Westlake cross-country squad joins T.O. at State Meet

Westlake High’s girls’ cross country completes its season Saturday in Fresno by competing in the California State Meet at Woodward Park in a Division II race.

The Warriors will be in the meet against California runners from the Central Coast, Central, Los Angeles, North Coast, Northern, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Sac-Joaquin and Southern Sections.

With sophomore Jasmine Hayes likely to lead the way, Westlake’s race on the 3.1-mile course will begin will be at 11:45 a.m.

Because of injuries, head coach Joe Snyder is uncertain regarding his team’s chances in the California Interscholastic Federation race.

“Like every team, we have injuries and we’ve pulled some people out,” Snyder said. “We have our top runner, Jasmine Hayes, struggling with her foot. We have had her work with our team trainer.”

The injury did impact Hayes’ run on Saturday in the Southern Section finals at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, the coach said, but on balance, he added, “These kids are overcoming adversity. The kids who get up there to the state finals have to overcome the adversity.”

The Warrior girls’ team gained entry into the meet by finishing fourth in its 3-mile run at Mt. SAC. The first seven teams from the Southern Section qualified for the Fresno State Meet.

Westlake’s point total was 152 at Walnut. The combined time for the first five runners was 1:37:17 and the team had a spread of 2:09, the difference in finish time between the first and fifth runner for the Warriors. Hayes took 13th place with a time of 18:39.

Hayes was followed by Westlake teammates junior Kelly Adamski, 19th, 18:58; sophomore Victoria Smith, 23rd, 19:04; junior Brianna Alban, 50th, 19:48, and sophomore Lucy Darago, 81st, 20:48.

“Kelly (Adamski) is a very underrated runner,” Snyder said. “She ran well in track last year. (Victoria) Smith is underrated and a very consistent quality runner. Brianna (Alban) and Jaclyn (Borowski) also stepped it up from last year.

“Lucy Darago, we’ll see how she does in practice this week. We have some kids there if she has not,” Snyder said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie.”

Sophomore Morgan McCloud is a possible runner on Saturday, he said, but junior Lauren Mathews, who was at state meet team last year, has a stress fracture.

The Westlake displacers were last week at Mt. SAC were sophomore Jillia Fongheiser, 82nd, 20:51, and junior Jaclyn Borowski, 86th, 21:02.4.

The Mt. SAC Division II winning team was Newport Harbor Sailors, 96 points, a 1:34:28 time and a 2:11 spread. Next were the Edison Chargers, second, 98 points, 1:35:35 time, 0:27 spread; the Ventura Cougars, third, 109 points, 1:35:59 time, 1:11 spread, and Westlake.

Following the Warriors were the San Marcos Royals, fifth, 161 points, 1:37:35 time, 2:06 spread; West Torrance Warriors, sixth, 170 points, 1:38:04 time 1:13 spread, and Brea Olinda Wildcats, seventh, 174 points, 1:38:08 time, 0:50 spread.

In the boys’ individual CIFSS Division II race, Westlake junior Cory Primm finished in 70th place with a time of 17:13.

“He’ll be back,” Snyder said. “We anticipate having a team up there (in the state meet) next year.”