On Nov. 11, Ashlyn Boothby, a senior at Scotts Valley High School, led the way at the Central Coast Section cross country meet at Crystal Springs in Belmont, winning her third consecutive CCS Division IV crown and helping her team to their third consecutive title.
Her time on the 2.93-mile course was 17:52.2, a personal best.
She was the fastest of 450 runners in all five divisions.
Ava Decleve, her sophomore teammate, finished second in 18:31.1.
Scotts Valley sophomore Jenni Brownfield was 10th in 19.50.5.
Scotts Valley freshman Hanna Shehorn was 11th in 19:57.1.
Scotts Valley junior Violet McCutcheon was 35th in 21:49.2.
The Falcons team score was 46.
Scotts Valley’s Ashlyn Boothby and Ava DeCleve (last two at right) join the top 10 finishers at CCS.
State Championships
At the CIF state championships Nov. 25 at Woodward Park, Fresno, Scotts Valley took 8th place with 228.
Ashlyn Boothby ran with an injured foot, hurt at practice two weeks before the race, and finished 6th in 17:50.0.
Ava Decleve finished 15th 18:24.3.
Jenni Brownfield was 61st in 19.50.4.
Hanna Shehorn was 91st in 20:24.5.
Violet McCutcheon was 123rd in 21:16.6.
Division II
Evie Marheineke (10) of Santa Cruz runs in the state championship.
Evie Marheineke of Santa Cruz, a junior at Archbishop Mitty, who was 1st at the CCS Division II League race with a time of 18:05.2, finished 7th out of 197 runners in 17:58.6, a personal best and a medal.
Asked about her experience, she said, “Overall, it was a good race. My main goal going into the race was to get that podium spot. Throughout the race, I used those hills to push and pass girls one by one. Using the girls in front of me was my main way of staying connected and motivated during the race.”
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Eli Fitchen-Young 4th at State
Eli Fitchen-Young, a junior at Santa Cruz High who easily won the Division II Central Coast Section cross country crown at Crystal Springs in Belmont, took fourth place of 203 runners at the CIF State Championships in Fresno on Nov. 25.
He earned the opportunity to race in the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore., on Dec. 2.
His time was 14:49.5, a personal best.
His time at Crystal Springs was 14:55.1.
His senior teammate Kees Van der Meer was 31st in 16:06.4.
Emiliano Villareal, a Santa Cruz junior, was 99th in 17:08.7.
Alan Lee, a Santa Cruz junior, was 107th in 17:15.0.
Owen Fitchen-Young, a Santa Cruz freshman, was 127th in 17:34.6.
The Santa Cruz Cardinals finished 11th with 276.
CCS Boys top finishers
Scotts Valley
For Scotts Valley, Ben George, a senior, was 32nd in 16:07.6
Aaron Weiss, Scotts Valley sophomore, was 69th in 16:45.0.
Mason Lantz, Scotts Valley senior, was 75th in 16:53.7.
Eli Granados, Scotts Valley senior, was 108th in 17:15.1.
Jackson Stull, Scotts Valley freshman, was 138th in 17:55.3.
The Falcons finished 12th with 319.
Division V
Monte Vista Christian finished 20th with 461 in their first appearance at state.
Justin McCullick, a junior, came in 29th of 202 runners in 16:21.4.
Gavin Beckmen, a sophomore, was 98th in 17:17.1.
Bradley Orlando, a junior, was 154th in 18:06.7.
Conor Gilliam, a sophomore, was 155th in 18:06.7.
Eli Kieft, a sophomore, was 159th in 18:09.2.
Division III
Aptos senior Evan Niles finished 136th in 17:00.7.