Marine View wins district cross-country title

The Marine View Middle School cross country program won the Ocean

View School District Cross Country Championships Wednesday for the

seventh time in eight years, holding off three other local rivals in a

four-team meet Huntington Central Park.

The Mariners swept both the boys and girls competition at the

seventh-grade level, with Mesa View taking both the boys and girls

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 capturing a first-place finish at any of the four

levels, 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 Schuesler, 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 Wednesday 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.

Marco Calderon was four seconds behind Talavera in second place, Gabriel

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

Guadagnini was fifth at 8:45, and Paul Harer 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.

The eighth-grade girls run went to Mesa View’s Alyssa Guzman, who ran a

9:12 to outdistance teammate Courtney McLaughlin, who finished second

overall at 9:19.