Cross Country (Boys/Girls) | 10/30/2024 12:20:00 PM

Cathedral Catholic's boys and girls cross country teams continue to showcase their strength and depth at the Mt. SAC Invitational, marking a historic year for the event and Cathedral's runners.

2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational, the first in decades to feature a new 3.0-mile course path that finished in the stadium, enhancing the spectator experience. While many runners missed the infamous Poop Out Hill, the updated course provided an exciting venue to make history, which Cathedral Catholic seized as both the girls and boys teams delivered impressive performances.

The girls' team, led by Senior Jocelyn Gibson and Junior Liesel Sellerberg, demonstrated their prowess in the Division 3 Sweepstakes race. Gibson finished fourth with an impressive time of 18:18, placing her 22nd overall out of 3,600 athletes. Sellerberg was close behind in seventh at 18:56. With notable performances from Lindsay Zimmer (19:20), Chiara Bonomi (19:38), Patricia Hellmann (19:42), and Kristine Bickler (20:00), the Dons not only clinched first place in the Division 3 Sweepstakes race but secured third place overall among 323 teams. Their collective efforts extended Cathedral Catholic's streak of dominance in Division 3 since 2021, even as they narrowly missed a fourth consecutive overall victory in the sweepstakes race by just a single point to South Pasadena.

The boys' team also delivered a commendable performance, finishing sixth in the Division 3 Sweepstakes race and ranking 19th out of 419 teams overall. Junior Nathan Wilber led the Dons with a stellar sixth-place finish in his race, landing him at 30th overall out of a competitive field of more than 6,800 runners. Wilber's leadership and strong finish were crucial in helping the team earn this standing against the top teams in the state.

As both Cathedral Catholic teams continue to set the pace for future Dons, they have once again shown excellence on a course that holds historical significance and new challenges alike. Congratulations to both the boys and girls cross country teams on their remarkable achievements at Mt. SAC!