Notre Dame Accomplishes Mission

Despite the absence of top runner Kevin Lelles, Notre Dame High won its first Mission League boys’ title since 1977 by taking five of the top 10 spots in the league final at Griffith Park on Thursday.

Lelles, seventh in the state Division IV championship last year, missed the meet with a stress fracture in his leg and is questionable for the Southern Section preliminaries at Mt. San Antonio College on Nov. 14.

In Lelles’ absence, senior Adam Rose placed third in 15:32 over the 2.9-mile course to help Notre Dame defeat runner-up Loyola, 33-61.

St. Francis, led by junior Jeff Arnold’s winning time of 15:08, finished third with 66 points to grab the final qualifying spot for the section preliminaries.

Louisville took five of the top six places in the girls’ meet to defeat runner-up and defending champion Flintridge Sacred Heart, 20-62. Junior Mariel Holcomb placed second in 18:37 for the Royals.

Pacific League finals--Sophomore Anita Siraki of Hoover set a meet record of 18:09 over the three-mile course at Crescenta Valley Park in Glendale, but Crescenta Valley edged the Tornadoes, 27-28, to win its fifth consecutive title.

Hoover won its fifth consecutive championship in the boys’ meet with a 30-45 victory over Crescenta Valley, placing five runners among the top 10 finishers.

Channel League finals--Ventura won its second consecutive boys’ title and its second girls’ championship in three years at Camino Real Park in Ventura.

Junior Josh Spiker of Ventura followed his victory in the Ventura County championships last Friday with a winning 14:57 clocking over the three-mile course.

Senior Matt Swaney finished second in 15:18 to help Ventura take five of the top 10 places and defeat Buena, 28-40.

Rio Hondo League finals--La Canada, the No. 16-ranked girls’ team in Harrier magazine’s national poll, swept the top five places in the meet at Lower Arroyo Park in Pasadena.

Senior Amy Foss clocked a winning 19:19 to edge sophomore Nicole Bonino by a second in the three-mile race and help La Canada to a 15-47 victory over South Pasadena.

Pacific View League finals--Camarillo won the boys’ and girls’ titles, and Scorpion senior Jeanene Gerry posted a runaway victory in the girls’ race in the meet at College Park in Oxnard.

Gerry clocked 17:46 over the three-mile course to defeat junior teammate--Nicole Richardson by 64 seconds.

Frontier League finals--Junior Kent Krumpschmidt led Nordhoff to a sweep of the top four places in the meet at Lake Casitas in Ojai.

Krumpschmidt clocked 16:07 over the three-mile course to help the defending state Division IV champion Rangers to a 16-59 victory over Santa Clara and their eighth consecutive league title.

Nordhoff won its seventh consecutive girls’ title with a 24-56 victory over Malibu.