Claremont cross country varsity and junior varsity teams swept the annual Cool Breeze Invitational on Friday in Pasadena. The event, which is an early gauge of strength for the upcoming season, is sponsored by CHS.

On Monday, CIF Southern Section officials released the cross country rankings and Claremont boys and girls varsity teams are on top of the list.

Running under the lights, CHS varsity girls’ team won the “sundown showdown” team title scoring 75 points to finish ahead of Saugus, 103, and Serrano, 140. Anaheim-Canyon 168, and Redondo 217. A total of 33 teams competed in both the boys and girls varsity races.

Coach Bill Reeves took out some of the sharper turns in the course this year and not surprisingly the times were faster.

“Claremont stepped up and ran great in a big early season showdown between a lot of ranked teams,” Coach Reeves said on Monday

Senior Sydney Hwang took fifth place in 16:55 to lead the Wolfpack over the grassy 3-mile course. Behind Hwang was Kalinda Reynolds, 11th at 17:13, Azalea Segura-Mora, 15th at 17:17, Angie Gushue, 18th at 17:20, and Julia Marriott, 30th at 17:52.

Freshman Maddie Coles, who ordinarily runs varsity, easily won the girls freshman race clocking the second fastest time for Claremont all night at 17:05.

With five runners in the top-20, Claremont High School’s boys’ varsity squad won the team title at Cool Breeze as well. Claremont scored 68 points to finish ahead of runner-up Crescenta Valley,167, Palos Verdes, 184, Saugus, 196 and Woodbridge, 210.

Aaron Reyes led the Wolfpack with his 7th place finish at 14:39 followed by Ryan Cowgill, 13th at 14:49, Vicente Huerte, 14th at 14:49, Jack Keough-Lansford (15th, 14:50), and Jacob Moran (19th, 14:55).

The coaches rearranged the line up a bit with the boys too as varsity runner Adam Trafecanty won the individual title in the JV race leading the boys to a perfect score of 15 points and the team title.

The Girls JV squad also crushed the competition for the team title with a scant 17 points lead by senior Annette Hermelin who claimed the individual title.

While the team will send JV freshman and sophomore teams to the Woodbridge Invite this Saturday, September 15 at Silverlakes Sports Park in Norco, the varsity will not compete again until the first league meet on September 22.

–Steven Felschundneff

steven@claremont-courier.com