Runner of the Year: Brian Zabilski, Saugus, Junior

Zabilski of Saugus enjoyed the greatest junior campaign in SCV history, earning all-section and all-state honors. He won his first Foothill League cross country title in 15:13, smashing the three-hill course record by 14 seconds in early-November. His 14:58 at the CIF Southern Section Finals at Mt. SAC was a junior record and #6 all-time in Santa Clarita. A week later, Zabilski finished fourth at the state finals at Woodward Park, clocking 15:21, which tied Kristian Martinez’s SCV junior record and #5 in valley history. His performance led Saugus to its seventh Foothill League championship in eight years, as well as a Southern Section championship and the school’s first state title of any kind. He also set a school record at Shoreline Park and won all three Foothill League meets this fall. Zabilski will return as the fastest Div. 2 performer in California in 2014!

Season Highlights:

Foothill League Champion

4th @ CIF SS Finals (All-Section first team)

4th @ CA State Finals (All-State first team)

14:58 @ Mt. SAC (#6 in SCV history, SCV junior record)

15:21 @ Woodward Park (#5 in SCV history, SCV junior record)

15:13 @ Central Park (“three-hill” course record)

FIRST TEAM:

Alex Pearson, Saugus, Senior: This season, Pearson’s experience was vital in Saugus’ bid for the school’s first state championship. His first major performance occurred at the Clovis Invite, where he clocked 15:49, #31 in SCV history. During Foothill League action, he finished second at the first two meets and third at the finals. He, then, went onto the post-season, where he finished 24th at the section finals and 37th at the state championships.

Caleb McClain, Canyon, Junior: The 2013 season was a great one for McClain. In Foothill League competition, he was sixth and third at the first two meets. At the finals, McClain was involved in a thrilling dual. Saugus’ Zabilski pulled away with 600 meters remaining and won by 14 seconds, while McClain held on to the silver. At the Mt. SAC Invite, the junior clocked 15:29, the sixth fastest in league, trailing four Saugus guys and WR’s Welker.

Ethan Walker, Saugus, Senior: In perhaps the biggest comeback of the year, Walker didn’t make his 2013 racing debut until Foothill League meet #2 in October. In that race, he won convincingly. The quick improvements made was one of the biggest reasons Saugus won its first state championship, as Walker clocked a stunning 15:43 three weeks into his comeback, finished fourth at league finals and clocked 15:36 and 15:27 at the section prelims and finals. He ended his prep cross country career by taking 34th at state in 15:54, a week following his 20th-place finish at section finals.

Jordan Serrano, Saugus, Junior: The 2011 Foothill League frosh/soph champion wasted no time joining the league’s best this season, finishing seventh and eighth at the first two meets, and a respectable 10th at the league finals. The highlight of his junior season came at the CIF Southern Section Prelims at Mt. SAC, where the junior blazed a 15:33 clocking, the 16th fastest junior mark in SCV history. He also anchored Saugus’ state and section title wins this year, finishing 36th and 48th (16:02) in the two championship races.

Ryan Tate, Saugus, Sophomore: Tate is without a doubt the most-improved runner in the Foothill League this fall. The sophomore standout turned heads at the Clovis Invite, where he ran 16:06 for 5,000 meters. A month later, he won the frosh/soph league title in the 10th fastest time of the day. Tate had a huge impact in Saugus’ section and state title wins, finishing 21st and 45th in the two races. His 15:28 Mt. SAC and 16:00 Woodward Park marks now rank #2 and #6 among sophomores in SCV history as well.

Tucker Welker, West Ranch, Sophomore: Welker once again proved he’s one of the greatest in his grade, clocking 15:28 at Mt. SAC and 16:02 at Woodward Park this season. Those marks rank #2 and #8 on the SCV all-time sophomore list. The Wildcat also became the third sibling to earn All-Foothill League first team accolades with his 5th-place finish, making the Welkers the second family in valley history to have three in the same household earn 1st-team honors.

SECOND TEAM:

Alex Allevato, Valencia, Senior

— 21st @ Foothill League Finals

— 16:03 @ CIF Southern Section Prelims (11th fastest in Foothill League)

Arnold Bautista, Canyon, Senior

— All-Foothill League first team (6th at the finals)

— CIF Individual Qualifer

— 16:03 @ CIF Southern Section Prelims (11th fastest in Foothill League)

Ashton Garcia, West Ranch, Senior

— All-Foothill League second team (8th at the finals)

— 15:53 @ CIF Southern Section Prelims (8th fastest in Foothill League)

Billy Anthony, Saugus, Senior

— 73rd @ CIF State Championships

— 60th @ CIF Southern Section Finals

— 15th @ Foothill League Finals

Justin Wikler, West Ranch, Senior

— All Foothill League second team (12th at the finals)

— 15:58 @ Mt. SAC Invite (10th fastest in Foothill League)

Ryan Ortiz, Hart, Senior

— All-Foothill League first team (7th at the finals)

Tim Broggie, Saugus, Junior

— 15:55 @ Footlocker West Regionals (9th fastest in Foothill League)

— Foothill League Junior Varsity Runner-up

THIRD TEAM:

Chris Ochoa, Saugus, Senior

— 62nd @ CIF Southern Section Finals

— 16th @ Foothill League Finals

Ian Hurst, Valencia, Junior

— All-Foothill League second team (9th at the finals)

Luke Contreras, Golden Valley, Senior

— 12th @ Foothill League Meet #2

Nick Lentz, Valencia, Senior

— All-Foothill League second team (13th at the finals)

Ryan Painter, West Ranch, Sophomore

— 19th @ Foothill League Finals

— 16:04 @ CIF Southern Section Prelims (13th fastest in Foothill League)

Townsend Kaneversky, Saugus, Senior

— Foothill League Junior Varsity Champion

Zach Strader, Valencia, Senior

— All-Foothill League second team (14th at the finals)

TEAM OF THE YEAR: Saugus Boys Cross Country

Alex Pearson was watching from the sidelines as a freshman when the 2010 Saugus boys team lost at the state championships by a heart-breaking 13 points to Loyola. Two years later, the program suffered another 13-point loss, to Westlake, at division two finals. Only this time, Pearson was involved. This fall, the senior and his teammates were determined to finally get it right. After solid performances throughout the regular season, Saugus put three – Pearson, Brian Zabilski and Ethan Walker – in the top four at the Foothill League Finals. A week later, the trio teamed up with teammates Ryan Tate and Jordan Serrano to clock 77:11 and 77:13 at the CIF Southern Section Prelims and Finals at Mt. SAC. Those two team times rank #5 and #6 in SCV history. Following a 35-point triumph at the section finals, the school’s second boys title in four years, the Centurions rallied in the final mile to capture the school’s first boys state championship of any kind by 29 points in Fresno. Their team time of 79:12, along with their 80:16 run at the Clovis Invite, rank #3 and #7 in valley history. Only the 2010 Saugus team and 2011 Golden Valley squad are better. The team’s success this fall didn’t just happen with five guys. Seniors Anthony Rosales, Billy Anthony, Devin Penick and Townsend Kaneversky, juniors Chris Ochoa and Jonathan Summer, and sophomore Drake Hougo all broke into Saugus’ top seven throughout the 2013 season. The varsity team also won its seventh Foothill League title in eight years, while the junior varsity and frosh/soph teams claimed their sixth consecutive championships. The defending state champions bring back Hougo, Ochoa, Serrano, Summer, Tate, and Zabilski next year!

2013 Season Highlights:

CIF State Division 2 Champions

CIF Southern Section Division 2 Champions

Foothill League Champions (seventh title in eight years)

6th in Clovis Invite sweepstakes race

77:11 @ Mt. SAC (#5 in SCV history)

79:12 @ Woodward Park (#3 in SCV history)

TOP MARKS 2013:

Central Park (Three-Hill Course) –

15:13   Brian Zabilski, Saugus, Junior

15:27   Caleb McClain, Canyon, Junior

15:32   Alex Pearson, Saugus, Senior

15:44   Arnold Bautista, Golden Valley, Senior

15:45   Ethan Walker, Saugus, Senior

15:47   Tucker Welker, West Ranch, Sophomore

15:59   Ryan Ortiz, Hart, Senior

16:00   Ashton Garcia, West Ranch, Senior

16:02   Jordan Serrano, Saugus, Junior

16:02   Nick Lentz, Valencia, Senior

16:08   Ryan Tate, Saugus, Sophomore

16:14   Justin Wikler, West Ranch, Senior

16:15   Ian Hurst, Valencia, Junior

16:18   Luke Contreras, Golden Valley, Senior

16:19   Chris Ochoa, Saugus, Junior

16:20   Ryan Painter, West Ranch, Sophomore

16:20   Lucas Holtz, Valencia, Junior

16:25   Zach Strader, Valencia, Senior

16:26   Anthony Rosales, Saugus, Senior

16:26   Billy Anthony, Saugus, Senior

Mt. SAC –

14:58   Brian Zabilski, Saugus, Junior

15:21   Alex Pearson, Saugus, Senior

15:27   Ethan Walker, Saugus, Senior

15:28   Tucker Welker, West Ranch, Sophomore

15:28   Ryan Tate, Saugus, Sophomore

15:29   Caleb McClain, Canyon, Junior

15:33   Jordan Serrano, Saugus, Junior

15:53   Ashton Garcia, West Ranch, Senior

15:55   Tim Broggie, Saugus, Junior

15:58   Justin Wikler, West Ranch, Senior

16:03   Alex Allevato, Valencia, Senior

16:03   Arnold Bautista, Golden Valley, Senior

16:04   Ryan Painter, West Ranch, Sophomore

16:09   Billy Anthony, Saugus, Senior

16:10   Ian Hurst, Valencia, Junior

16:10   Chris Ochoa, Saugus, Junior

16:13   Townsend Kaneversky, Saugus, Senior

16:18   Luke Contreras, Golden Valley, Senior

16:19   Zack Strader, Valencia, Senior

16:20   Lucas Holtz, Valencia, Junior

Woodward Park –

15:21   Brian Zabilski, Saugus, Junior

15:49   Alex Pearson, Saugus, Senior

15:53   Ethan Walker, Saugus, Senior

16:00   Ryan Tate, Saugus, Sophomore

16:02   Tucker Welker, West Ranch, Sophomore

16:02   Jordan Serrano, Saugus, Junior

16:21   Billy Anthony, Saugus, Senior

16:25   Ashton Garcia, West Ranch, Senior

16:25   Arnold Bautista, Golden Valley, Senior

16:38   Luke Contreras, Golden Valley, Senior

16:39   Devin Penick, Saugus, Senior

16:40   Ian Hurst, Valencia, Junior

16:41   Nick Lentz, Valencia, Senior

16:43   Anthony Rosales, Saugus, Senior

16:45   Alex Allevato, Valencia, Senior

16:46   Justin Wikler, West Ranch, Senior

16:48   Jonathan Summer, Saugus, Junior

16:51   Ryan Painter, West Ranch, Sophomore

16:53   Chris Ochoa, Saugus, Junior

16:56   Zach Strader, Valencia, Senior