The Aptos High girls’ cross country team ran away with the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title on Thursday at Pinto Lake County Park in Watsonville.
Junior Susana Estrada placed second in 18 minutes, 17 seconds in the 2.93-mile varsity race to help the Mariners capture their 15th title in the last 18 years.
Aptos won with 43 points ahead of San Lorenzo Valley High (66) and Santa Cruz High (76).
S.L.V. junior Azalea Groleau won the race in 18:11, followed by Estrada and Scotts Valley High freshman Amber Boothby in third (18:18).
The Mariners qualified for a spot in the Central Coast Section championships on Nov. 16 at Crystal Springs cross country course in Belmont.
Other notable finishers for Aptos include junior Kirsten Martin in seventh (18:50), senior Kailea Zlatunich in 10th (19:27) and freshman Summer Jacobs in 11th (19:38).
Freshman Brooke Willoughby placed 13th (19:51), sophomore Mairin Mullen placed 23rd (20:44) and freshman Lucy Bowman placed 30th (21:37).
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Boys cross country
Mariners place second in SCCAL championships: Aptos High had its best showing of the year at the SCCAL championships on Thursday.
Junior Ben Laughlin placed eighth in 15 minutes, 41 seconds in the 2.93-mile varsity race to help the Mariners place second with 68 points. His time was good enough to punch his ticket to the CCS championship on Nov. 16 at Crystal Springs cross country course in Belmont.
Scotts Valley High won with 30 points, while San Lorenzo Valley High finished third (73).
Scotts Valley sophomore Jeremy Kain won the race in 15:10, edging teammate senior Mitchell Ross in second in 15:10. S.L.V. junior Cory Nounnan finished third in 15:14.
Other notable CCS qualifiers for Aptos include junior John Eikemeyer in 10th (15:58), junior Aidan Tomasini in 13th (16:22) and senior Anton Jackson in 14th (16:24).
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Girls volleyball
Hawks advance to CCS final: Top seeded Mount Madonna defeated Castilleja in four sets, 25-14, 25-19, 21-25, 25-19, on Thursday in the CCS Division V semifinals at Watsonville High.
Senior outside hitter Paola Jacobs had 14 kills, 18 digs and two aces for the Hawks.
Sophomore outside hitter Liana Kitchel had 10 kills and 16 digs, while junior setter Savannah Cambell had three aces and a team-high 41 assists.
Freshman middle Eve Willis had 12 kills, freshman opposite Mariah Cohen had five kills and senior libero Anmei Dasbach-Prisk had 14 digs.
The Hawks (16-8) will face No. 6 Nueva School (20-7)—a four-set winner over No. 2 Crystal Springs Uplands School in the other semifinal — on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Palo Alto High.
