CITY SECTION

Saturday, Nov. 20

CITY SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Pierce College, 3 Miles

Emmaline Hartel of Lake Balboa Birmingham successfully defended her City Section girls’ cross country individual title Saturday at Pierce College, but the Patriots were edged out in their quest to end San Pedro’s dominance in the team competition.

The Pirates had four of the top six finishers in the team competition, including runner-up Terry Manqueros, to win their fourth consecutive championship and fifth in the past six years.

“This is the toughest,” San Pedro Coach Bruce Thomson said of the Pirates’ 29-30 victory over Lake Balboa Birmingham. “A second -- basically that was the difference.”

The Pirates’ winning margin came as a result of Los Angeles senior Devora Hernandez breaking up a three-runner Birmingham pack to finish eighth in 19 minutes 9.29 seconds, dropping Birmingham’s Grace Valenzuela to ninth in 19:12.16 and Jocelyn Oviedo to 10th in 19:13.69, giving the Patriots two additional points.

San Pedro got personal bests from Manqueros (18:13.25), Jackie Conlin (fourth in 18:50:50), Mavel Tortoledo (fifth in 18:52:28) and Megan Adams (sixth in 19:02:11). Hartel, a junior, completed the three-mile course in a personal-best 18:00.71.

“She’s a big-time runner,” Birmingham Coach Scott King said. “She hasn’t been our top girl for most of the season -- Jenny Hernandez has been -- but when it comes to big meets, she knows how to focus and she goes after it. She took it out right from the start. She told the rest of the field, ‘Come get me,’ and they didn’t go get her.”

San Pedro routed the field to win its third consecutive boys’ title, finishing with 54 points. Birmingham was second with 107, two fewer than Garfield, to receive the other term berth to next week’s state meet.

Gabriel Guzman, a North Hills Monroe junior, won the individual title in 15:30.55.

--Steven Herbert

BOYS

TEAM

1. *San Pedro, 54 (80:36 team time); 2. *Birmingham, 107 (82:19); 3. Garfield, 109 (82:19); 4. Sun Valley Poly, 115 (82:48); 5. Belmont, 134 (83:27); 6. Los Angeles, 137 (83:18); 7. Monroe, 152 (83:47); 8. Narbonne, 152 (84:06); 9. Taft, 164 (84:56); 10. South Gate, 179 (86:07).

INDIVIDUAL

1. *Guzman, M, 15:30; 2. *Lares, Franklin, 15:40; 3. Soto, SP, 15:44; 4. *Oropeza, G, 15:48; 5. Flores, Bel, 15:48; 6. Swartz, SP, 15:48; 7. *Ruiz, SG, 15:55; 8. *Hernandez, G, 15:57; 9. Lehman, Venice, 15:58; 10. Alcala, Bir, 15:59; 11. Hernandez, N, 16:05; 12. Noriega, Bir, 16:07; 13. Sanchez, SVP, 16:08; 14. Lopez, Lincoln, 16:10; 15. Delgado, N, 16:12; 16. Calise, SP, 16:15; 17. Rodriguez, Bel, 16:16; 18. Rosales, SP, 16:19; 19. Pinto, SVP, 16:19; 20. Flowers, LA, 16:20; 21. Rodriguez, T, 16:22; 22. Nava, SP, 16:27; 23. Mendoza, SVP, 16:28; 24. Samano, M, 16:29; 25. Baez, LA, 16:31; 26. Zeidler, T, 16:33; 27. Flores, SVP, 16:36; 28. Hernandez, Bir, 16:38; 29. Corral, SG, 16:38; 30. Galindo, Bel, 16:39.

GIRLS

TEAM

1. San Pedro, 29 (94:17 total team time); 2. Birmingham, 30 (93:52); 3. El Camino Real, 74 (98:09); 4. Los Angeles, 124 (101:39); 5. Garfield, 164 (103:53); 6. Taft, 175 (104:48); 7. Poly, 184 (105:09); 8. South Gate, 204 (106:37); 9. Franklin, 209 (107:39); 10. Kennedy, 210 (106:47).

INDIVIDUAL

1. Hartel, B, 18:00; 2. Manqueros, SP, 18:13; 3. Hernandez, B, 18:18; 4. *Garcia, Verdugo Hills, 18:46; 5. Conlin, SP, 18:50; 6. Tortoledo, SP, 18:52; 7. Adams, SP, 19:02; 8. Lujano, B, 19:07; 9. *Hernandez, LA, 19:09; 10. Valenzuela, B 19:12; 11. Oviedo, B, 19:13; 12. *Grigarian, ECR, 19:17; 13. Rubi, SP, 19:19; 14. Foxman, ECR, 19:22; 15. Roth, ECR, 19:32; 16. Partida, SG, 19:43; 17. Violante, P, 19:47; 18. Kulik, ECR, 19:52; 19. Garcia, G, 19:57; 20. Vakshori, ECR, 20:04; 21. Saduaskaite, LA, 20:04; 22. Dove, B, 20:05.54; 23. Sanchez, San Fernando, 20:16; 24. Pelayo, T, 20:17; 25. Perry-Spahn, Palisades, 20:19; 26. Ponce, G, 20:20; 27. Bermudes, F, 20:22; 28. Post, SP, 20:25; 29. Hernandez, SG, 20:29; 30. Romero, LA, 20:29.

*-Teams and individuals qualifying for State Championships, Saturday, at Woodward Park (Fresno).