' team in the Division V race but also reflected on hosting a successful event as the afternoon wound down.

"We've got all the teams running, we've got a large field, it's a warming day and we haven't had any serious injuries so any time you can say that it's a good day," he said.