Ripon is sending two runners to the California Interscholastic Federation State Championships.
Standout senior Annie Wild will make her third appearance at the state meet after finishing as the Division IV runner-up in the Sac-Joaquin Section Championships at Willow Hills Reservoir in Folsom, while fellow senior Julio Pelaez snuck in with a ninth-place finish.
The top three varsity teams and 10 individuals in the Section meet earn medals. The top two teams and eight individuals are awarded at the lower levels. The state meet takes place Nov. 26 at Woodward Park in Fresno.
Wild clocked a time of 19 minutes, 40.1 seconds, trailing Colfax’s Jesse Redding (18:59.8). Ripon failed to qualify for state as a team, netting a fifth-place score of 124 behind Trans-Valley League rival (118) and Union Mine (112). Jenna Skavdahl took 17th in 21:36.4, Mallory Govia was 22nd in 21:56.8 and Malia Locarnini 40th in 22:49.2.
Ripon’s boys were edged out for the third and final available team berth to state, scoring 138 points to Livingston’s 123. Pelaez checked in as the fifth and final individual qualifier, taking ninth in 17:13.4. Devin Fitzpatrick was 21st in 17:45.9.
Sierra’s Christian Gonzalez capped his promising freshman campaign with a 20th place finish in 17:14.4 in Division III. The Timberwolves took ninth out of 10 teams. Marissa Gonzalez was 46th in 22:58.6.
In Division V, Ripon Christian finished in fourth place. Maya (23:53) and Addison (23:57.8) De Jong placed 19th and 20th, respectively. Devin Phillips led RC’s fifth-place boys team with a 45th-place finish in 20:51.7.
Three local schools captured Section titles in the lower levels.
Sierra is the Division III frosh-soph girls champion after it was spearheaded by Monse Savedra (fifth, 15:10.0) and Haley Hill (15:17.3).
Ripon squeaked past Union Mine for the Division IV frosh-soph girls crown. Kember Duncan (12th, 16:06.4) and Emilie Benavides (14th, 16:26.3).
River Islands is the Division V freshman boys champion behind Yovany Avila (second, 14:04), Gabriel Cabuguen (second, 14:09.2) and Om Seripella (fourth, 14:24.0).
Lathrop’s Division III freshman boys were runners-up in Division III. Amani Vaye spearheaded the Spartans, taking eighth in 13:28.1
Ripon’s frosh-soph boys took second. James Wilkins placed fourth for the Indians in 13:14.1. Jonathan Salinas was sixth in 13:45.4.
