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Bulldog boys sweep Vaquero Stampede

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By Joe Naiman

Ramona High School’s boys cross country team not only posted the best team scores in each of the Vaquero Stampede races Sept. 1 at Lindo Lake Park in Lakeside but also had the top individual finishers in both races.

Forrest Riley had the top time of any runner in the 2.15-mile junior/senior race while sophomores Max Edwards, Isaiah Spieker, and Colin Uekert were the first three finishers in the 1.65-mile freshman/sophomore race.

“The boys team did really well,” said Coach Steve Albanese.

Ramona had nine runners in each race. Medals went to the top 25 finishers in each race, and in both races Ramona had five medalists.

Riley had a time of 10:15 to pace the upperclassmen, Tristan Stidham was fourth in the race at 10:45, Cory Thomas had a 10th-place time of 11:04, Wesley Hardin took 15th place 11:17 after the starter’s gun was fired, and Josh Spieker earned 24th place with a time of 11:36. All five are seniors.

Andy Jauregui was the fastest junior with a time of 12:07. Jauregui’s brother Joey was the fastest freshman in the freshman/sophomore race in which the top five Ramona finishers were 10th-graders.

Edwards took 8:38, Spieker posted a time of 8:41, Uekert spent 8:43 racing, James Meskell was sixth at 8:55, and Mike Meskell had an 11th-place time of 9:15.

“We have a very strong sophomore class this year,” Albanese said. “We’re going to need our sophomore class to step up if we’re going to do as well or better than we did last year.”

Ramona placed second among Division II schools last year in the CIF San Diego Section meet and in the state meet. Four of the seven Bulldogs who ran in those meets were seniors.

The season-opening Vaquero Stampede followed three weeks of practice. Albanese was married Aug. 18 and missed some of those practice sessions due to his honeymoon.

“The guys still got together and practiced on their own,” Albanese said.

The Bulldogs will return to competition Sept. 15 with the Mount Carmel/Movin’ Shoes Cross-Country Invitational meet at the Morley Field course in San Diego.

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