Warrior boys take third in league for cross-country

The final positions for the Valley League cross-country standings are based on a weighted formula. Team positions at the first league cluster meet, which took place Oct. 2 at Kit Carson Park in Escondido, accounted for 25 percent, and the second league cluster meet Oct. 29 at Guajome Park comprised another 25 percent. The remaining 50 percent was based on the results of the league championship meet Nov. 14 at Kit Carson Park.

Valley Center won both league cluster meets with Ramona finishing second both times. In the first league cluster meet, Mission Vista had 88 points for third place and Fallbrook accumulated 103 points for fourth place. Those positions were reversed at the second league cluster meet as Fallbrook placed third with 83 points and Mission Vista had the fourth-place total of 102 points.

Team scores are obtained by adding the positions of a school's top five finishers; the sixth and seventh finishers are not scored but can add points to other teams' totals.

The league cluster results placed Fallbrook and Mission Vista even with each other in the battle for third and fourth place entering the league championship meet. Fallbrook had the third-place total Nov. 14 to give the Warriors third place for the season.

"That is quite an accomplishment," said Fallbrook boys head coach Marco Arias. "It's not that we're pleased about it, but we're content knowing that we beat who we should beat."

Valley Center finished first in the league championship meet with 30 points. Ramona had 40 points for second place. Fallbrook took third place with 100 points while Mission Vista had 104 points. Orange Glen runners gave the Patriots 116 points, and Oceanside accumulated 171 points.

"The kids ran exceptionally well, including a couple of very tough performances by kids who made a difference in us getting that third spot," Arias said.

Each school was allowed up to 12 runners at the league championship meet; although only the first seven were involved in scoring, subsequent finishers could earn all-league recognition. The first 10 finishers earned berths on the Valley League first team while second-team designation was given to the next 10 finishers.

Sixteen of the 20 all-league berths went to Valley Center or Ramona runners. Two of the other four wore Fallbrook uniforms; junior Chris Larson earned first-team status by placing ninth and sophomore David Armet finished 20th to earn second-team distinction.

"I was extremely proud of both Chris and David," Arias said.

Valley Center senior Adrian Monzon won the 2.95-mile race in 15:36.6 with Ramona senior Gabe Plendcio finishing second at 15:38.1. Valley Center and Ramona had 13 of the first 15 finishers with the two exceptions being the fourth-place performance of Orange Glen freshman Rashad Prince and the ninth-place finish Larson obtained with his time of 16:38.7.

"We always knew he had the potential to be that kind of level runner," Arias said of Larson.

Larson was 47th in the 2013 Avocado West League meet and 21st in last year's Valley League meet. "He never lost confidence in his training and the coaches and just went about doing what was expected of him," Arias said.

Armet had a time of 17:41.1. "He was boxed in by two Mission Vista guys and he made that 20th spot on the last step," Arias said.

Timberwolves seniors Brandon Freaner and Stephen Leighton finished in 17:41.2. Close behind was Ramona freshman Jack Clough, whose time of 17:42.9 gave him 23rd place. Mission Vista had one position in the top 20, so Armet's finish ahead of Freaner and Leighton made the difference between third and fourth place as a team.

Armet did not run last year as a freshman but was a pole vaulter on Fallbrook's track and field team. "He really turned on his training," Arias said. "David stepped up coming from nowhere."

A time of 18:08.0 gave Fallbrook sophomore Greg Jameson, who ran for Mission Vista High School last year, 27th place. "It was one of his best races of the year," Arias said.

Warrior junior James Hanlon took 31st place with his 18:19.2 performance. Hanlon spent his freshman and sophomore years at Twentynine Palms High School.

Oceanside's first finisher was freshman Blake Robinson, whose time of 18:24.4 relegated the 18:25.5 posted by Fallbrook senior Wade Leehey to 33rd place. Leehey still finished ahead of Mission Vista's fifth runner, sophomore Colin Deming, who had the 34th-place time of 18:27.1. Leehey finished 36th in the 2014 Valley League meet and 60th in the 2013 Avocado West League meet.

Fallbrook's sixth finisher, junior Alec Billmeier, took 36th place with a time of 18:28.1. The 41st-place time of Fallbrook junior Dillon Howell was 18:52.7.

Arias told his runners that the top seven finishers at the league meet would compete at the CIF meet while the eighth finisher earned CIF meet alternate status. That eighth finisher was senior Juan Lopez, who was 46th overall at 19:04.6. Fallbrook had nine boys runners; senior Antonio Lopez finished 52nd among the 55 finishers with a time of 20:01.3.

"We're really excited about where we're at and more importantly we're excited about where we're going to go as a team," Arias said.

"It's positive. We're heading the right way," Arias said. "It should be an exciting season next year."

The 2015 Avocado East League meet results included second place for San Pasqual and fifth for Escondido. The anticipated North County Conference realignment for next year will move those two teams into the Valley League while moving Mission Vista and Oceanside out of the Valley League. "I'm excited for the challenge," Arias said. "San Pasqual has always been a quality team, so it's going to be challenging but exciting."