Southern Section cross-country finals: Saugus breaks own course record

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The Saugus girls’ cross-country team broke its own course record this morning at the Southern Section Division I finals at Mt. San Antonio College.

The Centurions, competing in cool, overcast conditions, placed their top five runners in the top 15 overall, and produced an overall team time of 1 hour 28 minutes 22 seconds on the 2.91-mile course.

Katie Dunn, pictured, finished fourth overall in 17:20, followed by teammate Kaylin Mahoney a half second behind.

Saugus ran 1:29:34 to set a course record last year at the section finals.

‘I didn’t know we’d run this fast,’ Coach Rene Paragas said. ‘I thought we’d run in the low 90s, but I didn’t think we could run in the 88s.’

Kauren Tarver of Serrano became a rare four-time section champion, winning the Division I race in 17:05, just missing her personal-best of 17:02 on the course. She won by 11 seconds over Claire Collison of Crescenta Valley.

‘I tried to hit my mile time, my two-mile time,’ she said. ‘I just kind of turned it on more this year.’

Tarver’s day is not done, however. She’s scheduled to play doubles tonight in a Southern Section individual prelim in girls’ tennis.

Esperanza, Trabuco Hills, Fountain Valley, Dana Hills, Redlands and Crescenta Valley also qualified for the state finals next Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

In addition to Tarver, Sierra Vega of Chaparral, Alex Dunne of San Clemente, Sadee Martinez of Burbank Burroughs and Abbey Gallaher of Great Oak qualified for the state finals as individuals.

-- Dan Arritt

-- Image by Myung J. Chun