The 2019 high school cross country season got off to a fast start for dozens of local runners on Saturday, Sept. 14, as Analy and El Molino teams hit the trails at the 35th annual Viking Opener at Spring Lake in Santa Rosa.
The event, hosted by Montgomery, featured more than 1,000 athletes from schools all over Northern California. Races were contested in several divisions on the abbreviated two-mile course, including senior boys, junior boys, junior/senior girls, frosh boys, soph boys, frosh/soph girls, open runners and the ever popular alumni race.
Top finishers for the Running Tigers included sophomore standout Carolina Dawson (fourth place frosh/soph, 12:52), sophomore Joey Thompson (eighth place, frosh/soph,11:12), Maddie Windsor (15th place, junior/senior, 13:38), Emma McNatt (57th place frosh/soph, 15:16), Molly Parks (53rd place junior/senior, 15:33), Maddy Christensen (36th frosh/soph, 14:12), Hopi Caiazzo (37th place frosh/soph, 14:13), Austin VanBezooyen (12th place frosh, 11:56), Jack Cheshier-Fraenkle (31st place soph, 12:06), Jedediah Hornback (44th place soph, 12:22), Dallin Ramos (54th place soph, 12:40) and Aiden Finnegan (62nd place soph, 12:59).
Lions out fast
El Molino also turned in an outstanding collective effort at the Viking Opener, sending runners to the starting line in virtually every race. Leading the way for the El Mo boys were; junior Ladarrian Gamble (29th place, junior race, 11:34), sophomore Kazuki Hillberg (22nd soph race, 11:46), senior Jackson Conger (34th place senior race, 12:15), Caleb Bush (52nd place, soph race, 12:37), Colton Pfann (53rd place soph race, 12:39), Drew Giacomini (32nd frosh race, 12:45), Zeke Hataway (69th place soph race, 13:18) and Grant Feige (57th place senior race, 13:19).
Top finishers for the Lady Lions were; Sienna Fassett (20th place, frosh/soph, 13:45), junior Jeanne Broome (23rd place junior/senior, 14:15), freshman Skye Flores (73rd frosh/soph, 16:33) and Jade Glentzer (86th place, frosh/soph, 18:04).
