WALNUT- On Saturday, October 25, the Beckman Cross-Country team competed in the largest cross-country invitational in the world, Mt. San Antonio Cross-Country Invitational. Early in the morning, the team raced in the “red” heats of Division Two. Both varsity teams left the meet with medals. Placements for medals were the top 15 runners and top three teams in each race. Athletes part of the top three teams earn medals.

The varsity boys took second behind the Foothills, from Arizona, with a team time of 1:23:07. Senior, Jimmy Shiba, led the team with a time of 16:27 and placed 18th overall out of 181 runners.

"The team is ready to take on the Trojans from University and reclaim our spot as number one in league," said Shiba. Freshman Sophie Shiba led the Girls’ Varsity team to a third place finish. She placed 6th overall with a time of 19:32. Sophomore Lauren Clemens followed closely behind, taking 15th overall and the last medal for the race with a time of 19:58.

"The hill workouts that coach made us do were well thought,” said Lauren Clemens. "I didn’t like them, but it really paid off in the end.”

Girls' Varsity had a team time of 1:41:05, which placed them third in the Pacific Cost League. It has been predicted by some that the Girls’ Varsity will not place in the top three in league to qualify for CIF, but based on the results from the invitational, the girls are still in the running.

"I was very pleased with every athlete's effort, from the discipline of preparing to run to the races to the discipline of proper warm-down," said head coach Bob Day. Day continued, "We seem to be maturing as a team and as individuals."

With the motivation from a dominating performance at the invitational and the desire to win at league, Beckman looks to put up a fast race for their next league cluster meet at Laguna Hills on October 30. The team hopes to take the lead over University after the first place tie-breaker from the first cluster meet.