XC Weekend Recap: MT. SAC & Regionals Highlight the Action

Mt. SAC Showcases Thousands of Runners

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The storied Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, now in its 76th year, brought the finest high school cross-country talent from across California and beyond to the challenging hills of Walnut, California. Known for its iconic hills and intense competition, this year's meet lived up to its reputation as a thrilling showcase of endurance, grit, and strategy. Among the standout performances, South Pasadena's Abigail Errington and De La Salle's Trey Caldwell ran the fastest 3-mile times across all divisions, with Caldwell remaining undefeated this fall. Here's a recap of the highlight races:

Division 3 Blue Girls 3-Mile Run

In the Division 3 Blue Girls race, South Pasadena's Abigail Errington stole the show, clocking an impressive 16:57, the fastest girls' 3-mile time across all divisions. Her speed and consistency over the challenging Mt. SAC course paved the way for South Pasadena's team victory, earning them 64 points overall. La Jolla's Chiara Dailey, finishing close behind in 17:06, kept Errington in her sights and showed great competitive spirit, placing second. La Canada's Maya De Brouwer rounded out the podium with a strong finish in 17:38, securing third.

The team battle was just as thrilling, with South Pasadena narrowly edging out Cathedral Catholic by a single point. South Pasadena's scoring runners executed an effective strategy, finishing with a 2:57 spread from their first to fifth runners and averaging 18:51. Cathedral Catholic gave a valiant effort, finishing just one point behind at 65, with a team average of 19:10 and a tighter 1:24 1-5 spread, demonstrating their own impressive depth and cohesion.

Division 3 Boys 3-Mile Run

The Division 3 Blue Boys race delivered an exhilarating contest between the front-runners. St. Francis senior Auge Martin and Viewpoint's Olly O'Connor both finished with a time of 15:02, leaving spectators on edge as Martin ultimately clinched first place by a narrow margin. Ryan Fitzpatrick of The Nueva School completed the top three with a strong finish at 15:19, helping to keep the pace intense throughout the race.

In the team standings, Foothill Technology claimed the title with 106 points. Their consistency was key, boasting a quick 0:24 spread between their first and fifth scorers and an average time of 16:07. South Pasadena's boys also had a strong showing, finishing second with 136 points, showcasing both depth and resilience as they averaged 16:13 with a 0:55 split.

Girls D1 & D2 Sweepstakes

The Girls D1 & D2 Sweepstakes race featured Santiago Corona's Braelyn Combe, who raced to victory with a time of 17:20. Combe's strength and consistency over the undulating Mt. SAC course earned her a dominant win. Claremont's Isla Bulmer and Grace Smith finished in second and third, clocking 17:57 and 18:01, respectively. This impressive 2-3 finish from Claremont's top runners set the tone for the team's strong overall showing.

St. Francis (CC) clinched the team title with 69 points, thanks to their tight pack running and a solid 0:31 split from their first to fifth runners, finishing with an 18:58 team average. Del Norte secured second place with 105 points and a 19:06 average, relying on strong performances from their top two runners to bolster their score.

Boys D1 & D2 Team Sweepstakes

The Boys D1 & D2 Team Sweepstakes was headlined by De La Salle's Trey Caldwell, who continued his undefeated season with a powerful run, crossing the line in 14:46. His time not only marked the fastest boys' 3-mile performance of the meet but also reinforced his dominance this fall. Arnold O. Beckman's Mason Nguyen came in second with an impressive 15:03, followed by Maximo Zavaleta from ML King at 15:13, both pushing the pace behind Caldwell.

In the team competition, Arnold O. Beckman emerged as champions with 103 points. Their collective performance was underscored by a fast 15:36 team average and a 1:08 1-5 split, demonstrating both speed and depth. Glendora's squad earned a strong second-place finish with 131 points, featuring a tightly grouped 0:41 spread, while Mira Costa rounded out the podium with a 15:48 average and 141 points.

This year's Mt. SAC Invitational once again underscored why it's a pinnacle event in high school cross-country, with Caldwell's unbeaten streak and Errington's breakout performance highlighting a meet full of remarkable individual and team accomplishments across every division.