Four in a row for Great Oak boys and girls, record-setting efforts for Denner and Hazell

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The 39th ASICS Clovis Cross Country Invitational showcased once again the greatness of Great Oak CA at Woodward Park, the dominance of the Denner sisters and the historical journey of Justin Hazell.

For the fourth consecutive year, Great Oak won the boys and girls championship races in Fresno, the longest streaks in both genders in meet history.

RESULTS | PHOTOS | INTERVIEWS

The Wolfpack prevailed 81-105 over Dublin CA in the boys race and Dana Hills finished third with 141, with the Great Oak girls earning a measure of revenge for a Sept. 16 setback to Buchanan CA at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic by winning with 102 points. Claremont CA was second with 132 and Buchanan took third with 142.

Great Oak ran 77 minutes, 31 seconds in the boys race, the No. 2 performance in meet history and eighth all-time on the 5-kilometer course. Dublin lowered its own North Coast Section record to 77:53, the No. 13 all-time Woodward Park performance, and St. Francis Mountain View broke the Central Coast Section record, placing fourth with 143 points and running 78:22, eclipsing the 2009 mark of 78:26 by Mountain View.

The Wolfpack clocked 90:20 in the girls race, No. 3 in meet history and 10th all-time on the historic layout. Buchanan lowered its own Central Section record to 90:39 to become the No. 4 girls program all-time at Woodward Park, trailing only Great Oak, Saugus and Davis Senior.

Hazell, an El Camino Real CA senior, set the all-time L.A. City Section record by winning the boys championship race in 15:01.9, eclipsing the mark of 15:08 set by San Pedro's Pablo Rosales in 2009.

Liam Anderson, a junior at Redwood Larkspur CA, ran a personal-best 15:03 to place second, with Crescenta Valley CA senior Colin FitzGerald third in 15:13, Liberty Ranch CA senior Collin Ulrich fourth in 15:15.7 and Jesuit CA sophomore Matt Strangio fifth in 15:16.7.

Oak Ridge CA senior Maddy Denner became only the fourth female in meet history to run under 17 minutes, clocking 16:58.7, the best all-time performance by a senior from the Sac-Joaquin Section. Denner also became just the ninth girl in course history to eclipse the 17-minute barrier, including the second from her section, trailing only the 16:57 from Davis Senior CA graduate Fiona O'Keeffe during her junior season in 2014.

Maddy's twin sister, senior Elena Denner placed third in 17:18.1, trailing Buchanan CA standout Corie Smith in 17:05.1, the third-fastest time by a sophomore at Woodward Park. Smith also elevated to the No. 3 all-time performer in Central Section history, trailing former Buchanan star Hagen Reedy and four-time state champion Jordan Hasay of Mission Prep.

Capistrano Valley CA senior Haley Herberg placed fourth in 17:18.7, with Martin Luther King CA junior Lauren Peurifoy taking fifth in 17:20.1, part of a record group of 16 female athletes in the race and 18 overall breaking 18 minutes for the meet.

Mayfield CA freshman Audrey Suarez and St. Joseph Notre Dame CA junior Emily Perez also broke the 18-minute barrier in the girls small school race, clocking 17:50.3 and 17:54.5, respectively.

Mission Viejo CA won the extra large schools boys race and Crescenta Valley captured the extra large schools girls team title.

Woodcreek CA was the large school girls champion, with Rocklin CA following its impressive performance Sept. 30 at the Capital Cross Challenge in Sacramento by winning the boys team title in the large schools race.

Bishop Amat CA secured the girls medium schools victory, with Sir Francis Drake CA prevailing in the boys medium schools competition.

Led by Suarez, Mayfield held the edge over Prep League rival Flintridge Prep CA in the girls small schools race, with San Francisco University CA earning the boys small schools title. Mayfield ran 94:22, the No. 3 all-time performance for a Division 4 program at Woodward Park, including the fastest by a Southern Section team in division history.