Aptos Girls Take Cross Country League Title

Olson Leads Boys Cross Country Team To Second-Place Finish

By Clare Peabody

Two, six, seven, eight, nine, twelve and nineteen. Just like that, the Aptos girls cross country team swept away to their second consecutive SCCAL title at Pinto Lake last Thursday.

Led by lone senior Clare Peabody (second, 17:27), all seven of the varsity squad managed to squeeze their way into the top twenty. Peabody was soon followed by a 6-7-8-9 Aptos sweep of what can only be described as “Mariner Magic”: sophomore Matti Peoples (sixth, 18:01), freshman Annika McBride (seventh, 18:26), junior Yulisa Abundis (eighth, 18:35), and sophomore Olivia Quinn (ninth, 18:39). Also finishing for Aptos were freshman Quin Lin Harrill (twelfth, 19:10), and sophomore Emily Forsberg sliding just under the twenty-minute mark (19, 19:59).

Anna Maxwell of SLV took the individual title with a time of 16:30, setting a new course record. Nonetheless, the Mariners took home the team title with a total of thirty-two points.

“I was impressed by how tough both of the teams competed,” said coach Dan “D-Grube” Gruber. “It was the best effort I have seen from a girls’ team in a couple years. I’m very lucky and proud to coach this group.”

On the boys’ side, it was sophomore Patrick Olson who championed the course, winning the individual title with a time of 15:38. Eleven seconds later, teammate Morgan Miller (second, 15:49) dashed across the finish line. Miller was followed by a slew Aptos and Scotts Valley jerseys (these two teams monopolized the top twelve places): finishing for the Mariners; junior Jack Rose (sixth, 16:01), senior Chris Tiran (ninth, 16:20), senior Noah Price (eleventh, 16:27), sophomore John Bray (fourteenth, 16:34), and senior Caleb Culwell (eighteenth, 17:09).

Despite a massive effort by all individuals, the Scotts Valley Falcons managed to squeeze by the Mariner boys to win by only two points (27-29).

The Mariners will get a chance to shine once more this Saturday, November 16, at CCS Finals. The meet will be held at Crystal Springs Cross Country Course in Belmont.