The Sunnyvale Sun

Sports

Runners making a return trip to state meet

By Mike Barnhart

Five local runners earned return trips to the state meet with outstanding performances at the Central Coast Section cross country championships held Nov. 10.

Juniors Jean Feng of Monta Vista, Emily Evans of Homestead and Priya Pappu of The King's Academy and Cupertino senior Sumika Shiokawa qualified as individuals for the state meet, Nov. 24 at Fresno's Woodward Park, with outstanding efforts on the 2.95-mile Crystal Springs course in Belmont last Saturday. One boy, TKA senior Matt Giusti, also is a repeat qualifier to the state meet.

Feng ran fifth in the CCS Division I race, clocking 18:27, two places and 18 seconds ahead of Evans. Feng and Evans were the top runners for their teams. Monta Vista placed fourth and Homestead fifth out of 14 teams, but only the top two Division I squads earn trips to Fresno.

Shiokawa returns to state in Division III, after placing sixth with a time of 18:40. Both Pappu and Giusti competed as TKA team members in Division V last year. This season, with King's now in Division IV, they qualified as individuals. Pappu (19:54) ran 14th at CCS, three places behind teammate Poppy Lawman (19:40), a junior and first-time qualifier. Giusti's time of 16:10 earned fourth place among Division IV boys.

First-time state meet qualifiers include Cupertino senior Abiy Gebrekristos, who ran 15:47 for eighth among Division III boys, and Homestead junior Nick Oliver, whose 15:53 clocking garnered sixth in Division I.

Lynbrook freshman Lauren Tang qualified for state in her first try. Her time of 18:39 was 10th best among Division II girls.

Oliver and his Homestead teammates placed fifth in the Division I boys competition, while Cupertino's boys were 10th in Division III and TKA 10th in Division IV. Tang led Lynbrook's girls to eighth in Division II. Lawman and Pappu led TKA to seventh in Division IV.