Senior Mark Cortes (679) was the top runner in leading Great Oak to an upset victory for the CIF-State Division I title, a performance that made him the voting favorite for MileSplitCA Boys Cross Country Runner of the Week. (DeAnna Turner photos)
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Congratulations to last week's top vote-getter, Mark Cortes of Great Oak (SS)!!
Mark, a senior, was the top runner for Great Oak in its upset victory of the Division I team title at the CIF-State Championships. Cortes ran 15:23.47 on the 5K course at Woodward Park in Fresno to lead the Wolfpack to a 67-80 victory over a San Clemente Tritons team that beat them the week before at the Southern Section Finals. Great Oak had a scoring split of 20 seconds in winning its seventh State title and earning a bid to Team Nationals in Portland.
Cortes received 39 percent of the vote in a statewide poll. Emmanuel Perez of Cathedral (SS), the State Division IV champion, was second in the closest voting of the fall season with 38 percent of votes.
This week, following championship races across the country and Champs West Regionals in CA, we are expanding our candidate list one final week to put eight outstanding cross country performers on the line for you to choose the overall CA XC Runner of the Week.
Be sure to vote in the MileSplit Picks window below the candidate list. Voting closes each week on Friday at 9 p.m.
This week's candidates (listed alphabetically by last name)
Omar Alsaidi (Oakdale/SJ) - Omar, a junior, placed ninth overall out of 278 runners as the top CA boy at the Garmin RunningLane Championship, running 15:22.20 to lead the CIF-State Division III champions to second place finish out of 28 teams on the 5K course at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.
Josh Bell (Templeton/CS) - Josh, a junior, was CA's No. 2 underclassman at the CHAMPS West Regional, running 15:33 on the 5K course at Mt. SAC to place sixth overall and qualifying to represent the region at this Saturday's national finals in San Diego.
Trey Caldwell (De La Salle/NC) - Trey, a sophomore, was the No. 2 sophomore at the CHAMPS West Regional, running 15:34 on the 5K course at Mt. SAC, making up four key places over the final two-thirds of the race to place eighth overall and qualify to represent the region at this Saturday's national finals in San Diego.
Matthew Donis (Highland/SS) - Matthew, a senior, was 13th overall and the No. 3 boy from CA, running 15:04.30 at Team Nationals on the 5K layout at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland.
Broen Holman (Sonora/SJ) - Broen was the fastest sophomore on the course at the CHAMPS West Regional, running 15:33 on the 5K course at Mt. SAC, making up three key spots over the final third of the course to place seventh and qualify to represent the region at this Saturday's national finals in San Diego.
Grant Morgenfeld (Palo Alto/CC) - Grant, a junior, was the fastest underclassman on the course in placing third overall at the CHAMPS West Regional, running 15:30 on the 5K course at Mt. SAC making up five spots in the middle of the race and holding firm from there to qualify to represent the region at this Saturday's national finals in San Diego.
Aaron Sahlman (Newbury Park/SS) - Aaron, a senior headed to Northern Arizona, came from 15th place at the 1M split and sprinted to win the individual title at Team Nationals, running a record time of 14:44.50 to become the third consecutive national individual champion from Newbury Park -- behind Nico Young and his older brother Colin -- while also leading the Panthers to a third consecutive national crown, this one conducted over the 5K layout at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland
Milo Skapinsky (San Luis Obispo/CS) - Milo, a senior headed to Stanford, placed second at the CHAMPS West Regional, running 15:29 on the 5K course at Mt. SAC, making up 15 spots over the final two-thirds of the race, including nine after the final split to qualify to represent the region at this Saturday's national finals in San Diego.
VOTE: CA Boys XC Runner of the Week (Nov. 27-Dec. 3)
Senior Mark Cortes (679) was the top runner in leading Great Oak to an upset victory for the CIF-State Division I title, a performance that made him the voting favorite for MileSplitCA Boys Cross Country Runner of the Week. (DeAnna Turner photos)
* * *
Congratulations to last week's top vote-getter, Mark Cortes of Great Oak (SS)!!
Mark, a senior, was the top runner for Great Oak in its upset victory of the Division I team title at the CIF-State Championships. Cortes ran 15:23.47 on the 5K course at Woodward Park in Fresno to lead the Wolfpack to a 67-80 victory over a San Clemente Tritons team that beat them the week before at the Southern Section Finals. Great Oak had a scoring split of 20 seconds in winning its seventh State title and earning a bid to Team Nationals in Portland.
