Who knew the rivalry between Anzar and York would turn into a
three-round title fight?
After the Hawks pulled out a surprising victory at the Mission
Trail Athletic League Championships two weeks ago at Salinas’ Toro
Park, York answered right back on Saturday when it earned the top
spot at the Central Coast Section Cross Country Championships.
Round three will come when the two teams meet again at the CIF
State Cross Country Championships later this month.
BELMONT
Who knew the rivalry between Anzar and York would turn into a three-round title fight?
After the Hawks pulled out a surprising victory at the Mission Trail Athletic League Championships two weeks ago at Salinas’ Toro Park, York answered right back on Saturday when it earned the top spot at the Central Coast Section Cross Country Championships.
Round three will come when the two teams meet again at the CIF State Cross Country Championships later this month.
“York takes this round,” Anzar head coach Doug MacKinnon said Saturday at the Crystal Springs Cross Country Course in Belmont. “But we have another shot at them. We’re not done yet.”
While the Hawks defeated York 34-36 at MTALs, the Falcons earned a Division-V low 42 points Saturday to earn the section title, easily defeating Anzar’s third-place finish of 71 points.
Crystal Springs Uplands was runner-up with 49 points.
“We wanted to win,” MacKinnon said.
“I think we had an emotional high at Toro (Park), and it’s hard for the kids to keep that emotional crest for another week.”
Its top-three standing ensures Anzar will live to see another meet, though.
Junior Aaron Hsia-Coron recorded a 16:48 to finish in third place overall on Saturday, but he was disappointed afterward for not keeping pace with York’s James Palaniuk, who earned the individual title with a 15:54.
“I was feeling great the first half and then it just hit me, like I hit a brick wall,” said Hsia-Coron, who was neck-and-neck with Palaniuk at the two-mile marker.
“My whole body suddenly felt shot,” added Hsia-Coron, who took the CCS title last season with a 16:54 at Toro Park. “I don’t know about a brick wall, but something almost as bad.”
The 2.95-mile course at Crystal Springs incorporates a steep downhill sprint during the first 400 meters, where harriers can often get boxed in toward the back or simply run out of gas by trying to stay in front.
Hsia-Coron led the race for the first mile.
“I still have another chance at getting revenge,” said Hsia-Coron, referring to the state meet.
Teammate Jacob Wilkinson said he started the race too fast — “I felt really good and I led the race for like 10 seconds,” he said. But coming back up the steep climb, Wilkinson fell to the middle of the pack.
The Anzar senior was 10th in 17:29.
“I should have paced myself better,” he said. “I went out way too fast and died.”
“Everyone went out fast,” added teammate Izzy Parra, who finished 19th in 18:05, one spot behind teammate Miguel Vega’s 18:00.
“I felt good. I was in sixth place behind (St. Francis’) Michael Young and I felt really good,” Parra said. “But it just hit me — everything fell apart in the last half of the race.”
Armando Zepeda rounded out Anzar with a 27th-place finish in 18:30.
Hawks freshman Valerie Quezada nearly advanced to state as an individual when she clocked a 22:19 at Crystal Springs Saturday.
“I think I was doing really good,” said Quezada, who was running at CCS for the first time. “I think I can do better next year. This is just the beginning. I’m just starting.”
Anzar was rounded out by Sabrina Gonzalez (32nd, 27:13), Crystal Prado (33rd, 27:31), Kelly Gomez (34th, 27:33), Courtney Delgado (37th, 28:56) and Krystal Ruiz-Rocha (39th, 30:39).
The CIF State Cross Country Championships will take place at Fresno’s Woodward Park on Nov. 28, where York and Anzar will do battle once again.
“It’s very disappointing,” Parra said of finishing behind York. “But we’re still going to state. The season’s not over yet.”
