Blade, a junior at Corona Santiago, runs 16:30 on 3-mile layout at Pomona Fairplex, with Perez clocking 14:23.5 to improve from fourth last season; Great Oak triumphs again, despite one member of lineup returning from last year, with JSerra placing seven athletes in top 20, led by Wilson and Tasser

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Jimmy Su and Ken Martinez

POMONA, Calif. – Performing well under the bright lights is one aspect of high school cross country that can be learned.

Being an athlete or team that is ready for primetime and thrives in the spotlight is another scenario altogether.

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

The latter storyline applied to the exceptional efforts of returning Nike Cross Nationals qualifiers Rylee Blade and Emmanuel Perez, as well as the depth of the JSerra High of California girls program and the resilience of the Great Oak boys team Saturday night at the ASICS Cool Breeze Invitational at the Pomona Fairplex.

Blade, a junior at Corona Santiago High in California, repeated as winner of the Sundown Showdown girls varsity 3-mile race in 16 minutes, 30 seconds, building a 26-second advantage at the midway point en route to improving on her victorious mark of 17:13.5 last season.

Perez, a senior at Cathedral High in Los Angeles, elevated from a fourth-place finish last year in the Sundown Showdown boys varsity competition, prevailing Saturday in 14:23.5. Perez clocked 14:54.2 at the event last season.

JSerra had seven athletes place in the top 20 of the Sundown Showdown, led by sophomores Summer Wilson (17:24.6) and Kaylah Tasser (17:44.0) finishing second and fifth, respectively, to triumph with 43 points ahead of Blade and her Santiago teammates, who were runner-up with 101 points.

Great Oak, despite returning just one athlete from last year’s lineup that emerged victorious in the Sundown Showdown, prevailed again behind five competitors placing in the top 50 to produce a 118-139 victory against Newbury Park.

Westin Brown, a junior, led Great Oak by finishing fourth in 14:55.2, with Jeffrey Keeney – who was 29th last season in 15:36.8 to help the Wolfpack secure victory with 86 points – contributing a 27th-place effort Saturday in 15:33.0.

Jacob Brown (15:35.4) and Jack Paradise (15:36.9) were 31st and 32nd, with Kai Marotta taking 42nd in 15:46.9 for Great Oak, which also prevailed in the Sundown Showdown in 2021 with 66 points at Brookside Golf Course next to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

The Wolfpack also triumphed in the Sundown Showdown in 2019 at Brookside Golf Course with 53 points, before the 2020 event was canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maximo Zavaleta, a sophomore from Martin Luther King High in California, surged late to secure second in the Sundown Showdown in 14:53.8 to help the Wolves finish fourth with 218 points, trailing Great Oak, Newbury Park and third-place Torrey Pines with 141 points.

Cathedral senior Emmanuel Hernandez, who was second in the Sundown Showdown last season, took third in 14:54.9, one of five athletes in the meet to eclipse the 15-minute barrier.

Although JSerra didn’t compete at last year’s event, the Lions looked comfortable in the role of favorite, with eight athletes in the top 25 at the midway point.

Freshman Reese Holley placed seventh in 17:55.9, junior Anne Elise Packard was 12th in 18:05.9, senior Georgia Jeanneret (18:17.6) and freshman Hutton Nelligan (18:19.9) grabbed 17th and 18th, with freshman Hayden Kroger taking 20th in 18:25.3.

Brooke O’Brien, a senior, achieved 26th in 18:34.1, junior Giselle Vartanian earned 49th in 19:05.8, with sophomore Molly Hux placing all 10 JSerra competitors in the top 100 at 20:01.6.

Santa Monica junior Phoebe Benun clocked 17:41.4 to take third, Clovis West sophomore Cameron Macias finished fourth in 17:42.7 and senior Denise Chen from meet host Claremont secured sixth in 17:55.8, part of 10 female athletes overall running under the 18-minute barrier.

Blade was supported by sophomore Taylor Davis earning eighth in 17:56.6, Long Beach Poly sophomore Avery Peck placing ninth in 17:58.9 and Westview junior Kaitlyn Arciaga clocking 17:59.8 to finish 10th.

Eyan Turk, a junior at Woodcrest Christian School in California, prevailed in the Division 3-4-5 boys varsity race in 14:57.3, with Sacramento Country Day senior Aakash Arumugam finishing runner-up in 15:09.3. Andrew Burr, a junior teammate of Arumugam at Sacramento Country Day, was ninth in the Sundown Showdown in 15:11.2.

Oak Park produced five finishers among the top 15 to achieve victory in the Division 3-4-5 varsity competition with 45 points.

Miranda Salcedo, a senior at Shadow Hills High in California, rallied to win the Division 3-4-5 girls varsity race in 18:32.7, with Redlands East Valley junior Meghan Walker capturing second in 18:34.8.

Yorba Linda had a pair of competitors place in the top 10 to triumph with 58 points, with Shadow Hills securing second with 81 points.

Joshua Morales, a senior at Warren High in California, emerged victorious in the Division 1-2 boys varsity race by a 15:40.7 to 15;43.3 margin against Peninsula senior Oliver Macfarlane, helping the Bears edge Etiwanda by a 113-116 score.

Norco High junior twins Natalie Conde (18:58.1) and Emily Conde (18:59.5) took the top two spots in the Division 1-2 girls varsity race.

King had two competitors finish in the top 10 to prevail with 62 points.