San Benito senior Rachel Shimabukuro wrapped up her senior
season at the CIF State Cross Country Championships in Fresno on
Saturday, where she finished the 3.1-mile course at Woodward Park
in 19:26.
FRESNO
San Benito’s Rachel Shimabukuro wrapped up her senior season at the CIF State Cross Country Championships in Fresno on Saturday, where she finished the 3.1-mile course at Woodward Park in 19:26.
“She did pretty good,” San Benito girls cross country coach Josh Morales said. “I think she could have ran a little faster, but I think she did pretty good.
“It was a long season.”
Shimabukuro finished in 97th place overall out of 194 Division I competitors, while her 19:26 on Saturday was nine seconds faster than her time during last year’s state competition.
“And that’s always a positive,” Morales said of the two-time qualifier.
“She was happy that she made it to state and happy that she ran faster than last year. She was happy with the experience more than anything else.”
Junior Molly Grabill of Rancho Bernardo (San Diego Section) recorded a 17:06 to take first place overall in the Division I race, while Torrey Pines of the San Diego Section won the team title with 134 points, narrowly defeating Great Oak of the Southern Section with 137 points.
Carlmont’s Jessie Petersen clocked an 18:19 to finish in 16th place, and was the first runner from the Central Coast Section to finish.
Shimabukuro, who recorded an eighth-place finish in 18:51 at the CCS Championships two weeks ago at Crystal Springs (2.95 miles) in Belmont, was the seventh harrier from the section to cross the finish line on Saturday.
“She was really honored that she made it to state,” Morales said.
