Leo Young (2425) and Lex Young (2426) opened their senior cross country invitational season with a dominant performance to lead Newbury Park at the Clovis Invitational. (DeAnna Turner photo)
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FRESNO, Ca. -- Using the Woodward Park course as their playground of sorts over the past several years, Newbury Park (SS) finally opened the season in a much anticipated display of force at the Clovis Invite.
Stanford-bound seniors Leo Young and Lex Young did NOT disappoint in their first invitational of the season as they shadowed one another all throughout.
But, it was Leo who pulled away to run the second-fastest time in Woodward Park course history at 14:25.9! German Fernandez's 14:24 standard from 2007 has been under assault since Newbury Park's Nico Young -- the twins' older brother -- gave it a scare in 2019, It can rest for a little longer ... for now.
Lex crossed in 14:31.7.
Newbury Park's boys ran 75:04, which ranks as the second-fastest squad in Woodward Park course history -- only behind their 2021 squad that steamrolled to 73:39. Aaron Sahlman came through with a 14:53 and up until their program's metaphoric rise in recent years, that would have almost won the invitational every year! Florida transfer Brayden Seymour debuted with a 15:35 while junior Dev Doshi was just behind him at 15:38.
With one of the true step-up performances of the meet, San Clemente (SS) may very well lay claim as the top team in California for Division I with their performance! Led by Juan Chantaca (15:12), Brett Ephraim (15:37), and Rory Catsimanes (15:41) led the way for the Tritons.
With Great Oak competing without Ramses Cortes, the Tritons outscored them by a 138-177 margin.
Clovis (CS) senior Christopher Caudillo put behind a tough Woodbridge Classic race with a 15:04 performance to place fourth behind the Newbury trio. Davis (SJ) senior Ryan Mitchell moved up well over the last mile to place fifth (15:05), finishing just ahead of West Ranch (SS) senior Bille Issa.
Newbury Park had 40 points, 98 in front of San Clemente. The Panthers ran a 15:01 average and a 1:12 1-5 gap. Granada (NC) was third with 157 points followed by Great Oak, Crescenta Valley (SS) 192, and San Luis Obispo (CS) 239.
Leo and Lex ran 4:31.4 through the first mile, with Highland (SS) senior Matthew Donis just a stride back and Millikan (SS) junior Jason Parra fourth at 4:32.9. Leo hit the 2.1 split at 9:54.9 with Lex pushing at 9:55.5. Sahlman had jumped up two spots and was third at 10:04.0 with Caudillo fourth at 10:12.4.
GIRLS CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
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Once news swept through the Woodward Park crowd that Ventura (SS) sophomore Sadie Engelhardt was sick and unable to compete, the pre-race buzz seemed to simmer down.
But, Montgomery (NC) sophomore Hanne Thomsen, who has been moving up the national individual rankings this past month, used the moment to shine!
Staying with a huge pack at the mile, Thomsen took control of the back part of the Woodward Park 5K course and never looked back. Approaching the two-mile mark, it was Thomsen racing against the clock as she opened an 8-second lead and was solo all the way through the line.
On our meet preview, we shared how Thomsen would flirt with the 17-minute threshold, and sure enough, her 17:04.2 ranks as the eighth-fastest mark in Clovis Invitational history.
Much improved and with a 19:11 from last year's state meet, La Costa Canyon (SD) junior Gioana Lopizzo continues to move up as one of the top girls in CA with her runner-up 17:28 performance. National No. 1 Buchanan, hampered by illness and injury, was led (SS) sophomore Elliana Lomeli, but unable to put five across the line to stay in the team race.
Lomeli improved her Woodward course best by 26 seconds with a third-place, 17:28.1 effort, and freshman Kynzlee Buckley slipped two spots late but still placed sixth in 17:36.1 running No 2 for the Bears, who were without senior Sydney Sundgren and sophomore Sierra Cornett.
Still Buchanan held a 23-point lead at the 2.1-mile split and appeared headed for another major invitational title following their team win at Woodbridge last month. However, the lead became moot when senior Grace Hutchison was injured and unable to finish the race with around 1200 meters left.
At that point, the team battle was left to Los Altos (CC), JSerra (SS) and Newbury Park (SS). With the Soobrian sisters, Lauren, a senior (10th in 17:47.8) and Emily, a sophomore (17th in 17:59.2), leading the way, Los Altos took top team honors with 93 points. JSerra was second (122), with Newbury Park third (123).
Clovis West (CS) freshman Cameron Macias continued to impress with a fourth-place finish (17:28.5), Santa Margarita (SS) sophomore, Sophie Polay placed fifth (17:35.1, almost 37 seconds faster than what she ran at the 2021 State Meet), and Scotts Valley (CC) junior Ashlyn Boothby made up four spots over the final mile to place seventh (17:44.3).
Sophomore Brynn Garcia (18:08.0) and frosh Kaylah Tasser (18:12.4) led JSerra. Senior Ailish Hawkins made up eight spots over the final mile to place 11th in 17:48.3, and sophomore Tiffany Sax was 14th in 17:52.8 to lead Newbury Park.
MileSplit contributor Mark Gardner and CA state editor Jeffrey Parenti contributed to this report.
Photos by DeAnna Turner