Teamwork helps Dana Hills win title

ORANGE – Though it didn't rely on a single individual to carry the team, a strong overall effort vaulted Dana Hills back to the top of the county boys cross country mountain and into record books.

The Dolphins tied a county record by winning their sixth team championship at the Orange County Championships on Saturday at Irvine Regional Park.

The Dolphins were led by 10th and 11th place individual finishes by junior Gavin Diem (15:08) and freshman Jake Ogden (15:10). They had all five runners score in the top 25 to notch 76 points.

Dana Hills won the county title for the first time since 2009 and is tied with Costa Mesa for the most team titles in the history of the county championships.

"We knew that we had to stay close to Trabuco's pack, and after the second mile, we broke through and hung with them," Dolphins coach Tim Butler said. "Our seniors stepped up and closed our gap, which is the key to our success."

Seniors Jack Morgenson (15:20), Andy Werderman (15:29), and Tommy Rinefort (15:32) helped Dana Hills finish with a race-best 24 second scoring gap between its first and fifth runners.

Trabuco Hills, which was seeking the county title for the third year in a row, finished second with 90 points.

El Toro senior Juan Gonzalez won the individual title. After a tightly bunched pack took turns vying for the early lead, Gonzalez forged a small lead heading into the latter portion. Villa Park junior Garret Corcoran answered with his own surge to pull alongside Gonzalez, but another burst at the top of the final climb gave Gonzalez a lead he didn't relinquish.

He crossed the finish line in a time of 14:40, tying him with former Trabuco Hills standout Jantzen Oshier for the seventh-best time on the modern championship course, which has been used since 1999.

"Through the first mile, it was really packed up and I tried to make a move before coming to the two-mile mark on the downhill portion," Gonzalez said. "By the crest of the final hill, I felt comfortable and confident to open up on the last 400 meters."

Corcoran sprinted well over the final straightaway and finished second in a time of 14:44, with Canyon senior Austin Goins (14:50) crossing the finish line in third place.

Trabuco Hills senior Naoki Omatsu (14:57), Edison senior Jeff Thies (15:00) and Godinez senior Jose Penaloza (15:00) rounded out the top six individual runners.
    
Woodbridge junior Jackson Marshall took home the individual victory in the Division 2 race, clocking a time of 15:12.
    
Marina junior Kyle Aube (15:20) and Santiago sophomore Norberto Osorio (15:26) were among the top three finishers.
    
Loara (149 points) claimed the team title over second place Marina (161) and third place Aliso Niguel (170).
    
In Division 3, the Santa Margarita senior duo of Jason Engel (15:27) and Guido Marasigan (15:29) finished first and second respectively.
    
Fullerton senior Jeremy Lewis was third in a time of 15:44.
    
Beckman took home the team title with 113 points. Los Alamitos (131) was second and St. Margaret’s (151) came in third.

Contact the writer: jeichelberger@ocregister.com