Marine View wins district cross-country title

The Marine View Middle School cross country program won the Ocean

View School District Cross Country Championships Friday for the seventh

time in eight years, holding off three other local rivals in a four-way

finals meet at Huntington Central Park.

The Mariners swept both the boys and girls competition at the

seventh-grade level, but finished second to Mesa View in both

eighth-grade races.

However, the four Marine View teams had a comprised total of 144

points to win the overall district title.

Vista View, despite not winning at any level, finished in

second-place with 218 points, edging out Mesa View, which closed with 220

points.

Spring View rounded out the four-team run with 766 points.

The run covered 1-1/2 miles.

‘It was a great race for our school,’ Marine View Coach Kelly

Painter said. ‘Winning our seventh title in eight years really says

something about the dedication of these kids. Karri did a great job,

too.’

Painter was referring to his top seventh-grade runner, Karri

Weisenthal, who established a new meet record for the division with an

8:28.

Weisenthal was challenged by teammate Kaitlyn Schuster, who placed

second at 9:07.

Mesa View’s Jackie Devot finished third at 9:15.

Weisenthal was one of two runners to set a new meet record Friday,

as Vista View’s Josh Selley turned the trick in the eighth-grade boys

run.

Selley won a close race from Mesa View’s Jeff Rivera and Spring

View’s Van Nguyen, running a 7:42 to hold off both competitors.

Rivera just did claim second-place, running a 7:47 to edge out

Nguyen’s 7:48.

The other story emerging Friday came from the Marine View

seventh-grade boys squad, which finished the event with a perfect score.

The Mariners swept the top six spots in the race, with Santiago Talavera

winning the run in 8:08.

Marcus Calderon was four seconds behind Talavera in second place,

Gabriel Herrera was third at 8:22, David Shapiro was fourth at 8:39, Tony

Guadajnini was fifth at 8:45, and Paul Hauret was sixth at 8:56.

The day’s other winner was Mesa View’s Alyssa Guzman, who won the

eighth-grade girls event at 9:12.

Friday’s winners - Weisenthal, Selley, Talavera, and Guzman -

capped a perfect running season for the foursome.