By Leonard COUTIN

The Crescenta Valley Weekly Falcons cross-country team headed to Camarillo to run the diversified 5000-meter course this past weekend at Mission Oaks Park. Along with the host school of Camarillo High were Newbury Park, Channel Islands and Golden Valley high schools. The cross-country course offered a variety of terrain including a large loop around the park’s perimeter then back across the baseball field and down a wash and its rocky ravine before returning back to the open meadow for a quick flat finish.
In addition to temperatures in the 90s, CV varsity boys had to deal with being short one lead man – Armin Cardenas was out due to a leg injury. Rising to the challenge were Colin FitzGerald and Phillip Thomas who took lead positions in the pack running only 15 seconds apart.
“I am very happy with how we ran in the Camarillo meet,” said Coach Mark Evans. “Boys’ varsity ran as a group. The top four stuck together and gradually moved past everyone to take the top four spots.”

Fitzgerald took first running 16:50.20, followed by Thomas (16:50.30), Kyle Dickinson (17:12.90) and Robert McNelis (17.20.50).

Team standings were CV boys winning with 27 points, followed by Golden Varsity with 59 points and Newbury Park with 62 points.

The Falcon varsity girls faced a strong Camarillo team. The main challenges for CV’s Grace McAuley were Kylee Yturraled of Camarillo and Shelby Gorman of Newbury Park who pushed the pace throughout the course.

Though she ran a strong race, McAuley was still trailing coming into the final loop of the course.

“In the girls’ varsity race Grace was very patient and never gave up,” said Evans. “She moved from seventh place at the two-mile mark to third place at the finish.”

Yturralde finished first running 20.22.40, with Gorman placing second (20:22.70) and McAuley in third (20:40.70).

Team standings were Newbury Park in first with 39 points, followed by Camarillo with 40 points, Golden Valley with 69 points, and CV with 76 points.