Huntington Beach’s Sydney Rubio heads to NXN, local athletes shine in CIF State cross-country finals

A season’s worth of racing through dirt, grass and gravel came down to one last sprint for the area’s top cross-country runners on Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Several area athletes won accolades in the CIF State cross-country championships this past weekend. One local phenom accomplished a feat that has now placed her on a national stage.

Huntington Beach freshman Sydney Rubio qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals, one of six girls from non-qualifying teams to be selected as individuals to compete in the prestigious meet at Glendoveer Golf Course in Portland, Ore..

Rubio placed third in 17 minutes 26.5 seconds (sixth overall) in the Division I race. She had qualified for the state meet with a 3-mile personal record of 16:33.8 on the rain course at Mt. San Antonio College in the Southern Section finals.

“She just has such wonderful energy and spirit,” Huntington Beach coach Kareen Shackelford said, adding that Rubio is the first Oiler to advance to NXN. “A lot of runners get in their heads. All of the coaching staff, there’s three or four of us adult coaches there with her every single day doing our best to help her, whether it’s with workouts or timing or riding on the bike.

“You give her a direction, and she does it. She’s not afraid. If Jim [Roldan] said, ‘I think you can be in the top three,’ she said, ‘I’ll try for it.’ She’s just got that wonderful optimism of someone who is brand new to the sport, and that’s very refreshing.”

Five local athletes earned all-state honors by finishing in the top 10 of their divisional races. Corona del Mar had a starring duo with senior Melisse Djomby Enyawe (sixth, 17:59.9) on the girls’ side and junior Max Douglass (eighth, 15:19.7) in the boys’ race in Division III.

Longtime CdM coach Bill Sumner said Djomby Enyawe, a Cal Poly commit, and Douglass, who is running cross-country for the first time this year, could not be more different.

“Max is a sponge, constantly, constantly asking questions,” Sumner said. “We got him from football. He’s been doing great. He gets a little better each week. He’s kind of been the guy who makes other people perform better. …

Sumner described Djomby Enyawe, who turned in a top-10 performance at state for the second consecutive fall, as “very quiet,” but he said he found it humorous when she addressed those in attendance at the CdM cross-country banquet earlier this week.

“She spoke, and I cracked up,” Sumner said. “At the end of her speech, she kind of picked at me a little bit, thanked everybody and then picked at me a little bit and then thanked me. Then she says, ‘You know, you guys, I hate to say this, but Coach Sumner is right 99.9% of the time. You probably should listen to him.’ That’s the way she finished her speech.”

Sumner added that both Djomby Enyawe and Douglass will be competing in the Foot Locker West Regional at Mt. SAC on Saturday. Those who finish in the top 10 of the event will advance to the Champs Sports Championships at Balboa Park in San Diego.

The Sea Kings’ aces were told that entering this weekend’s race was their call. While Sumner said both individuals could use a break, he added, “You don’t go into that race except to try to do what it calls for - top 10.”

A tandem from across the Back Bay came close to earning all-state honors together, too. Newport Harbor junior Keaton Robar placed fourth in 17:51.9, but junior Marley McCullough (12th, 18:06.6) was a mere half-second shy of placing inside the top 10 in Division II.

Pacifica Christian senior Ella Murray (eighth, 18:39.3) led the Tritons to a 15th-place showing in the program’s first appearance at the state meet. Murray and Djomby Enyawe had claimed CIF individual crowns the week prior.

Laguna Beach finished 10th in the team standings in the Division IV girls’ race. The Breakers were led by senior Sydney Sydney (36th, 19:12.6).

Fountain Valley senior Diego Alonso, who qualified as an individual for state, finished 22nd in 15:25.2 in the Division I boys’ race.

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

CIF State finals

At Woodward Park, Fresno

Division I

Team Results

1. San Clemente 48; 2. Great Oak 102; 3. Trabuco Hills 119; 4. Palisades Charter 128; 5. Mira Costa 171; 6. Crescenta Valley 171; 7. Clovis East 194; 8. Beckman 216; 9. Davis 220; 10. King 252

Individuals

1. Parra (Millikan) 14:56.8; 2. Ephraim (San Clemente) 14:58.6; 3. Franck (Mira Costa) 15:01.8; 4. Reyes (El Camino) 15:03.5; 5. Sion (Crescenta Valley) 15:04.5; 6. Pandher (Clovis North) 15:05.4; 7. Zavaleta (King) 15:07.5; 8. Stanley (Trabuco Hills) 15:10.9; 9. Clark (San Clemente) 15:12.7; 10. Peraza (Saugus) 15:13.2; 22. Alonso (Fountain Valley) 15:25.2

Division II

Team Results

1. Santa Barbara 91; 2. Ventura 114; 3. Newbury Park 115; 4. Jesuit 131; 5. Glendora 152; 6. Granada 181; 7. Branham 222; 8. Vacaville 269; 9. Whitney 286; 10. Tesoro 300

Individuals

1. Stefanopoulos (Los Gatos) 14:58.4; 2. Dybdahl (Santa Barbara) 15:05.3; 3. Ibarra (El Diamante) 15:06.1; 4. Caldwell (De La Salle) 15:09.1; 5. Murillo (Branham) 15:14.7; 6. Kushen (Tesoro) 15:20.5; 7. Flores (Glendora) 15:21.1; 8. Morgenfeld (Palo Alto) 15:21.6; 9. Horrocks (Foothill) 15:26.3; 10. Grossman (Ventura) 15:28.9

Division III

Team Results

1. Dana Hills 42; 2. Oakdale 66; 3. West Ranch 211; 4. Ponderosa 212; 5. Torres 216; 6. St. Ignatius 218; 7. Santa Margarita 225; 8. Sage Creek 237; 9. Tamalpais 288; 10. Oak Park 290; 14. Corona del Mar 328

Individuals

1. Noonan (Dana Hills) 14:35.3; 2. Bell (Templeton) 14:52.3; 3. Chu (Ponderosa) 14:58.7; 4. Oliveira (Oakdale) 15:07.9; 5. Alsaidi (Oakdale) 15:09.6; 6. Hernandez (Dana Hills) 15:13.7; 7. Hicks (University City) 15:16.9; 8. Douglass (Corona del Mar) 15:19.7; 9. Brooks (Ponderosa) 15:20.3; 10. Oliveira (Oakdale) 15:23.3

Division IV

Team Results

1. St. Francis 66; 2. JSerra 124; 3. Foothill Technology 168; 4. Miramonte 175; 5. Cathedral 184; 6. St. Mary’s/Berkeley 186; 7. Harvard-Westlake 192; 8. Archie Williams 198; 9. Oaks Christian 199; 10. St. John Bosco 207

Individuals

1. Perez (Cathedral) 14:45.5; 2. Cohen (Albany) 14:45.9; 3. Holman (Sonora) 14:46.4; 4. Fitchen-Young (Santa Cruz) 14:49.5; 5. Ortiz (Burroughs/Ridgecrest) 15:07.9; 6. Baun (Yreka) 15:09.8; 7. Parcells (Rim of the World) 15:21.7; 8. Franco (St. Francis) 15:24.3; 9. Hernandez (Cathedral) 15:26.2; 10. Arrey (JSerra) 15:26.7

Division V

Team Results

1. Crystal Springs Uplands 111; 2. Yosemite 130; 3. University/SF 143; 4. Menlo 183; 5. College Prep 191; 6. Liberty Charter 202; 7. Calvin Christian 245; 8. Lick Wilmerding 246; 9. Francis Parker 251; 10. Viewpoint 286

Individuals

1. Turk (Woodcrest Christian) 14:59.2; 2. Bouie (Crystal Springs Uplands) 15:04.6; 3. Sutch (Cate) 15:25.5; 4. Burr (Sac Country Day) 15:26.7; 5. Irving (College Prep) 15:27.5; 6. Green (Lick Wilmerding) 15:27.5; 7. Capelle (St. Margaret’s) 15:28.3; 8. Smith (Santa Fe Christian) 15:31.7; 9. Bitner (Calvin Christian) 15:33.0; 10. Baker (Crystal Springs Uplands) 15:34.8

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

CIF State finals

At Woodward Park, Fresno

Division I

Team Results

1. Santiago/Corona 57; 2. Buchanan 58; 3. Trabuco Hills 76; 4. Clovis North 197; 5. Del Norte 205; 6. Saugus 232; 7. Poway 253; 8. Menlo Atherton 267; 9. Crescenta Valley 272; 10. Oak Ridge 283

Individuals

1. Blade (Santiago/Corona) 16:48.5; 2. Barker (Trabuco Hills) 17:05.0; 3. Rubio (Huntington Beach) 17:26.5; 4. Williams (Eastlake) 17:31.4; 5. Combe (Santiago/Corona) 17:35.1; 6. Olesen (Menlo Atherton) 17:39.0; 7. Hsieh (Arcadia) 17:40.5; 8. Watts (Trabuco Hills) 17:51.1; 9. Alfred (Rancho Cucamonga) 17:51.3; 10. Davis (Santiago/Corona) 17:51.6

Division II

Team Results

1. Ventura 85; 2. Whitney 114; 3. St. Francis 138; 4. Claremont 162; 5. Murrieta Valley 174; 6. Granite Bay 220; 7. Los Altos 240; 8. Los Gatos 250; 9. Newbury Park 255; 10. San Ramon Valley 260

Individuals

1. Engelhardt (Ventura) 16:40.7; 2. Avina (Murrieta Valley) 17:41.9; 3. Chen (Claremont) 17:46.5; 4. Robar (Newport Harbor) 17:51.9; 5. Williams (El Toro) 17:56.7; 6. True (Ventura) 17:57.1; 7. Marheineke (Archbishop Mitty) 17:58.6; 8. Arriaza (Patterson) 17:59.6; 9. Torrecillas (Highland) 18:04.1; 10. Lieberman (Murrieta Valley) 18:06.1; 12. McCullough (Newport Harbor) 18:06.6

Division III

Team Results

1. Cathedral Catholic 83; 2. Campolindo 92; 3. Santa Margarita 187; 4. Dana Hills 195; 5. West Torrance 236; 6. Maria Carrillo 259; 7. St. Francis 262; 8. Yorba Linda 264; 9. University City 267; 10. Del Oro 279

Individuals

1. Thomsen (Montgomery) 17:10.2; 2. Lopizzo (La Costa Canyon) 17:32.0; 3. Volkmer (Campolindo) 17:41.9; 4. Zimmer (Cathedral Catholic) 17:45.1; 5. Kittelstrom (Montgomery) 17:54.3; 6. Djomby Enyawe (Corona del Mar) 17:59.9; 7. Pena (Cathedral Catholic) 18:03.6; 8. Lacefield (Montgomery) 18:06.4; 9. Ivarsson (Dana Hills) 18:07.5; 10. Dunham (St. Francis) 18:07.8

Division IV

Team Results

1. JSerra 40; 2. Palos Verdes 151; 3. La Jolla 152; 4. La Canada 159; 5. Oaks Christian 179; 6. South Pasadena 207; 7. Acalanes 222; 8. Scotts Valley 228; 9. Colfax 239; 10. Laguna Beach 249

Individuals

1. Dailey (La Jolla) 17:09.2; 2. Wilson (JSerra) 17:31.6; 3. Polay (JSerra) 17:32.9; 4. De Brouwer (La Canada) 17:37.4; 5. Williams (Acalanes) 17:41.6; 6. Boothby (Scotts Valley) 17:50.0; 7. Redding (Colfax) 17:50.3; 8. Tasser (JSerra) 17:51.9; 9. Searls (Alhambra) 17:57.6; 10. Garcia (JSerra) 18:02.0; 36. Sydney (Laguna Beach) 19:12.6

Division V

Team Results

1. Crystal Springs Uplands 97; 2. Immanuel 97; 3. University/SF 108; 4. Francis Parker 110; 5. Lick Wilmerding 119; 6. Convent & Stuart Hall 203; 7. Athenian 241; 8. St. Margaret’s 248; 9. Bay School/SF 255; 10. Castilleja 300; 15. Pacifica Christian 424

Individuals

1. Krummel (Bay School/SF) 18:06.3; 2. Mogannam (Lick Wilmerding) 18:11.7; 3. Hickey (The Bishops School) 18:20.5; 4. Teates (Francis Parker) 18:26.8; 5. Riddle (Immanuel) 18:30.3; 6. Chang (Lick Wilmerding) 18:30.5; 7. Laughlin (University/SF) 18:31.0; 8. Murray (Pacifica Christian) 18:39.3; 9. Peterson (Bay School/SF) 18:40.4; 10. Kenny (Convent & Stuart Hall) 18:43.8