* Crater's Tyrone Gorze put down a historic performance on Friday at Woodbridge
Photo Credit: California MileSplit
- - -
The fastest race on California soil once again featured a selection of America's brightest talents on Friday at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic, as Oregon superstar Tyrone Gorze clocked the fourth-fastest 3-mile time in history to win the boys sweepstakes race in 13:42.8.
The course differed from last year's historic marks, going back to a version five seasons ago at Irvine's Great Park. Last year's installment was held at Norco's Silverlakes Sports Complex.
But spectacularly enough, he was one of six boys to go under 14 minutes, including runner-up Tayson Echohawk or Orem (13:49.3), Liam Heninger of Mountain View (13:55.2), Jason Parra of Millikan (13:56.5), Josiah Tostenson of Crater (13:57.4) and Bille Issa of West Ranch (13:57.9).
One of Newbury Park's top varsity members, Aaron Sahlman, was the lone individual from the nation's top team to run in the sweepstakes race and he finished seventh overall in 14:07.7 -- teammate Aaron Cantu was in the rated varsity race and ran 14:40.6.
Perhaps, though, the most revealing performance was from that of Herriman (UT), the talented program from North Utah led by Doug Soles.
Downing the third-ranked team in the nation, Southlake Carroll (TX) -- which finished third with 160 points -- along with Crater (139 points), Herriman notched its biggest win of the season with 117 points.
In doing so, it also put much of the nation's top teams on notice.
Related:
California MileSplit's Boys Race Recap
Soles, the former Great Oak (CA) coach, put together a lineup that featured two runners in the top 20, two more in the top 45 and his final scorer in the top 80 places -- the field was 229 strong.
Great Oak, the sixth-ranked team this preseason, was fifth overall. Granada, the nation's 12th-ranked team from California, was fourth. The Woodlands, ninth-ranked to begin the season, was ninth in the field of 29.
Clearly understanding the size ands scope of the race -- Soles had long featured his Great Oak teams at Woodbridge -- it was impressive that Herriman ran so well in their first time out, beating one of Oregon's top units, Crater, along with Orem
Gorze, who finished seventh at Eastbay Nationals in 2021, was running in his first race of the cross country season following his appearance at the World U20 Championships in Colombia -- he was 12th in the 5K.
The Oregon star, ranked No. 3 on the MileSplit50 individual rankings this week, clearly accounted himself well. Many expected the Pacific Northwester to compete at this level.
Echohawk and Heninger, the 10th-ranked and 11th-ranked runners in the country, also ran to form. Though big statements were made from Parra, Tostenson and Issa.
Mens 3 Miles Race 52 - Doug Speck Sweeps Results
=====================================================================
Pl Athlete Yr Team Time
=====================================================================
1 Tyrone Gorze 12 Crater 13:42.8
2 Tayson Echohawk 12 Orem 13:49.3
3 Liam Heninger 12 Mountain View 13:55.2
4 Jason Parra 11 Millikan 13:56.5
5 Josiah Tostenson 10 Crater 13:57.4
6 Bille Issa 11 West Ranch 13:57.9
7 Aaron Sahlman 12 Newbury Park 14:01.7
8 Noah Jenkins 12 Herriman 14:01.9
9 Matthew Donis 12 Highland (SS) 14:04.8
10 Landon Pretre 10 Menlo 14:06.7
11 Carter Spradling 11 Clovis East 14:07.0
12 Austin Westfall 11 Orem 14:09.2
13 Omar Reyes 11 El Camino (Oceanside) 14:11.1
14 William Horne 12 Herriman 14:12.0
15 Grant Morgenfeld 11 Palo Alto 14:13.0
16 Christopher Caudillo 12 Clovis 14:13.3
17 Ryan Thomas 12 Torrey Pines 14:17.7
18 Broen Holman 10 Sonora 14:17.9
19 Daegan Cutter 12 Redwood (Larkspur) 14:18.8
20 Logan Cantu 12 Southlake Carroll 14:20.7
21 Parker Barnes 12 Mountain View 14:21.7
22 Kenny Wanlass 12 Newport Harbor 14:21.9
23 Dheeraj Gurusamy 12 Granada 14:22.3
24 Roland Ruckmann-Barnes 12 Granada 14:22.8
25 Andrew Richards 12 Dougherty Valley 14:23.1 - - -
Of note: Hartington-Newcastle's Carson Noecker won the rated race in 13:49.7 ...Southlake Carroll's boys won that installment with a total of 143 points, over Herriman's B-squad, which finished with 183 ...Orem's girls won the rated race with 143 points ...Lydia Beus won the race in a time of 16:29.8.
Girls Sweepstakes
- - -
Putting a notch up on Dalia Frias, who set the fastest 3-mile mark in cross country history a year ago at this same event -- but different venue -- Sadie Engelhardt wasn't leaving anything to chance.
The sophomore from Ventura HS in California, who let Frias and Co. run away from her a season ago as she finished seventh, did not let up a single ounce, surpassed Frias' mark by less than a second to take the win in 15:42.6.
The performance from the No. 7 ranked runner on the MileSplit50 was a 22-second improvement from last season.
Oaks Christian's Payton Godsey was the only other female under 16, crossing the line in 15:51.9, while Flower Mound starlet Samantha Humphries was third in 16:03.2 and Southlake Carroll's Alexandra Walsh was fourth in 16:03.5. Arapahoe No. 1 Emily Lamontagne was fifth in in 16:05.4.
Perhaps a bit strategically, Buchanan's Sydney Sundgren held back and finished 10th, clocking a time of 16;14.7 alongside teammate Elle Lomeli, who was 11th in 16:15.3 and Kynzlee Buckley, who was 13th in 16:19.6.
The Clovis-based squad, ranked third in the national polls to begin the season, saw the payoff of that work, winning the Sweepstakes with 91 points.
Southlake Carroll, which was an honorable mention pick to begin the season, was second overall with 107 points while sixth-ranked Cuthbertson was third (129), JSerra was fourth (175), 10th-ranked Flower Mound was fifth (178), fourth-ranked Arapahoe was sixth (220).
A total of 19 girls broke 16:30 for three miles, including Mia Hall (12th, 16:17.3), Mountain View's Mari Konold (16th, 16:21.9) and Newbury Park's Ailish Hawkins (17th, 16:22.3) and Tiffany Sax (18th, 16:24.0).
Womens 3 Miles Race 51 - Bob Day Sweeps Results
=====================================================================
Pl Athlete Yr Team Time
=====================================================================
1 Sadie Engelhardt 10 Ventura 15:42.6
2 Payton Godsey 11 Oaks Christian 15:51.9
3 Samantha Humphries 11 Lewisville Flower Mound 16:03.2
4 Alexandra Walsh 11 Southlake Carroll 16:03.5
5 Emily Lamontagne 12 Arapahoe 16:05.4
6 Stella Kermes 11 Cuthbertson 16:09.0
7 Brynn Garcia 10 J Serra Catholic 16:09.7
8 Ava Mitchell 12 Arapahoe 16:11.8
9 Julie Moore 10 Mountain View 16:11.9
10 Sydney Sundgren 12 Buchanan 16:14.7
11 Elle Lomeli 10 Buchanan 16:15.3
12 Mia Hall 12 Flagstaff 16:17.3
13 Kynzlee Buckley 9 Buchanan 16:19.6
14 Tessa Buswell 11 Poway 16:20.4
15 Ava Bushaw 12 Southlake Carroll 16:20.9
16 Mari Konold 12 Mountain View 16:21.9
17 Ailish Hawkins 12 Newbury Park 16:22.3
18 Tiffany Sax 10 Newbury Park 16:24.0
19 Brianne Smith 12 Quartz Hill 16:28.9
20 Charlotte Bell 11 Cuthbertson 16:34.6
21 Summer Wilson 9 J Serra Catholic 16:36.5
22 Rylee Blade 10 Santiago (Corona) 16:39.6
23 Cameron Macias 9 Clovis West 16:41.0
24 Jadyn Zdanavage 12 Portola (Irvine) 16:41.4
25 Alyssa Preisano 12 Cuthbertson 16:41.5