On a crisp Saturday morning at Pierce College, Ananya Balaraman from North Hollywood High achieved her long-time dream, taking home the City Section Division I girls’ cross-country title. With a personal best time of 17 minutes and 38 seconds, she left the crowd in awe.

A straight-A student from North Hollywood’s Highly Gifted Magnet, Ananya has shown tremendous growth since finishing sixth in last year’s race with a time of 19:18. She attributes her success to ramping up her mileage during training. Her determination and hard work have clearly paid off.

Meanwhile, Granada Hills claimed the Division I girls’ team title, adding another chapter to an exciting day of races.

Venice’s Paul Tranquilla Dominates the Boys’ Race

In the boys’ Division I race, Paul Tranquilla of Venice High proved unstoppable. He clocked an impressive 14:44.60, earning the championship title. Just last week, Paul set a personal best of 15:03 during the preliminaries, showing remarkable consistency. His performance not only secured the win but also set a new school record. Paul is no stranger to success, having already been crowned the 800-meter City champion in track.

Palisades took home the boys’ Division I team title, rounding off a stellar performance by their squad.

A Family Affair for the Montenegros

The Montenegro family had plenty to celebrate, with Jorge helping Monroe win the Division II boys’ title, while his sister Trinidad contributed to Granada Hills’ Division I championship win. It was a proud day for their family and their schools.

Southern Section Shines at Mt. SAC

At the Southern Section championships, Griffin Kushen of Tesoro made history by setting a Mt. SAC course record in Division 2 with a blazing time of 14:38.5. A recent Duke University signee, Griffin’s performance was one for the books. Glendora clinched the Division 2 team title.

Other notable performances included:

• Division 1 Boys: Beckman High took the team crown, with Maximo Zavaleta of King High leading the pack in 15:00.8.
• Division 1 Girls: Trabuco Hills dominated the team competition, powered by Holly Barker’s individual win in 16:40.7.
• Division 2 Girls: Sadie Engelhardt of Ventura ran a stellar 17:31.9 to secure the title, with El Toro taking the team championship.
• Division 3 Boys: Evan Noonan of Dana Hills crossed the finish line first in 14:42.9, while Oak Park took the team title.

All Eyes on the State Championships

With these results, the top teams and athletes are heading to the state championships at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 30. The competition promises to be fierce, with California’s best ready to showcase their skills on the big stage.

Stay tuned for more updates as the race for glory continues!