Murrieta Valley StatesIts Case at Woodbridge

Like many cross-country teams, the Murrieta Valley High girls’ squad has not run its top seven runners in a meet this season.

But unlike most teams, the Nighthawks have managed to perform at a high level despite being short-handed.

That was evident Saturday in the Woodbridge Invitational at Irvine Woodbridge High when Murrieta Valley beat Chino Hills Ayala, 84-103, to win the Division I title.

Green Valley (Nev.) was third with 105 points, followed by Canyon Country Canyon (147) and Santa Ana Mater Dei (150).

Ayala, the No. 3-ranked team in the Southern Section Division I poll, defeated No. 4 Murrieta Valley, 54-59, in the Bronco Invitational at Prado Park in Chino on Sept. 8. But the Nighthawks avenged that defeat Saturday, despite running without No. 3 runner Elaine Woodward, who was battling shin splints.

“This is a big win for us,” sophomore Liza Pasciuto said. “We’re really happy. [Rachael Corrington] didn’t run for us last week, but she was our number three runner today. She ran great.”

Pasciuto, sixth in the national championships last year, won the Division I race with a 17-minute 39-second clocking over the three-mile course. Junior teammate Bonghabih Shey was seventh in 18:42 with junior Corrington eighth in 18:43.

Lake Forest El Toro and Michael Haddan of Woodbridge turned in the top performances in the boys’ meet.

El Toro, No. 4 in the Southern Section Division I poll, won the overall boys’ title with a team time--the cumulative time of its’ top five runners--of 78:55.

Marina, ranked fifth in Division I, was second in 79:00, followed by third-ranked Riverside Rubidoux in 79:21, top-ranked Long Beach Poly in 79:24 and seventh-ranked Temecula Valley in 79:25.

Haddan posted the fastest time of the meet when he ran 14:55 to win the Division II sophomore race and break the sophomore course record of 15:14 set by David Lopez of Glendale Hoover in 1994.