JSerra cross country seeks Orange County sweepstakes double feature, Trabuco Hills’ Holly Barker aims for fourth straight title

JSerra High of California will arrive Saturday at the 57th Orange County Cross Country Championships in possession of one sweepstakes trophy.

The Lions are attempting to leave Oak Canyon Park in Silverado with additional hardware and a couple of remarkable achievements, not only for the program, but in meet history.

JSerra is attempting to become only the second girls team to capture three consecutive sweepstakes titles, joining Anaheim Esperanza in 2001-03.

The Lions have maintained control of the perpetual Orange County girls sweepstakes trophy since a 34-85 victory against Trabuco Hills in 2022, followed by defeating the Mustangs by a 46-110 margin last season, with Dana Hills taking third, El Toro earning fourth and San Clemente achieving fifth.

But JSerra is looking to secure possession of the boys title for the first time Saturday, especially with Beckman High deciding not to compete at the county meet following its victory Oct. 12 in the Rob Brenner boys championship race at the 45th ASICS Clovis Invitational at Woodward Park in Fresno.

JSerra is pursuing the first sweep of the sweepstakes trophies in the same year since Dana Hills achieved the feat in 2016.

The two-day event begins at 3:30 p.m. PDT Friday, with small school varsity races highlighting the eight-race schedule at 5:05 p.m. and 5:20 p.m.

An additional 16 races are scheduled to start at 7:40 a.m. Saturday, with the boys sweepstakes competition at 8:55 a.m., followed by the girls sweepstakes showcase at 9:15 a.m.

Dana Hills is the reigning boys sweepstakes champion, edging San Clemente by a 48-53 margin last season following back-to-back titles earned by the Tritons in 2021-22, but JSerra is looking to build off the momentum of its Division 4 all-time mark 79:08 on the 5-kilometer course at Woodward Park at the 45th ASICS Clovis Invitational in an effort to elevate from its fourth-place finish at the county meet last year.

Trabuco Hills took third last season, Santa Margarita placed fifth and Woodbridge secured sixth in boys sweepstakes competition.

Although Dana Hills senior Evan Noonan decided not to defend his individual sweepstakes crown after producing a 3-mile course record of 13:59.4 last year – with Austin Tamagno of Brea-Olinda still the last male athlete to capture back-to-back titles in 2014-15 – another reigning champion will take aim at extending one of the most exceptional streaks the meet has ever showcased.

Trabuco Hills senior Holly Barker is trying to win the girls sweepstakes championship for the fourth year in a row, looking to join Martha Pinto from Anaheim Katella in 1987-90 at Irvine Regional Park as only the second female competitor to achieve the career grand slam.

Barker triumphed in 2021-22 competing for Laguna Hills, then enjoyed a three-peat last season by producing a course record of 16:08.1 representing Trabuco Hills.

Allyson Marquand of Irvine University won girls sweepstakes titles in 1995, 1996 and 1998, but was denied the chance to secure a potential fourth career victory when a wildfire canceled the 1997 meet at Irvine Regional Park.

Barker is also attempting to lead Trabuco Hills to its first girls sweepstakes team title since 2015, but will need to overcome a field that includes the top five competitors from last season all returning, in addition to Irvine junior Summer Wilson scheduled to race following a second-place finish in the 2022 sweepstakes field.

Newport Harbor’s Keaton Robar, JSerra’s Sophie Polay, Dana Hills’ Annie Ivarsson and El Toro’s Gweneth Williams all ran sub-16:45 on the 3-mile layout last year.

JSerra also returns Reese Holley, Chloe Elbaz and Kaylah Tasser from last season’s sweepstakes lineup, with Hayden Kroger, Hutton Nelligan and freshman Kaia Streadbeck expected to compete Saturday.

Trabuco Hills is expected to have Skylar Watts, Millie Bayles and Anna Desormeau returning to support Barker from last year’s runner-up roster. The quartet, along with Irvine Portola transfer Sophie Guilfoile, helped the Mustangs place five athletes in the top seven in the girls varsity race to capture the team title Oct. 5 at the 43rd Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach.

Trabuco Hills girls cross country | Photo courtesy of Trabuco Hills

Tesoro’s Mackenzie Forrest and Amber Dazey, Newport Harbor’s Marley McCullough, Santa Margarita’s Alahna Thomas, El Toro’s Lucy Varela, Capistrano Valley’s Audrey Heath, Corona del Mar’s Emilie Steinman, Santa Ana’s Adamara Esparza and Woodbridge’s Hannah Wilbur are also expected to compete after finishing in the top 30 last season.

Tesoro senior Griffin Kushen is looking to continue his momentum following a second-place performance Oct. 12 in the Rob Brenner boys championship race at the 45th ASICS Clovis Invitational, achieving a lifetime-best 14:43.8 on the 5-kilometer course at Woodward Park.

Griffin Kushen of Tesoro | Photo by Ken Martinez

Kushen, who took third in the sweepstakes last year, is one of three competitors who placed in the top 10 that are scheduled to race Saturday, along with JSerra’s Bradley Arrey and Trabuco Hills’ Dylan Jubak.

Corona del Mar’s Kevin Steinman and Max Douglass, El Toro’s Daniel Bulalacao and Rogan Arriaga, Woodbridge’s Aidan Antonio, Dana Hills’ Oliver Hunter and JSerra’s Taye Newman – an Anaheim Canyon transfer – are also scheduled to participate in the sweepstakes after finishing in the top 30 last season.

Servite’s Emmanuel Lopez is also looking to elevate to sweepstakes competition after winning the small school varsity race last year.