Cross-Country Finals Add At-Large Teams

Anaheim Esperanza High, the eighth-ranked girls’ cross-country team in the nation by Harrier magazine, is one of 13 teams from the Southern Section that have been granted at-large berths in the state championships at Woodward Park in Fresno on Saturday.

Esperanza failed to garner one of the four automatic berths in the state championships when it placed sixth in the Division I race of the Southern Section championships at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday.

But the cumulative time of the Aztecs’ top five runners was 95 minutes 10 seconds, well below the Division I at-large qualifying standard of 98:11.

Palos Verdes Peninsula, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach Marina, Simi Valley Royal and Yucaipa also were granted at-large berths in Division I.

Ventura, Fullerton Sunny Hills, Westlake Village Westlake, Simi Valley, Santa Ana Foothill and Torrance were granted at-large berths in the Division II girls’ race, and Placentia Valencia was granted an at-large berth in the Division II boys’ race.