Goleta’s San Marcos and Dos Pueblos high school cross country teams traveled to Walnut on Saturday to compete in the prestigious Mt. San Antonio College Invitational. Both local squads participated in the highly competitive Division 1-2 Sweepstakes race, an event that draws top talent from across California.
The San Marcos boys' team secured 15th place overall in their division. A notable performance came from August Singer, who achieved a personal best time of 14:30, setting a new San Marcos program record. Singer’s effort earned him 12th place individually in the challenging race. San Marcos head coach Marilyn Hantgin commented on his performance, noting that Singer is "running with a lot of confidence."
Other strong showings for the San Marcos boys included Everett Young, who finished in 14:58, Brogan Hemphill with a time of 15:30, Audric Halberg at 15:34, and Drew Vogel completing the course in 15:48. Coach Hantgin highlighted Young's maturity, stating that while he is only a sophomore, he "runs like a veteran." Hantgin also pointed out the value of competing in such an event, as it provides a valuable preview for upcoming championship races later in the season.
The Dos Pueblos boys' team finished just ahead of their Goleta neighbors, claiming 14th place overall in the Division 1-2 Sweepstakes with a total of 301 points. Ian McMurtry was the top finisher for the Chargers, earning 24th place with a time of 15:03.3. He was followed by Quentin Holland (15:34.4), Dylan Adam (15:43.4), Evan Vuong (15:56.3), Ricky Lopez Garza (16:10), James Domingues (16:22.2), and Jadyn Peterson (16:33.1).
The Dos Pueblos girls' team had four individual finishers but did not record a team score. Their runners included Gwen Shea, who finished 33rd with a time of 19:12. Mitzi Myers completed the race in 19:30.7, taking 37th place, while Abby Chou secured 41st place at 19:37.8. Viola Penn finished 67th with a time of 21:10.8.
This year’s invitational utilized Mt. SAC’s alternate rain course. This change was implemented following heavy downpours throughout the week leading up to the competition. Dos Pueblos head coach David Jackson expressed gratitude for the event organizers, stating, "We appreciate the organizers’ work to prepare the alternate course and keep the competition moving forward." Coach Jackson also noted that many Chargers set personal bests despite the adjusted course conditions. He added that there was a sense of camaraderie between the local schools, observing that it was "special for our team to see our neighbors at San Marcos doing so well," with some athletes from both squads posing together after their races.
