Great Oak boys, girls teams win titles for fifth straight year; Gaitan earns first individual victory for Wolfpack since 2015, with Anderson superb in season opener

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

With less than a kilometer left in the boys championship race Saturday at the 40th ASICS Clovis Invitational, Great Oak CA was in pursuit of the most significant sweep in meet history.

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

Not just winning the boys and girls team titles for the fifth consecutive year, but potentially adding a pair of individual victories as well after junior Tori Gaitan prevailed in the girls championship race less than an hour earlier.

But then Redwood Larkspur CA senior Liam Anderson quickly reminded his fellow competitors, along with the near 4,000 athletes in attendance at Woodward Park in Fresno, Calif., why he is the defending California Division 3 state champion and last year’s third-place finisher at Nike Cross Nationals.

Anderson, a Stanford commit, surged past Great Oak senior Tyler Tickner in the final 800 meters on his way to becoming the eighth athlete in meet history to eclipse the 15-minute barrier, clocking a personal-best 14:57.8 to capture the individual victory in his season opener.

Tickner (15:08.4) held on for second ahead of Newbury Park CA junior Nico Young (15:09.4), leading Great Oak to the most impressive team performance in meet history.

The Wolfpack had all seven athletes in the top 35 and separated by less than 40 seconds, including a 23-second gap among its five scorers, to accumulate 41 points, more than 100 points ahead of Newbury Park (142) and West Ranch CA (154).

Simon Fuller (15:16.4) placed fourth for Dana Hills, which followed its victory Sept. 29 at the McQuaid Invitational in New York by placing fourth with 214 points. JSerra CA junior Anthony Grover, the reigning California Division 4 state champion, took fifth in 15:17.8.

Cameron Hylton (15:19.7), Gabe Abbes (15:21.4), Mateo Joseph (15:28.7), Ryan Shields (15:31.9) and Tickner combined to run 76:50, the fastest team time in meet history and No. 3 all-time on the Woodward Park course. Great Oak set the record when it clocked 76:10 on the way to winning NXN in 2015.

Gaitan was trailing Del Oro CA freshman Riley Chamberlain in the final 800 meters, before overcoming a five-second deficit to secure her third elite invitational victory this season in 17:09.7 after capturing titles at the Woodbridge Classic and Bob Firman Invitational. It marked the first time a Great Oak female athlete won the Clovis championship race since Destiny Collins achieved back-to-back victories in 2014-15.

Gaitan was supported by Fatima Cortes (17:43.6) and Arianna Griffiths (17:49.4) in sixth and seventh, with Audrey Dang (18:31.4) placing 26th and junior Aubrie Nex (18:55.5) finishing 39th in her first major high school invitational race to help the Wolfpack capture a sixth team title in the past decade.

Great Oak, which clocked 90:09 to produce its sixth performance in the all-time Woodward Park top 10, accumulated 64 points. St. Francis Sacramento CA took second at 166, with Xavier Prep AZ prevailing on a sixth-runner tiebreaker over Buchanan CA for third place after the teams tied at 183.

Chamberlain secured second place in 17:12.7, the fastest time by a freshman in meet history and the No. 5 mark by a ninth-grader at Woodward Park. Buchanan teammates Corie Smith (17:19.1) and Meagen Lowe (17:31.9) finished third and fourth, with Oak Park CA senior Sarah Shulze (17:35.2) in fifth.

Granada Hills CA freshman Sofia Abrego nearly became the sixth ninth-grader in meet history to run under 18 minutes, but still won the extra large school race in convincing fashion in 18:00.3, the fastest time by a freshman at Woodward Park in L.A. City Section history.

St. Joseph Notre Dame CA senior Emily Perez prevailed in the girls small school race in 18:06.7.

Harvard-Westlake CA sisters, sophomore Natalia Quintero and freshman Daniela Quintero, produced a 1-2 finish in the girls medium school race in 18:06.2 and 18:06.7.

San Ramon Valley CA senior sisters Kate Tavella (18:14.2) and Emma Tavella (18:15.8) took the top two spots in the girls large school race.

Highland CA sophomore Daniel Rodriguez won the boys extra large school race in 15:32.9.

Bakersfield Stockdale CA junior Adham Maher relied on a late surge in the boys large school race to secure victory in 15:43.5.

Placer CA senior Jesus Guerra-Reyes captured the title in the boys medium school race in 15:49.5, with Nueva CA senior Caleb Dittmar prevailing in the boys small school race in 16:14.7.