South Pasadena’s Abigail Errington earns big win in Division 3-4-5 girls team sweepstakes at Mt. SAC Invitational

WALNUT, Calif. – Abigail Errington has produced several significant victories during an exceptional career at South Pasadena High in California, but her performance Friday in the Division 3-4-5 girls varsity team sweepstakes competition at the 76th Mt. SAC Invitational Presented by Nike might have been the most remarkable for multiple reasons.

Not only did Errington prevent junior Chiara Dailey of La Jolla High – the reigning California Division 4 state champion – from winning the race for the third year in a row, but she also achieved a new 3-mile course record of 16 minutes, 57 seconds at Mt. SAC and helped the Tigers edge three-time sweepstakes winners and defending Division 3 state title holder Cathedral Catholic in a thrilling team showdown.

Zion Ortiz also prevailed in the Division 3-4-5 boys individual sweepstakes competition and led Burroughs Ridgecrest from California to a team win as well, with St. Francis senior Auge Martin and The Bishop’s School junior Ayanna Hickey also emerging victorious in exciting finishes to their respective races on the track inside Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

But Errington’s effort impacted so many aspects of the opening day of competition, especially considering Dailey – a two-time Foot Locker All-American – built a 19-second lead following the first mile and appeared well on her way to a three-peat.

Chiara Dailey of La Jolla | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Dailey was attempting to become the first female athlete to win sweepstakes races in three consecutive years at Mt. SAC since La Costa Canyon standout Kristin Fahy prevailed in 2016-18, but Errington trimmed her advantage to eight seconds at the 2-mile split and took control for good in Goff’s Gauntlet with 500 meters remaining, before extending her lead during the final 300-meter stretch on the track.

Errington earned a fifth-place finish in 18:08 as a sophomore in the Division 3-4-5 girls team sweepstakes, but was 70 seconds behind Dailey on the previous 2.93-mile Mt. SAC layout.

The Princeton commit secured second in last year’s sweepstakes competition in 17:22, but still trailed Dailey by 30 seconds.

In their only other showdown this season, Dailey was second Sept. 21 in the Bob Day girls sweepstakes race at the 43rd Woodbridge Cross Country Classic Presented by ASICS America, covering the 3-mile course in 15:28.2 at Great Park in Irvine, 49 seconds ahead of 12th-place finisher Errington.

But Errington remained patient Friday and was rewarded during the final mile, adding a sweepstakes victory at Mt. SAC to a career resume that also includes wins at both the Woodbridge Classic and ASICS Clovis Invitational.

Abigail Errington of South Pasadena | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Although the race outcome was definitive, with Dailey placing second in 17:06, La Canada senior Maya de Brouwer taking third in 17:38, Cathedral Catholic senior Jocelyn Gibson finishing fourth in 18:18, Saidbh Byrne achieving fifth for South Pasadena in 18:35 and Francis Parker’s Ari Llorens clocking 18:37 to secure sixth, the team battle was decided by the narrowest of margins in multiple ways.

South Pasadena edged Cathedral Catholic with a 64-65 victory in the overall Division 3-4-5 girls team sweepstakes scoring involving all 21 programs, as Sofia Humphrey achieved 14th in 19:20, Maya Lee captured 17th in 19:29 and Amelie Geoffron grabbed 27th in 19:54 in support of Errington and Byrne for the Tigers.

Cathedral Catholic prevailed on a sixth-runner tiebreaker against the Tigers after both lineups accumulated 45 points when only factoring the results of the 10 Division 3 schools in the field.

Liesel Sellerberg achieved seventh in 18:56, Lindsay Zimmer was 13th in 19:20, Chiara Bonomi took 19th in 19:38 and Patsy Hellman captured 22nd in 19:42 in support of Gibson for the Dons, with Kristine Bickler as their sixth runner following a 31st-place performance in 20:00.

Ortiz triumphed in the Division 3-4-5 boys individual sweepstakes in 15:03, with Burroughs Ridgecrest also placing five athletes in the top 55 to produce a 102-107 triumph against Sage Creek, led by Josiah Bowman finishing fourth in 15:18.

Zion Ortiz of Burroughs Ridgecrest and Andres Lomeli from Kimball | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Oliver Clippinger-Zimmerman of Thousand Oaks (15:10) and Liam Miller from South Torrance (15:14) led at the 2-mile mark, but Ortiz covered the final mile with the fastest split of 4:51 in order to prevail.

Theo Udelson-Nee from Wildwood finished fifth in 15:27, with Kimball’s Andres Lomeli taking sixth in 15:28, Lancaster Desert Christian’s Mehari Winheim clocking 15:37 to achieve seventh, Thousand Oaks’ Oren Hill placing eighth in 15:44, Moorpark’s Hunter Lee grabbing ninth in 15:47 and Finn Babbitt from Mary Star of the Sea completing the top 10 in 15:50.

The Division 3-4-5 boys team sweepstakes race showcased one of the most memorable finishes in meet history, with Martin and Viewpoint junior Olly O’Connor running stride for stride during the final 50 meters.

Olly O’Connor of Viewpoint, left, and Auge Martin from St. Francis | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Martin edged O’Connor by a 15:02.1 to 15:02.2 margin, with both athletes being officially timed in 15:02.

Martin, who was a member of St. Francis’ winning lineup in the Division 3-4-5 boys team sweepstakes race last season as well as contributing to Division 4 section and state championships, added another remarkable chapter Friday to his Mt. SAC legacy.

Olly O’Connor of Viewpoint, left, and Auge Martin from St. Francis | Photo courtesy of Finished Results

Ryan Fitzpatrick from The Nueva School took third in 15:19, Corona del Mar’s Max Douglass finished fourth in 15:22, West Torrance’s Andrew Quast was fifth in 15:30, Cathedral Catholic’s Nathan Wilber captured sixth in 15:34 and Aidan Guzman provided support for Martin with a seventh-place effort for St. Francis in 15:39.

Canyon Country Canyon’s Owen Souther and Palos Verdes’ Adrian Miller both clocked 15:42, earning eighth and ninth, respectively, with Yosemite’s Ford Stegge achieving 10th in 15:43.

Foothill Technology, a California Division 4 program led by sophomore Viggo Bortolin taking 13th in 15:55, had five athletes place in the top 30 and a sixth competitor securing 31st overall to produce a 106-136 victory against South Pasadena in the Division 3-4-5 boys sweepstakes competition.

Hickey held off Sage Creek senior Gabriella Peters by a 17:56.1 to 17:56.9 margin in the Division 3-4-5 girls individual sweepstakes race, with both San Diego Section standouts being officially timed in 17:56.

Gabriella Peters of Sage Creek, left, and Ayanna Hickey of The Bishop’s School | Photo courtesy of Finished Results

Hickey created a 14-second lead at the 2-mile mark, but Peters persevered and took advantage of the long backstretch on the track to gradually close the gap, setting the stage for a dramatic final few meters where The Bishop’s School of La Jolla standout benefited from a well-timed lean to secure the win.

It was the first career appearance at Mt. SAC for Hickey, who, despite the late surge from Peters, was able to produce a wire-to-wire victory.

Ayanna Hickey of The Bishop’s School | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Although Peters was edged for the individual title, she contributed to Sage Creek having five competitors in the top 55 to prevail against Monrovia by a 78-95 margin.

Monrovia freshman Isla Terrill took third in 18:00, helping the Wildcats to their runner-up team effort, with Brentwood sophomore Amelia Sarkisian running 18:02 to finish fourth – including the fastest final mile in the race with a 5:53 split – and Santana sophomore Harper Diaz clocked 18:04 to achieve fifth.

Coastal Academy freshman Lindsey Billotte took sixth in 18:10, Woodlake’s Anna Villavicencio captured seventh in 18:13, Sage Creek’s Michela Miracco earned eighth in 18:22, West Covina’s Becky Osorio placed ninth in 18:36 and Marlborough’s Maddie Giorgio finished 10th in 18:39.

Santa Fe senior Serenity Fausto led all athletes in varsity competition by clocking 18:14 to prevail in her Division 3 race, which remained the fastest female performance of the day until the sweepstakes races.

Serenity Fausto of Santa Fe | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Canoga Park’s Angelina Lopez clocked 19:27 and Brigette Trujillo of Miguel Contreras Learning Center ran 20:05 to earn wins in the other two Division 3 girls varsity sections.

Sophomore standouts Hannah Nourse from Laguna Hills (18:51) and Madeline Nilo of Bishop Amat (18:58) triumphed in the Division 4 girls varsity races.

Seniors Audrey Spaly from Ross Branson (19:21) and Jeanna-Marie Lotz of Arrowhead Christian Academy (19:26) achieved victories in the Division 5 girls varsity competitions.

Ocean View junior Maury Young ran 15:56 in a Division 4 boys varsity race to produce the top boys performance of the day ahead of the sweepstakes competitions.

Maury Young of Ocean View | Photo courtesy of Ken Martinez

Isaac Donis, a senior at Don Lugo, clocked 15:57 in his Division 3 boys varsity competition.

Garden Grove Santiago’s Nathan Nguyen ran 16:16 and Vista’s Jarett Cruz clocked 16:17 in their respective Division 3 boys varsity races to achieve victories.

Canyon Hills junior Miles Pike won his Division 4 boys varsity section in 16:38.

Senior Maxwell Gibbons from High Tech High in San Marcos produced the fastest Division 5 boys varsity performance of 16:27.

Flintridge Prep junior Declan Mansbridge was victorious in his Division 5 section in 16:32, with High Tech High Mesa junior Kai Rottler clocking 16:45 in his Division 5 competition, another impressive indication of his return to fitness after being sidelined with an injury during the spring track schedule.

Yorba Linda senior Dante Maldonado won the Division 3-4-5 boys varsity race in 16:03 and junior teammate Toren Habbestad was second in 16:31.

Burroughs Ridgecrest junior Eve Washburn prevailed in the Division 3-4-5 girls varsity competition in 19:06.