By Rebecca Hext
Staff Writer
The Mira Costa boys and girls cross country teams participated on Nov. 1 in the final Bay League meet at Polliwog Park.
The girls team placed first in its race, winning Bay League. However, the boys team placed last in both its race and the Bay League standings.
“Bay League Finals were competitive this year, and it was obvious from the start that every team came prepared to do whatever it took to win,” varsity sophomore Natasha Brunstein said. “In the end, it came down to who wanted it more, and I believe we wanted it the most.”
Junior Abby Hong finished third overall and first for Costa in the 3-mile race with a time of 17:47:98. Coming in seventh overall and second for Costa was senior Lauren Hagedorn, who had a time of 18:24:68. Sophomore Emma Lautanen came in eighth overall and third for Costa at 18:25:48, followed by Brunstein, who finished tenth overall and fourth for Costa with a time of 18:43:69. The last scoring spot went to senior Lauren Inouye, who finished twelfth overall and fifth for Costa with a time of 18:45:21.
“It felt really great knowing that our first five runners were within a minute of each other,” Lautanen said. “That’s what we’ve been working for this whole season, and I am excited to see where we can go from where we are now.”
Senior Michael Goldberg finished first for the Mira Costa boys varsity team and 16th overall with a time of 16:19:56. Following Goldberg was senior Justin MacDonald in 18th place with a time of 16:25:59; junior Niko Pappas in 27th place overall with a time of 16:38:56; senior Dillon Shambaugh in 28th place with a time of 16:56:64, and sophomore Chance Weston in 30th, with a time of 17:09:80.
“It was a bittersweet moment for us seniors because it was our last race together,” Shambaugh said. “It’s going to be difficult knowing we won’t get the opportunity to be with the guys anymore.”
The girls team is proud of the way in which it competed, though. Although two Redondo runners came in first and second overall, Costa girls were able to have six teammates to finish before Redondo’s fourth scorer.
“The girls worked hard to get the Bay League title,” coach Renee Williams-Smith said. “I’m very proud of the way the girls have come together as a unit this season to make it happen.”
The boys team will not advance to CIF this year; however, the girls team will advance to the CIF Preliminaries on Saturday at Mount SAC.
“Our team motto is ‘They want it; we want it more’,” Hagedorn said. “We hope to show how much we want it and how hard we are willing to train for a win.”
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