Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe gets back-to-back titles at Mt. SAC Invitational, Canyon Crest Academy’s Katja Dunayevich rallies for win

WALNUT, Calif. – Katja Dunayevich delivered one of the most memorable comebacks showcased on any cross country course at Mt. San Antonio College.

Braelyn Combe produced another impressive performance at the prestigious venue, adding to her resume of remarkable victories during the past three years.

And St. Francis Mountain View of California demonstrated its depth Saturday to capture the first Division 1-2 girls team sweepstakes title in program history at the 76th Mt. SAC Invitational Presented by Nike.

The Lancers had all seven athletes finish in the top 25 in their Mt. SAC debut, securing a 69-105 victory against Del Norte, the top program in the San Diego Section.

St. Francis Mountain View, which finished fifth Oct. 12 in the Bill Buettner girls championship race at the 45th ASICS Clovis Invitational, only had a 14-point advantage against sixth-place Del Norte in their previous matchup.

Claremont, last year’s Division 1-2 team sweepstakes winner, took third at 135 points, with Mira Costa placing fourth following a 154-point effort and San Clemente prevailing on a sixth-runner tiebreaker against Great Oak after both lineups accumulated 183 points.

Combe covered the revised 3-mile layout – highlighted by eliminating Poop-Out Hill and adding a final stretch of 300 meters on the track inside Hilmer Lodge Stadium – in 17 minutes, 20 seconds to capture back-to-back Division 1-2 girls team sweepstakes crowns.

Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Combe, who ran 17:33 on the former 2.93-mile Mt. SAC course to prevail last season, became the first female athlete to win the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes race in consecutive years since former Simi Valley High standout Sarah Baxter captured four in a row from 2010-13.

Claudia Lane of Malibu was the last female competitor to triumph at Mt. SAC in the Division 1-2 girls individual sweepstakes in back-to-back years in 2016-17, with Fiona O’Keeffe from Davis Senior High also winning in consecutive seasons, with a Division 1-2 individual sweepstakes title in 2013, followed by the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes championship in 2014.

Combe has also contributed to multiple victories at Mt. SAC, helping Rancho Cucamonga capture the Division 1-2 girls team sweepstakes title for the first time in 2022, in addition to being part of Corona Santiago’s championship lineup at the Southern Section Division 1 final last season.

Claremont had junior Isla Bulmer finish second in 17:57 and freshman teammate Grace Smith took third in 18:01, but Del Norte benefited from Emily Russo placing fourth in 18:20 and Eliza Hong earning fifth in 18:27, with the same time also credited to Trabuco Hills senior Sophie Guilfoile to secure sixth.

Sadie Wilson of Mira Costa captured seventh in 18:41, with Great Oak’s Makenna Mitchell taking ninth in 18:47.

St. Francis Mountain View was led by Caitlin Cilley clocking 18:44 to achieve eighth, Payton Wagner was 10th in 18:47 and Sabrina Zanetto took 13th in 18:56, but the second half of the Lancers’ lineup provided significant support by finishing 22nd through 25th, as Charlie Hofstetter ran 19:12, freshman Brinley Pickett clocked 19:15, Lauren Draper covered the course in 19:17 and ninth-grader Charlene Evangelista produced a 19:19 effort.

St. Francis Mountain View girls cross country | Erik Boal photo

Corona Santiago competed without Florida State commit Rylee Blade and Trabuco Hills rested top athletes Holly Barker and Millie Bayles, both programs looking ahead to their Nov. 23 matchup at Mt. SAC in the Southern Section Division 1 final.

Corona Santiago secured seventh with 213 points, but Trabuco Hills was unable to score as a team Saturday when Anna Desormeau dropped out of the race before the second mile.

Dunayevich earned eighth last season in the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes race, but her performance Saturday led to one of the most thrilling finishes of the two-day event.

Katja Dunayevich of Canyon Crest Academy | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Facing a 26-second deficit at the 2-mile mark, Dunayevich produced the strongest final mile of the day and second-fastest among all female athletes in the meet by closing in 5:43.1 to overtake early leader Megan Crum of Temescal Canyon in the final 100 meters to triumph by a 17:39 to 17:41 margin.

Megan Crum of Temescal Canyon | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Only Abigail Errington of South Pasadena, who set the 3-mile course record Friday by running 16:57 in the Division 3-4-5 girls team sweepstakes race, had a faster final mile than Dunayevich at 5:28.9.

Crescenta Valley held off rival Arcadia with a 110-116 victory in the Division 1-2 girls individual sweepstakes, with the programs scheduled for a rematch Nov. 7 at the Pacific League final.

Charlotte Hopkins led Arcadia by taking third in 17:51 and Reena Hsieh ran 18:23 to place eighth for the Apaches.

Kaitlin Kenney was ninth in 18:25 and Emilia Greenway achieved 11th in 18:28 for Crescenta Valley.

Vista Murrieta’s Erica Kirk finished fourth in 18:04 to help the Broncos take third as a team with 157 points, Long Beach Poly’s Avery Peck placed fifth in 18:09, Ventura freshman Sophie Nuckols captured sixth in 18:14, Helix standout Kate Weaver grabbed seventh in 18:16 and Patrick Henry’s Hannah Aguirre clocked 18:27 to secure 10th overall.

Riverside Poly junior Olivia Bollenbach achieved the fastest time among the seven girls varsity races following the sweepstakes competitions, winning in a combined Division 1-2 field in 18:47.

Olivia Bollenbach of Riverside Poly | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Bakersfield Stockdale senior Hannah Pacheco ran 18:51, the only female athlete to eclipse the 19-minute barrier in the three Division 2 varsity races. Pacheco also helped the Mustangs prevail as a team in the final girls section of the meet.

Oakland Tech junior Chloe Leduc, who won a Division 3 varsity race in 2022 on the 2.93-mile Mt. SAC course, added a 3-mile victory Saturday in her Division 2 field in 19:00, with Olivia Campos leading a Mt. Carmel sweep of the top three spots in her Division 2 section by clocking 19:15.

Saveyra Guerrero of La Quinta won her Division 1 girls varsity race in 19:06, with Natalie Gonzalez from Downey prevailing in her section in 19:16 and Kelia Naranjo-Champion of Garfield clocking 19:49 to secure victory against her field.