Corie Smith (l) and Meagen Lowe (c) were the top two finishers at the Central Section Championships held Thursday at Woodward Park. (DeAnna Turner photo)
Stockdale senior Marcus Mota won his second title in as many years and Buchanan junior Corie Smith won for the second time in three years on Thursday at the CIF-Central Section Championships held at Woodward Park in Fresno.
Mota and Smith both won Division I titles over the 5K Woodward Park course that is also used for the CIF-State Championships.
Mota (DeAnna Turner photo above) crossed the line in 15:25.90 to edging Damian Gavilan of D-I team champion Paso Robles by 1.36 seconds. Isaiah Galindo of team runner-up Clovis North is third (15:38.57). He was the runner-up to Mota last year by 10.40 seconds. Paso Robles went 2-4-8-14-37 for 65 points, seven better than Clovis North. Buchanan had 85 for third in the team chase.
Smith, the defending D-I state champion, crossed in 17:15.10. She also won as a freshman and placed second last year to senior teammate Meagen Lowe, who was second this time (17:32.75). Smith and Lowe, who train on the Woodward Park course, went 1-2 at 2017 State Final.
McFarland's Hilda Gonzalez (18:27.89) was third with Clovis' Olivia Herrera (18:33.40) fourth.
Buchanan got a 1-2-5-7-9 finish to win its third consecutive D-I team title. Clovis West with 92 points was a distant second.
Kelly Brewer was seventh overall for Buchanan, putting up the meet's top overall time among junior boys. Other Buchanan runners putting up class-best times: Lowe (senior girls), Smith (junior girls), Morgan Hutchinson (sophomore girls) and Kaylee Elliott (freshman girls).
Other division winners and top finishers Thursday:
Division II
SLO, running in the CS finals for the first time after 13 Central California schools shifted from the Southern to the Central section over the summer. 
The girls race produced the same finish as 2017 with senior McKaylie Caesar (Lindsay) defending her title and sophomore Haley Ulloa (Bakersfield Highland) placing second. Caesar ran away with it in 18:16.05. Ulloa, 34 seconds back a year ago, was 1:19.20 back this time. Caesar, who has now won five of seven 5K races this season, ran 5:54 pace.