Woodbridge Results | Elites

by SteveU

COSTA MESA, Calif. – Simi Valley CA jr Sarah Baxter ended last fall as the top-ranked female prep harrier in the country after her D2 state championship and then decisive victory at Nike Cross Nationals. This past spring, she ran the top 3,200 in the country with her 10:08.11 to win Arcadia.

As the 2012 harrier campaign heats up, she’s looking like the girl to beat once again.

In her first big test this past Saturday, she blazed a 16:12 on the fast, flat layout for the victory in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race at the Woodbridge/Costa Mesa/Estancia Cross-Country Classic at Estancia High. The course is different than the one where Sarah Andrews ran the Woodbridge meet record of 16:01 back in 2009. Nonetheless, it was an impressive run for Baxter, who topped the 16:17 from Buchanan sr Hagen Reedy (7th at 2011 NXN). Newport Harbor sr Paige Tennyson was third in 16:33.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

** Dos Pueblos sr Bryan Fernandez won the Doug Speck boys sweepstakes race in 14:19, five seconds ahead of Norte Vista sr Omar Caro.

** The boys sweepstakes team title went to Super 25 preseason honorable mention (Marc Bloom) Arcadia with 54 points, a team that looks like it’s melding into a national class force again. Madera South (144) edged Long Beach Poly (145) and US#11 Trabuco Hills (149) for third.

** Great Oak captured its third straight girls sweepstakes title with 93 points, followed by US#13 Simi Valley (reportedly missing its #2 and #3 runners).