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It was a run to history and a run to redemption for the San Clemente boys cross country team at the CIF State Championships on Saturday, Nov. 25, at Woodward Park in Fresno.
After being edged out for the state title last year by Great Oak of Temecula, the Tritons took on the same course and same Great Oak team and dominated the Division I field with three runners in the top 10 and all five scoring runners in the top 27 to finally capture the program’s first-ever CIF State Championship.
The back-to-back, CIF-SS Division 1 champion Tritons qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals for the second straight season, and San Clemente will run against the nation’s best in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, Dec. 2. San Clemente finished seventh at Nationals last year.
Last season, San Clemente and Great Oak had split the CIF postseason honors. The Tritons captured their first-ever CIF-SS championship, and despite their leading after the first mile and closing the gap in the third mile, Great Oak held off San Clemente for the state championship.
This season, there was never a doubt for the Tritons.
San Clemente boys cross country captured the program’s first CIF State Championship and will run at Nationals for the second straight season. Photo Courtesy of the Ephraim Family.
San Clemente and Great Oak were tied at the first mile with nearly each runner at the hip of their counterpart. By the second mile, San Clemente had pushed well ahead, with senior Brett Ephraim pulling out into second place, and the Tritons’ trail runner with a sizeable gap on Great Oak’s fifth runner.
When it was all said and done, San Clemente simply outpaced the entire field with a 54-point margin over Great Oak and the fifth-best team time in Division I history (1:16:28) to capture the Tritons’ first boys state championship.
San Clemente’s girls won a state title in 2011.
While Long Beach Millikan’s Jason Parra led wire-to-wire for the individual state title, Ephraim earned top scoring honors, as Parra qualified without his team and only team runners earn points at the state championship.
The Colorado State-bound Ephraim was seventh after the first mile, fourth after the second mile and finished second with a time of 14:58. The senior bested his October time from the Clovis Invitational on the same course by more than 30 seconds.
Senior Taj Clark was the next Triton across the line in ninth at 15:12, and his twin brother, Pierce Clark, finished 13th at 15:17. Sophomore Dallin Harrington finished 25th at 15:28, and senior Kai Olsen rounded out the scoring in 27th at 15:30.
Also running for San Clemente was senior Isaac Gould in 74th (15:58) and freshman Yohan Anderson in 140th (16:38) out of 182 state championship runners.
Just as South Orange County dominated the CIF-SS Finals, two more area teams won CIF State Championships and will join the San Clemente boys at the Nike Cross Nationals.
In Division III, the Dana Hills boys posted the best team time of the day (1:16:19) to capture their first state championship since 2009 and fifth state title overall. The Dolphins were led by junior Evan Noonan, who repeated as individual state champion in a blistering 14:35. Dana Hills’ team time was the best-ever in Division III.
Dana Hills’ girls finished fourth in Division III, with junior Annie Ivarsson coming in ninth at 18:07 and senior Quinci Lott coming in 15th at 18:24.
In Division IV, the JSerra girls continued their run of total domination with four runners in the top 10 to capture their third consecutive state championship and sixth state title overall. The Lions posted the lowest score and fastest time in Division IV history. Sophomore Summer Wilson finished second at 17:31, and junior Sophie Polay finished third at 17:32.
JSerra’s boys finished as runner-up in Division IV with 124 points to state champion St. Francis’ 66 points. Junior Bradley Arrey finished 10th at 15:26, and senior Saul Orozco finished 11th at 15:31.
In Division V, St. Margaret’s saw their girls finish eighth overall, with sophomore Li Joyce finishing 16th at 18:58, and their boys finish 15th overall, with senior Everett Capelle coming in seventh at 15:28.