Great Oak ‘B’ teams get an ‘A’ for effort by sweeping both sweepstakes titles; Ramos takes down Bolger’s record 

By Landon Negri for DyeStat

This wasn’t supposed to be your usual dominant Great Oak CA cross country performance.

At least not from its ‘B’ teams.

Yet, that’s exactly what the Wolfpack put forth Saturday on an unusual day to remember. It will also serve as a great memory for Rubidoux CA senior Kevin Ramos.

Despite not running its top seven athletes in either gender, Great Oak swept to easy sweepstakes victories at the Inland Empire Challenge at the Riverside City course, with Ramos setting the all-time 3-mile course record by winning the boys sweeps in 14 minutes, 25.1 seconds.

Chino Hills CA sophomore Jacqueline Duarte won the girls sweeps in 17:20.4.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Second-team success is nothing new for the Wolfpack, ever since coach Doug Soles ran his girls ‘B’ team at the 2014 CIF-Southern Section Division 1 prelims and not only qualified for the section finals, but won its heat in the process.

The stakes weren’t as high Saturday, but the Wolfpack won anyway.

Sophomore Mateo Joseph (third, 14:57.6), junior Cole Sawires Yager (eighth, 15:09.6) and the trio of Aric Reza, John Worthy and Kyle Reden gave Great Oak five scorers in the top 14 in the sweeps for a 65-point team victory over runner-up and Southwestern League rival Murrieta Mesa CA.

The girls produced three of the top eight finishers, led by sophomore Brianna Weidler, junior Kendall Harrison and freshman Divine Torza, who placed 6-7-8 for a 58-102 advantage over runner-up Corona Santiago CA.

That, of course, put a grin on Soles’ face.

“It’s definitely motivating,” Joseph said. “Especially having coach being proud of not only you, but your entire ... everyone who was with you.

“Him being proud of us definitely makes you feel good about your race and future races.”

It was a day that had a different Inland Empire Challenge feel even before it started. The meet was forced to move from its traditional site of Glen Helen Regional Park due to a scheduling conflict with the San Manuel Indian Pow Wow.

The alternate course was Riverside, the site for the CIF-Southern Section prelims and finals the last few seasons. Known for dusty conditions, particularly when its hot, Saturday was like a day not ever seen at the former Riverside Golf Club layout.

It was raining. It was fairly cold, especially for the second week of October. And it was perfect conditions for a record run, with Ramos taking full advantage.

“It felt really good,” said Ramos, who recorded his second invitational win of the year. “I was a little worried about the puddles and stuff, but it all ended up working out in the end.”

Ramos noted the conditions before Saturday’s race and treated the event like a 3-0, waist-high fastball. He set a strong early pace, took a big lead, and pushed hard all the way to the finish line, knowing he had a chance at the course record.

His mark eclipsed the previous mark of 14:26.5 set by San Luis Obispo CA standout and current Stanford sophomore Callum Bolger at the 2016 CIF-Southern Section Division 3 finals. And the Riverside-area athlete was happy to bring the record home.

“I try to take as many wins as I can here,” Ramos said. “The environment is just amazing.”

Roosevelt CA junior Raul Chavez, one of the top returners from the Mustangs’ Nike Cross Nationals team from a year ago, did his best to keep pace, before Ramos broken open a gap in the lead about halfway. Chavez finished second in 14:47.7.

“No matter what, I’ve got to finish strong,” Chavez said he thought to himself during Saturday’s race. “And so I latched on to Kevin and tried to hold on as long as possible.”

Duarte has continued her success from track, where her 4:44-mile set a San Bernardino County record in the spring. Saturday was no different, as she shook off challenges from Colony CA sophomore Amber Rios and Yucaipa CA junior Danielle Gee to win the girls sweeps by 10 seconds.

Aggressiveness, Duarte said, was key Saturday.

“With the flat course, it’s really important to get out,” she said. “There’s no downhill or uphill that can separate you from others.”

The rainy weather was also to her liking.

“It was good,” she said. “There were some mud puddles to dodge, you know, but I like the rain. It was not hot, so it was nice.”

Rios and sophomore teammate Keryn Casteel finished second and third with times of 17:30.9 and 17:42.2, respectively. Gee, who led Yucaipa to a third-place showing, was fourth in 17:55.8, and La Quinta CA freshman Emmi Von Scherr took fifth in 17:58.9.