Prep cross country: Archie Williams sweeps at section championships

Six Marin teams and six more individuals from the county qualified for the State Meet by way of their performances at the North Coast Section cross country championships on the 3-mile course at Hayward High on Saturday.

The day was highlighted by Archie Williams winning both Division IV races as a team, with Ian Sharp winning the boys race and Ani Stieg taking the victory in the girls race.

Other Marin teams headed to state are the Redwood girls, Tam boys, and both teams from The Branson School. The Branson girls took the win in the D-V race.

Marin individuals who punched their tickets to State were San Rafael’s Teo Cristea, Tam’s Emma Gardner, Terra Linda’s Shahan Ajmani, Marin Catholic’s Gabby Hays, San Domenico’s Devin Price, and Marin Academy’s Luella Shepard.

Division IV

Archie Williams is sending both of its teams to state, as it did last season, with the boys advancing to that stage for the 10th consecutive time. Neither team won NCS last season but both broke through for victories on Saturday.

The girls were led by Stieg, who crossed the finish line first with a time of 19 minutes, 50.1 seconds – a full 20 seconds clear of the field. Stieg, who won the MCAL championship on Nov. 13, improved on her seventh-place finish from last year.

The Peregrine Falcons placed two more runners inside the top 10 – Alyssa Silverstein (20:59.2, eighth) and Ainsley Sullivan (21:02.7, ninth). Brooke Lee and Teya Strong rounded out the scoring in 13th and 27th place, respectively, as Archie Williams finished with 58 points. Acalanes finished second with 75.

MC’s Hays took fifth in 20:38.1 to qualify individually and help the Wildcats to a ninth-place team finish. Terra Linda took seventh with Annie Carmona (16th) and Anna Wallen barely missing out for State.

Archie Williams’ Sharp, also coming off a victory at MCALs last week, secured his second individual victory of the postseason with a time of 16:23.6. Sharp finished 18th at NCS last season.

Three more Peregrine Falcons finished inside the top 11 – Ryan Seeley (16:44.5, fourth), Milo Hetherington (17:08.8), and Nolan Marsh (17:15.4). Sean Chamberlain finished in 20th to round out the scoring for Archie Williams, which finished with 45 points. St. Mary’s took second with 58 points.

“The course was a muddy mess but we prepared,” Archie Williams coach Robyn Berry said via text message. “Yet no matter how much preparation you do, you still have to have tremendous composure and not panic about the slow early pace. You have to feel the race and that’s how they won today.”

TL’s Ajamni placed 10th in 17:09.0 to move on to State. MC placed seventh as a team and TL placed 13th.

Division V

The Branson girls used their top-end depth to win the title, placing four runners inside the top eight and all five inside the top 15.

Farah Allen placed third in 19:18.5, followed by Audrey Spaly (19:36.2, fifth), Hailey Sellers (20:10.1, seventh), and Maya Gidney (20:11.1, eighth). Imogen Brown placed 14th to round out the scoring for the Bulls, whose team total of 37 points was well clear of Lick-Wilmerding’s 56 points in second place.

MA’s Shepard finished in 20:20.4 to finish in 10th.

On the boys side, Branson’s Jasper James crossed the finish line in 17:25.9 to finish in second and help the Bulls to a third-place finish. Branson’s other scorers were Zander Alpert (20th), Gian-Carlo a Marca (35th), Luke Vilhauer (45th), and Holden Fischer (63rd).

San Domenico’s Price gets to run again next week at State after placing fifth in 17:50.4.

Division II

Redwood placed four runners inside the top 10 to make a legit run at the section title, ultimately finishing second on 46 points – just two behind Monte Vista.

The Giants were led by Sydney Middleton (18:04.6, third), Kate Kozubik (18:10.7, fourth), Marley Nacco (18:49.4, eighth), and Rose Mueller (18:57.9, 10th). Redwood’s fifth runner was Beatrice Nass, who placed 21st.

The Redwood boys placed seventh as a team, led by Gabriel Cavanagh (25th) and Nicolas Kemsley (26th).

Division III

The Tam boys, who won the section title last season, placed second this time around with 47 points – just three behind Campolindo.

The Red-tailed Hawks placed five runners inside the top 20, led by Marco Zink (16:45.3, third), Caeden Gardner (16:50.9, sixth), and Lucas Ruark (17:02.4, eighth). Gilbert Fillat (12th) and Atticus Siedman (18th) were Tam’s other top runners.

Tam finished in seventh in the girls race, led by Emma Gardner, whose fourth-place finish in 19:04.0 made her the top individual qualifier for State.