Stallion boys upset with runner-up finish

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera South’s Dylan Devine crosses the finish line Thursday in seventh place to lead the Stallions to a second place team finish at the Central Section Championships last week. See Thursday’s Sports page for more photos from the race.

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FRESNO — After capturing the Div. I Central Section Championships last year, hopes were, again, high for the Madera South Stallions boys teams at this year’s Central Section Championships.

However, San Luis Obispo edged out the Stallions (65-68) to give Madera South the runner-up plaque last Thursday at Woodward Park.

“We were three points short and that means five seconds somewhere between first and second. It’s a little bitter taste in our mouths,” head coach Sky Fierro said.

Senior Dylan Devine led a trio of Stallions across the finish line in seventh place. He finished in 15:48.20 with Adrian Hipolit three seconds back in eighth and Estevan Medina four seconds back in ninth.

“That first trio came in together and showed that Madera South is still around. We have some runners, still,” Fierro said.

Devine checked in at sixth place at the first and second mile checkpoints, but dropped three seconds behind the sixth place runner in the final mile.

Hipolito was eighth at the first mile, advanced to seventh at the second, but dropped back in the final mile to eighth. Medina worked his way from 10th place at the first and second mile checkpoints to a ninth place finish.

Vidal Luna worked his way up from 19th place at the first mile and 23rd at the second mile to a 14th place finish. Isaac Chavez dropped five places in the final mile to place 30th to complete the Madera South scoring.

“There were good things on the day, but still a bitter taste when you are aiming for first and fall short,” Fierro said.

The boys are scheduled to run at noon on Saturday at the CIF State Cross Country Championships at Woodward Park.

Fierro and the girls cross country team was hoping to get individual qualified for the state meet and finished just short.

Junior Jimena Rivera led the Stallions to a seventh place team finish with a 20th place finish at 19:38.31. Teammate Valorie Jimenez, a sophomore, was a second back in 21st place. Sophomore Jasmine Chavez was 38th and freshman Susan Jimenez was 47th.

“Division I for girls is really competitive,” Fierro said. “Every year, the boys comes down to about four schools. For girls, it can be six or seven any given year. We had a couple of young guns really step up. Valorie had a big personal record, by about 20 seconds. She was right behind Jimena, who was right with her PR. We are young on the girls side.”