WALNUT – When Corona Santiago High of California senior Braelyn Combe enters a race, she isn’t just trying to win, she’s looking to dominate the field.
That was the case Saturday, as Combe ran 16 minutes, 53.2 seconds to win the Division 1-2 girls individual sweepstakes race at the 77th Mt. SAC Invitational Presented by Nike at Mt. San Antonio College.
Combe eclipsed the 3-mile meet record on the revised course, which was updated last year.
Braelyn Combe of Corona Santiago won her third career sweepstakes title at the 77th Mt. SAC Invitational Presented by Nike, covering the new 3-mile layout in a meet record 16:53.2 to lead the Sharks to the team victory at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. | Photo courtesy of Alex Valladares
Abigail Errington of South Pasadena was the first female athlete to eclipse the 17-minute barrier on the new layout, which eliminated Poop-Out Hill, running 16:57.0 to prevail in the Division 3-4-5 girls team sweepstakes last season.
Combe took the lead early and kept extending it, establishing an eight-second advantage after a mile and 20 seconds after two miles, before winning by a 36-second margin over Arcadia senior Charlotte Hopkins (17:29.3), with senior Taylor Biggambler of Flagstaff High in Arizona taking third (17:57.2)
The victory marked the third straight Mt. SAC sweepstakes title for Combe, who won the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes titles the last two years. As a freshman competing for Rancho Cucamonga High, she finished seventh.
“That (meet record) was exactly what I was going for,” Combe said. “Even though it was a loaded field (I wanted to) try and see if I could push for a time, in a solo effort.
“Charlotte did amazing too. It’s just building up the hype and intensity for (CIF Southern Section) Division 1 finals (on the same course).”
Combe’s victory came one day after her friend, La Jolla senior Chiara Dailey, won her third career Mt. SAC Invitational title in the Division 3-4-5 team sweepstakes.
It was actually an impressive race for Corona Santiago, which is ranked No. 2 in the state in Division 1 and would normally be in the marquee race of the day, the team sweepstakes.
But the Sharks weren’t running their Nos. 3, 4 and 5 runners – Taylor Davis, Nicole Samson and Sofia Ramirez – and still won the team title in the individual sweepstakes race with 80 points, edging second-place Warren (97), which held off third-place Aliso Niguel (97) on a sixth-runner tiebreaker.
Corona Santiago freshman Addyson Johns won her middle school race on Mt. SAC’s 2-mile course last year, but Saturday was her first race on the 3-mile course and she finished fourth (18:01.8).
“The first mile I felt really strong then going up switchbacks, I dropped like four places,” Johns said. “I felt like I was hiking up switchbacks. It wasn’t good. Then the third mile, I was like, ‘OK, I need to get this for the team score.’
“(Running the middle school course) really helped. I liked the course and felt confident with the course.”
Another freshman, Westlake’s Sabina Cruz won the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes race in 17:39.6.
“At the start, I saw the girl in front and I was like, ‘No, I shouldn’t go with her,’” Cruz said. “Because I knew if I stayed behind her, I could pass her maybe at the end. When I hear people behind me, it just goes to my head, ‘No, you have to keep going.’ Overall, the competition was awesome.”
Sabina Cruz of Westlake became the first freshman to eclipse the 18-minute barrier on the updated 3-mile course at Mt. San Antonio College with her victory in the Division 1-2 girls team sweepstakes race in 17:39.6 at the 77th Mt. SAC Invitational Presented by Nike | Photo courtesy of Alex Valladares
Cruz became the fastest freshman on the updated 3-mile Mt. SAC course, including the first ninth-grader to eclipse the 18-minute barrier.
The race featured 10 runners who finished under 18 minutes as senior Alana Clarke (17:42.8) and sophomore Evelyn Ursini (17:45.2) of Mira Costa finished second and third, respectively.
Mira Costa had five scorers in the top 35 and took home the Division 1-2 team sweepstakes title for the first time since 2021 with 58 points, easily beating Great Oak (113).
Evelyn Ursini, center, and Alana Clarke, left, compete against Olivia Campos from Mt. Carmel in the Division 1-2 girls team sweepstakes race at the 77th Mt. SAC Invitational Presented by Nike at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. | Photo courtesy of Alex Valladares
“It was really valuable (to run together) because Evelyn kept me pushing the last mile, two miles,” Clarke said. “I run with her in practice every single day and I knew I could keep up with her and then finish together, hopefully.”
Other girls varsity winners from Saturday included: Santa Monica’s Selin Kocataskin (Division 1-2, 18:38.9), Northgate’s Olivia Joseph (Division 1, 18:11.9), Granada Hills’ Samantha Pacheco (Division 1, 18:51.8) and Castro Valley’s Iliana Nierengarten (Division 1 18:44.2).
Pacheco prevailed in the most thrilling finish of the day, leaning just ahead of West Valley League rival Yesenia Valdez from Birmingham, who clocked 18:51.9.
Samantha Pacheco of Granada Hills, right, edged fellow senior Yesenia Valdez from Birmingham by an 18:51.8 to 18:51.9 margin in Division 1 girls varsity competition at the 77th Mt. SAC Invitational Presented by Nike | Photo courtesy of Alex Valladares
In Division 2 girls varsity competition, North Torrance’s Jaqueline Soto (18:41.4), Peninsula’s Alexandra Himebauch (18:51.0) and Clayton Valley’s Katherine Buechter (19:12.7) were all victorious in their respective races.
Clayton Valley also secured the team victory in its race by a 71-73 margin against Rowland High.