* Emanuel Perez is a returning CIF Division 4 champion in California
Photo Credit: Raymond Tran/MileSplit
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Emmanuel Perez took 31 seconds off his previous best for three miles at the Pomona Fairplex course to win the Cool Breeze Invitational's Sundown Showdown in 14:23.5 on Saturday night, securing the second-fastest performance in course history.
Only Isaiah Givens, who ran 14:08 in 2021, has run faster in meet history.
The defending CIF Division 4 champion from Los Angeles Cathedral High School ran away from the field, securing a 30-second win over the next fastest competitor, ML King's Maximo Zavaleta (14:53.8), as he began his year with rousing success.
Perez, a senior, had finished fourth in the same race last year in 14:54.20, before eventually going on to sweep through the postseason, winning the CIF Southern Section Division, Southern Section Division Finals and the State Cross Country title in Division 4.
Perez's teammate, Emmanuel Hernandez, was third in 14:54.9 while Great Oak's Westin Brown was fourth in 14:55.2 and Westview's Adrian Welton was fifth in 15:01.6.
For Brown, who was fourth in the freshman three mile race last year, led Great Oak to a team title with 118 points. The Wolfpack saw four of its top five in the top 32 and its entire lineup through the finish through the top 42 places to outpace Newbury Park, which finished second with 139 points.
Newbury Park, the defending national champions who graduated Leo and Lex Young, Aaron Sahlman and Brayden Seymour, was led by Brandon Guevara, who was 13th in 15:17.7, and Micah Dickran, who was 22nd in 15:27.6.
Torrey Pines was third in the Sundown Showdown race with 141 points.
Warren's Joshua Morales won the large school boys varsity race in 15:40.7, while Woodcrest Christian's Eyan Turk won the small school race in 14:57.3.
Related Links:
Results from 2023 Cool Breeze Invite