Sonora’s Land wins second straight Sac-Joaquin Section cross country title
Three Stanislaus District runners captured Sac-Joaquin Section cross country titles on Saturday at Willow Hill Reservoir in Folsom, with Sonora sophomore Cassi Land claiming her second consecutive Division IV championship.
In addition to Land, Sonora’s Jackson McIlroy won the boys D-IV crown while Merced’s Daniel Ambriz was the D-II boys champion.
Land, The Bee’s reigning Runner of the Year, crossed the finish line in 18 minutes, 32 seconds, comfortably ahead of Bret Harte sophomore Kaela Dishion (19:01), her friend and training partner.
“It kind of felt like everybody was after me,” Land said of entering the race as the defending champion. “It definitely makes me nervous, but it also gives me motivation.”
Senior Kim Ruvalcaba of Riverbank finished fifth (19:10) and will join Land and Dishion at the state meet on Nov. 28 at Woodward Park in Fresno, where Land is hoping for another big performance.
“Right now, I think I can get top five,” she said.
Unlike his teammate, McIlroy did not have the luxury of a 29-second cushion as he crossed the finish line.
With about half a mile to go, McIlroy and Landis pulled away from the pack and were shoulder to shoulder until the last 200 meters, when McIlroy gained some separation. He was able to hold off Landis and finished in 16:30, one second – or about two strides – ahead of his rival and friend.
“Cassi and Kaela and Conner and I are all part of the same running club,” said McIlroy. “We train together and we’re all like family.”
Amador’s Matt Conrardy finished sixth (16:52) to earn a trip to the state meet.
Ambriz, a senior, won the D-II boys race in 15:54, becoming the first Merced High runner to win a section cross country title since Brian Wilkinson and Grace Durnell each did it in 1992.
“It’s really special for me, especially with it being my last year,” said Ambriz. “It’s been a goal of mine this season. I really wanted it.”
Atwater’s Alex Vargas (16:45) just missed being one of the five individuals to qualify for state, finishing one second behind No. 5 qualifier Jeremy Pond of Whitney High.
Two Modesto High runners advanced to the state meet.
Seniors Orlando Cardenas and Marc Alania were among the top five individuals not on state-qualifying teams. Cardenas (16:26) was seventh in the D-I race and Alania (16:44) was 11th.
The Modesto boys team finished third overall in the D-I race, behind first-place Jesuit and runner-up Davis-Yolo, but only the top two teams advance to state in Division I.
Argonaut senior Dylan Speer (17:53) and freshman teammate Christian Dabbler (17:59) advance to the state meet out of the D-V race.
Sierra High’s boys (D-IV) and the Amador and Hughson girls (D-V) advanced teams.
This story was originally published November 15, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Sonora’s Land wins second straight Sac-Joaquin Section cross country title."