The top distance runners in the South Bay will battle for position when the first Bay League cross country meet is held Thursday at 2:30 p.m. on the demanding, 3-mile Palos Verdes High School course.
Mira Costa, Palos Verdes and Redondo are front runners for team titles with Redondo’s Ethan Comeaux and Mira Costa’s Melia Chittenden posting the top times among Bay League runners in boys and girls competition this season.
With the realignment of divisions in the CIF-Southern Section, the top Bay League teams will run in different divisions in the postseason but bragging rights for Bay League supremacy remains on the line.
Although unranked in CIF-SS Division 1, Redondo’s boys are led by Comeaux, the reigning Bay League champion. He has the 16th fastest time in the state this year, posting a mark of 14 minutes, 41.6 seconds at the Skechers Woodbridge Classic on Sept. 17.
Comeaux, who placed second at the Clovis Invitational on Saturday while leading Redondo to a 5th place team finish, will be helped by teammates Benjamin Tait, Brian Adler, Farooq Tariq, Cade Erickson and Sangjun Lee.
“Mira Costa’s boys team is a heavy favorite,” said Palos Verdes coach Brian Shapiro, who has built the Sea King distance running program into a dynasty. “The Mustangs have a strong group top to bottom. Redondo Union has a great 1-2 and a solid No. 3 and could challenge. Palos Verdes may be a little too young to challenge yet, but we field a pretty deep group.”
Palos Verdes’ Ian Irish has the second-best time for Bay League male runners on a 3-mile course this season at 15:48.9, just ahead of Mira Costa’s Caleb Llorin’s mark of 15:51.1. Palos Verdes is ranked No. 5 in Division 3 and looks to dethrone Mira Costa, who snapped the Sea King’s six-year reign as Bay League champions last year.
The Sea Kings also feature sophomores Wade Nygren and William Teets.
Mira Costa is ranked No. 2 in Division 2 and will rely on strong performances from Llorin, Xavier Court, Michael Yaskowitz, Cy Chittenden, Matthew Arruda and Andrew Costley.
Junior Kade Wong is a much improved leader for Peninsula.
In girls competition, Palos Verdes is considered the favorite, with six strong runners.
“Mira Costa has a great front runner and improving pack, coached by the best around,” Shapiro said.
Mira Costa’s Melia Chittenden has the 13th-fastest time in the state at 16:58.8, set at the Cool Breeze Invitational in Pasadena on Sept. 3. Chittenden was the individual runner-up in the Bay League last season and leads a Mustang team that is ranked No. 7 in Division 2 with teammates Brooke Inouye, Olivia Hacohen, Cara Chittenden, Emily Jones, Anna Guerrero and Sierra Andrade.
Palos Verdes is the top ranked girls team in Division 3 and is led by Grace Catena, Caitlin Stoner, Alex Regan and Olivia Polischeck. Eyes will also be focused on sophomore Mazzy Genovese, who will be making her Bay League and Palos Verdes debut after winning the 2015 CIF Division 5 championship at Rolling Hills Prep.
Redondo’s girls team had four members place in the top 40 runners for a 3rd place finish in Clovis last Saturday and were led by freshman Molly Ann Hastings who finished 25th at 19 minutes, 14.9 seconds. Other runners included Peyton Heiden (27th, 19:18.3), Trinity Leonard (32nd, 19:26.3), Isabella Landry (36th, 19:31.7), Dana Focardi (47th, 19:51.7) and Jadyn Bell (89th, 20:28.1).
Junior Jessica Nye will lead Peninsula’s girls team.
The Bay League meet will also serve as a tuneup for the 69th annual Brooks/Mt. SAC Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 22. ER
