Sal Virgen and Jose Ponce led five Denair runners in the top 10 Wednesday as the Coyotes captured the Southern League boys cross country title at River Bluff Regional Park in Ceres.
Virgen, a junior, finished the 3.1-mile course in 18 minutes, 57 seconds to place second overall. Ponce, a sophomore, was third in 19:40. Both were named All-League.
Three other Denair runners finished in the top 10 – freshman Isaac Maldonado (eighth, 20:47), junior Angel Rodriguez (ninth, 20:53) and freshman Zane Simbalenko (10th, 20:58).
The Coyotes’ team score – an aggregation of where their top five runners placed – was 32 points, six points better than Delhi. Waterford, with 55 points, was third.
“The entire team stepped up,” said Denair Coach Matthew Groom. “We had a plan and they executed it well. Jose had third place, lost it, and got it back by about a half of an inch. Our goal was to get our top five runners in the top 10 and they did it.”
The Southern League meet continues an outstanding season for Virgen, who earlier won individual medals at the Thunder Cross Country Classic and the Hilmar Flat Land Invitational. Rodriguez also medaled at the Thunder Cross Country Classic.
Groom credited Virgen for recruiting many of his friends to join him on this year’s team.
“This group is special,” Groom said. “They put in the effort all season and I hope to have all of them back next year.”
Next up for the Coyotes is the Clovis East Twilight Invitational on Friday at Clovis East High School. That race will be a tune up for the Sac-Joaquin Sub-Section meet Nov. 9 on the Frogtown course at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp. The Section meet is Nov. 16 at Willow Hills Reservoir in Folsom.
