LJ xc: Raven Invitational

Boys run in the Raven Invitational among fans

and athletes from other races at Canyon Crest

Academy Sat., Sept. 4.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

 

By Ed Piper

Kyra Fisk, beginning her sophomore year, picked up where she left off last spring in track by placing seventh out of 98 finishers in a race designed for seniors and others invited for the three-mile event, in the highly competitive Raven Invitational Sat., Sept. 4 on the campus of Canyon Crest Academy off Highway 56 in northern San Diego County.

Fisk, who consistently led La Jolla High girls in finishing cross country meets last year as a freshman, ran a time of 17:56.69 over the three miles as an underclassperson.

Sasha Backus, another Viking runner, ran the course in 20:27.13. She placed 51st and is a senior. Natalie Courtney, a fellow 12th-grader, finished a minute later in 21:21.03 for 61st place.

Kyra's close friend and training partner, Daphne Mayer, a fellow 10th-grader, placed third in a separate race, a three-mile event exclusively for sophomores, with a time of 19:53.09.

Abigail Plezia finished 12th among sophomores in the same race with 21:14.14.

Fisk, Mayer, and Plezia are the core of an outstanding class of girls who burst on the scene together last year as freshmen during the COVID pandemic.

Viking Abbie Esposito

at the event Sat.

Also in the sophomore girls race, Shannon Cao ran 22:39.70 for 35th (out of 65 finishers). Natalie Pong placed 38th with 22:51.85.

In the junior race over three miles, Scarlett Slagter recorded a time of 21:38.32 for 20th (out of 55 finishers). Nicole Nunes was right behind in 21:41.89 for 23rd place.

On the boys' side, Viking runner Nikolas Hogan placed 25th in 18:15.10 and Christopher Ruff had a time of 18:26.90 for 30th place in the sophomore three-mile.

Isaac McGreevy was 56th in 19:33.27 and Jaime Luis Guzman-Capecchi 76th (among 107 finishers) in 20:24.96.

In the boys' junior race, Jake Dixon clocked 18:45.68 for 49th place (among 99 finishers). Renan Tinney ran 19:11.92 for 59th place. Aidan Nikmanesh busted out a time of 19:23.34 in 62nd place. Victor Banda ran 20:34.19 for 81st place.