Garcia shines at OC Championships

ORANGE – There were runners ahead of Alexis Garcia on Newport Harbor’s depth chart in the off-season.

After his performance in the 50th running of the Orange County Championships, there may not be that many runners ahead of Garcia in the entire county.

Garcia showed that his star is rising, taking second place in the Boys’ Sweepstakes race at Irvine Regional Park on Saturday morning.

“I’m really proud of my work,” the sophomore said. “This was the goal for this year, to get noticed, to let people know me.”

Seniors Ben Wilson and Mark Field were easily the most recognizable names for the Sailors’ cross country team coming into the season, but Garcia has been the man to beat all year.

It was Garcia who walked away with the title at the Central Park Invitational two weeks ago. That success continued Saturday, as the only one to beat him was the prohibitive favorite, Jack Landgraf of Dana Hills.

Sailors coach Nowell Kay said it wasn’t a surprise to see Garcia lead his team, but the placing certainly was.

“The fact that he got second…means he keeps moving up in the county ranks, beating guys that he wasn’t beating before last month.”

Newport Harbor placed eighth. Ryan St. Pierre finished 28th in 15:26 to lead Ocean View to an 11th-place showing, and Leif Hellgren (26th, 15:25) paced Corona del Mar.

The Sailors also saw good results on the girls side, as Mia Matsunami (17:44) was the runner-up to San Juan Hills’ Katie Hansen (17:41) in the Division 2 varsity race.

Matsunami enjoyed the layout of the course, which was established in 1999, because it’s largely accessible to the fans. She heard their cheers throughout.

“I love this course,” she said. “It’s super fun, the energy and everything. There’s just so many people lined along the course that just really help you out.”

Edison’s Hannah Gallegos finished 10th in 18:54 in Division 2.

For 50 years, teams have engaged in the battle for county supremacy at the annual championships. This one ended in a recently established tradition – with Dana Hills holding the championship trophy.

Dana Hills’ boys team repeated as county champion by thwarting Trabuco Hills, 52-114. It gave the Dolphins an eighth county crown, further cementing the program’s place atop the meet’s history.

Just last season, Dana Hills had surpassed the triumphs of Joe Fisher’s Costa Mesa program, which won its sixth and final county title in 1980.

“I don’t know if we’re the greatest, but we’re definitely proud of our kids and the way that they’re working,” Dolphins coach Craig Dunn said. “As far as tradition goes, I inherited an amazing program (from Tim Butler). I’m just thankful and blessed to be a part of it.”

Landgraf won the race in 14:53. The junior is another star in a long line of frontrunners for Dana Hills. He was part of an All-County running trio for the Dolphins last year.

The other two, Mason Coppi and Jake Ogden, are both running for Furman University in South Carolina.

“Jack was fortunate to have Mason Coppi and Jake Ogden last year to help show him the ropes and send him in the right direction,” Dunn added. “Success breeds success, and the kids feed off of each other.”

Dana Hills made it a sweep of the team titles, winning the Girls’ Sweepstakes, 91-111, over Canyon.

The individual victory went to Capistrano Valley’s Haley Herberg. The junior finished the race in 17:01, narrowly missing becoming the eighth girl to go under 17 minutes on the current course.

Corona del Mar’s Raquel Powers placed fifth in 17:27, which matched Kelsey Carroll of San Clemente’s sweepstakes-winning time in 2014.

Powers’ time was three seconds behind her sister, Melanie, whose personal best of 17:24 in 2009 was ranked 23rd on the course record list entering the day.

The Sea Kings senior was conversing with another sister, Ashley, after the race, and she said that their past successes inspire her. Then she had some fun naming the other things that inspire her.

“Our last name also kind of motivates me, ‘Powers,’” she joked. “‘Bolt’ is pretty good, too.”

‘Bolt,’ of course, refers to Usain Bolt, the celebrated Olympic sprinter from Jamaica.

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY

50th Orange County Championships

At Irvine Regional Park

3-mile course

Boys Sweepstakes

Team Results

1. Dana Hills 52; 2. Trabuco Hills 114; 3. El Toro 120; 4. Brea Olinda 124; 5. Valencia 136; 6. Mission Viejo 174; 7. Jserra 225; 8. Newport Harbor 229; 9. Canyon 235; 10. Tesoro 247; 11. Ocean View 275; 16. Corona del Mar 447

Individuals

1. Landgraf (Dana Hills) 14:53; 2. Garcia (Newport Harbor) 15:05; 3. Wilfert (Dana Hills) 15:07; 4. Grover (Jserra) 15:08; 5. Crites (Tesoro) 15:09; 6. O’Neil (Trabuco Hills) 15:09; 7. Kuciemba (Capistrano Valley) 15:09; 8. Vargas (El Toro) 15:10; 9. Kendall (Foothill) 15:10; 10. Hough (Dana Hills) 15:11; 16. Field (Newport Harbor) 15:18; 26. Hellgren (Corona del Mar) 15:25; 28. St. Pierre (Ocean View) 15:26; 47. Montes (Ocean View) 15:44; 48. Wilson (Newport Harbor) 15:45

Division 2

Team Results

1. San Juan Hills 52; 2. Aliso Niguel 95; 3. Los Alamitos 146; 4. Santa Ana 197; 5. Mater Dei 200; 6. Edison 225; 7. Fountain Valley 228; 8. Huntington Beach 234; 9. Santiago 242; 10. San Clemente 247; 20. Marina 525

Individuals

1. White (San Juan Hills) 15:27; 2. Dukes (Aliso Niguel) 15:28; 3. Ray (San Juan Hills) 15:34; 4. Hernandez (Santiago) 15:40; 5. de Jesus (San Clemente) 15:42; 6. Damelia (Troy) 15:45; 7. McKenna (Aliso Niguel) 15:48; 8. A. Mitchel (Huntington Beach) 15:50; 9. VanDorpe (Mater Dei) 15:50; 10. Avila (Santa Ana) 15:50; 13. Tadros (Fountain Valley) 15:57; 16. Groom (Edison) 16:01; 22. Sutherland (Marina) 16:15; 29. Dahal (Fountain Valley) 16:19; 31. Reed (Huntington Beach) 16:21; 38. L. Mitchel (Huntington Beach) 16:26; 42. Worth (Edison) 16:28; 47. Zimmerle (Fountain Valley) 16:31; 48. Smith (Edison) 16:33

Small Schools (Friday)

Team Results

1. Servite 67; 2. Esperanza 67; 3. Yorba Linda 90; 4. Costa Mesa 144; 5. Santa Margarita 152; 6. Crean Lutheran 176; 7. Laguna Hills 190; 8. Orange Lutheran 211; 9. Pacifica 226; 10. Santa Ana Valley 232; 14. Sage Hill 358; 15. Los Amigos 432; 20. Pacifica Christian 602

Individuals

1. Smith (Pacifica) 15:36; 2. Hachac (Costa Mesa) 15:48; 3. Byrne (Santa Margarita) 15:50; 4. Sarino (Servite) 15:52; 5. Gitter (St. Margaret’s) 15:53; 6. White (Whittier Christian) 15:56; 7. Rosales (Servite) 16:00; 8. Freeman (Esperanza) 16:00; 9. Smith (St. Margaret’s) 16:05; 10. Cortez (Costa Mesa) 16:10; 31. Aguilar (Costa Mesa) 16:42; 45. Patel (Sage Hill) 16:58

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY

50th Orange County Championships

At Irvine Regional Park

3-mile course

Sweepstakes

Team Results

1. Dana Hills 91; 2. Canyon 111; 3. Capistrano Valley 113; 4. Northwood 155; 5. Jserra 156; 6. Trabuco Hills 165; 7. Fountain Valley 193; 8. El Toro 200; 9. San Clemente 217; 10. Foothill 234; 14. Corona del Mar 295

Individuals

1. Herberg (Capistrano Valley) 17:01; 2. Adler (Northwood) 17:09; 3. Leonard (Canyon) 17:18; 4. Bautista (Capistrano Valley) 17:27.94; 5. Powers (Corona del Mar) 17:27.95; 6. Tobin (El Toro) 17:30; 7. Tabrizi (Jserra) 17:31; 8. Dholakia (Esperanza) 17:39; 9. Duda (Trabuco Hills) 17:42; 10. Keyvan (Dana Hills) 17:44; 33. Guerra (Fountain Valley) 18:22; 34. Feitz (Fountain Valley) 18:22; 47. Jahshan (Fountain Valley) 18:37; 49. Ashley Faller (Fountain Valley) 18:42

Division 2

Team Results

1. Valencia 86; 2. Aliso Niguel 129; 3. San Juan Hills 130; 4. Beckman 130; 5. Mater Dei 165; 6. Santa Ana 184; 7. Woodbridge 216; 8. Bolsa Grande 239; 9. Segerstrom 250; 10. Kennedy 250; 11. Edison 290; 17. Newport Harbor 409

Individuals

1. Hansen (San Juan Hills) 17:41; 2. Matsunami (Newport Harbor) 17:44; 3. Vergara (La Quinta) 18:26; 4. Kanuho (Bolsa Grande) 18:34; 5. Hernandez (Santa Ana) 18:37; 6. Schuerger (Aliso Niguel) 18:37; 7. Avendano (Godinez) 18:44; 8. Wacker (Mater Dei) 18:52; 9. Peterson (Villa Park) 18:53; 10. Gallegos (Edison) 18:54; 30. Hamel (Edison) 19:23

Small Schools (Friday)

Team Results

1. Laguna Hills 59; 2. Esperanza 63; 3. Yorba Linda 90; 4. Santa Margarita 126; 5. Brea Olinda 140; 6. Ocean View 225; 7. Santa Ana Valley 226; 8. Pacifica 251; 9. Costa Mesa 268; 10. Sage Hill 290

Individuals

1. Vincent (El Dorado) 18:11; 2. Lee (Yorba Linda) 18:39; 3. Shulman (Santa Margarita) 18:40; 4. Williams (Laguna Hills) 18:44; 5. Dumaine (Esperanza) 18:48; 6. Williams (Brea Olinda) 18:54; 7. Rinke (Laguna Hills) 18:56; 8. Turner (Laguna Hills) 19:01; 9. Hess (Crean Lutheran) 19:02; 10. Heckel (Yorba Linda) 19:13; 21. Newman (Ocean View) 19:39; 28. Molina (Costa Mesa) 19:53; 29. Gil (Ocean View) 19:53; 39. Shook (Ocean View) 20:20; 40. Jaffe (Sage Hill) 20:22; 46. Devlin (Costa Mesa) 20:37; 47. Reiland (Costa Mesa) 20:39