Podium finish not in the cards for Breakers

The Laguna Beach High boys’ cross-country team just missed making the podium Saturday at the 2008 CIF State Cross-Country Championships.

The Breakers finished in fourth place in the Division IV race at Woodward Park in Fresno and missed making the podium (top three teams) by five points. Laguna finished with 153 team points. Morro Bay, which took third place, had 148 points.

Big Bear, which also won the CIF Southern Section Division IV title on Nov. 22 where Laguna finished second, captured the state title in the division. McFarland High of the CIF Central Section finished second.

Twenty-four teams raced in the Division IV State final.

“Our team goal throughout the season was to finish in the top three,” Laguna Coach Dave Brobeck said. “The boys ran well though. Unfortunately we were without the services of our normal No. 3 runner, junior Blake Hofmeister, who had to have an emergency appendectomy surgery last Friday.

“To finish as highly as we did is a testament to the character and talent of the team.”

Sophomore Matt Neev was Laguna’s top finisher with a time of 16 minutes 15 seconds on a rolling, 5K course. Neev finished 15th overall.

Senior Casey Finnerty was next for Laguna (16:37, 33rd place). Junior Tommy Newton-Neal (16:38, 34th place), junior Andrew Shapero (17:05, 65th place) and senior Rand Hardy (17:07, 71st place), rounded out the top five for Laguna.

“It was a bit of letdown at first,” Brobeck said. “However, the team quickly saw that all things considered, it was a good race and a very good season.”

Laguna was in Fresno competing at the State meet for the sixth consecutive year.

“” Mike Sciacca