Following a team win at the first Foothill League meet, the Hart boys’ cross-country team placed second at the Central Park Invitational among the best teams in the region at Huntington Beach on Saturday.
“We chose to add this meet at the last minute,” Hart coach Darren James said. “We needed a low-stake, fun race to regain perspective on why we do this again in the first place. I think the guys just had fun and it was some of the best pack running we’ve done.”
As a team, Hart placed second with a score of 55, as Beckman High School claimed the top of the standings with a score of 43.
“We did what we loved to do, and it paid off in an exceptional result against Beckman, one of the best teams in the state,” James said.
Josiah Himsl placed fourth in the individual race with a 14:51.5 time. Teammate Nicolas Zamora wasn’t that far behind as he placed seventh with a 15:01.9.
As a team, Hart had five of its six runners in the top 30, a feat that impressed James with his team’s performance amongst the best teams.
“Great team effort. Our strength this year is in the pack,” James said. “It was a great example of what we can accomplish when we execute well.”
Samiel Aina and Jamesen Wiley placed 10th and 11th with 15:06.6 and 15:08.7 times, respectively.
Miles Prante placed 26th at 15:28.6 and Jordan Ibarra rounded out the team at 49th with a time of 15:51.4.
Despite the meet being a last-minute addition, James believes the competition itself was a good stepping stone for the rest of the year and previews what his team can achieve.
“It was a great reset as we head into bigger and bigger races over the next two months,” he said. “The guys are in exceptional shape. The more we believe it, the more we’ll achieve. I can say with full confidence, that we’ve done everything we’ve needed to do race on the biggest stages.”
The Hart cross country team has its next meet at the Clovis Invitational this weekend with races spread across Friday and Saturday at Woodward Park.
