Four Warrior girls medal in Laguna Hills Invitational; ten in top half of finishers

Four members of Fallbrook High School’s girls cross-country team earned medals for a top 40 finish in their race September 11 at the Laguna Hills Invitational while six additional Warriors finished in the top half of their field.

“I like what I’m seeing,” said Fallbrook head coach Troy Hamlin. “We’re going to be much improved from last year.”

Fallbrook High School’s cross-country program has 38 girls, although the ACT college entrance test, injuries, and other causes for absence limited participation at the Laguna Hills Invitational to 20 girls. Ciera Villegas, who ran the three-mile course in 20:16 to take 24th place in the sophomore race, posted the best time of the day for a Fallbrook runner. Villegas ran track as a freshman but was not on the cross-country team in ninth grade.

Nicole Bell’s time of 20:26 placed 22nd in the junior race. Alexis Lopez was 38th among sophomores with a time of 20:53. Shara Leehey earned a medal with a 34th-place time of 21:21 in the junior race.

Leehey missed the final part of the track and field season due to a stress fracture.

“She didn’t run much over the summer, so she’s just beginning to round into shape,” Hamlin said.

Leehey had a time of 6:59 in the opening mile but lost little off that pace in the final two miles.

“It was a big performance for her,” Hamlin said.

The Laguna Hills Invitational included 194 freshmen girls, 172 female sophomores, 142 junior girls, and 123 senior girls race participants.

“Laguna Hills seems like it’s growing bigger and bigger,” Hamlin said. “It’s a very high level of competition.”

Most of the schools in the Laguna Hills Invitational were from the CIF Southern Section rather than the CIF San Diego Section.

Emily Calescibetta was Fallbrook’s fastest senior, placing 48th with a time of 22:40. Fallbrook’s first freshman across the finish line was Haley McCaffrey, who had a time of 24:22 to place 96th in her race.

The sophomore race also saw Megan Pinson finish 53rd at 21:37 and Abi Perdew run the course in 22:58 for 82nd place. The two other juniors who placed in the top half of their field ran together; Bernice Rubalcaba’s time of 23:17 was worth 65th place while Jessica Jameson was 66th with a time of 23:19.

“I was very happy overall with the girls,” Hamlin said. “I think that’s going to be a good solid group. They run off each other, they run together, and they run well as a pack.”

In addition to Calescibetta, the senior leadership includes Amanda Mulkey, who missed the meet to take the ACT.

“It’s a very motivated group right now,” Hamlin said. “I see a pretty solid varsity group emerging here.”

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