OVS cross country runners opened the season on their home course on Wednesday, with both the boys’ and girls’ teams posting strong showings in a newly reconfigured Condor League.
Led by a first-place finish by senior Momoe Takamatsu, the girls’ team took first overall in the Condor League opener.
Momoe won the three-mile race, run on a warm day over the grueling Pi course, by nearly a minute, finishing in 23:51. Sophomore Gillim Bae, junior Ally Feiss, and seniors Vivian Yan and Natalia Huang rounded out the top five, as the girls’ squad bested three other Condor League rivals.
On the boys’ side, senior Andy Cheng was the Spuds’ top finisher, coming in 15th place overall in a fast and highly competitive race. Junior Adam Zhao, running in his first-ever cross country race placed 30th as the Spuds second runner.
The meet was the first run under a league realignment that saw longtime Condor League members Cate and Thacher move to the Tri-County Athletic Association, which is composed of the Tri-Valley and Frontier leagues.
OVS coach Fred Alvarez said he was pleased with his teams’ first races, and with the level of competition his runners are facing.
“It appears as if there will be a lot more parity in our meets this season,” Mr. Alvarez said. “That’s a good thing for all of those who are involved in our sport.”