Cross Country Cruises at League Finals Meet

Heading into Monday’s Western League cross country finals, Marissa Williams knew she had a tough act to follow: her own.

Last year, the Palisades High junior shattered the City Section record at Pierce College, completing the approximately three-mile course in 16 minutes, 37 seconds — 30 seconds faster than the previous standard set by Katya Goldring of Hamilton in 2006.

Breaking records has become commonplace for Williams, who would go on to set the City finals mark two weeks later before taking to the track and crushing the City 1,600 and 3,200 marks in the spring. On Monday, she returned to Pierce for the first time this season and although she didn’t break her own record she won her race in 17:40 and led her team to first place.

Palisades took seven of the top nine places for an overall team score of 19 — 40 points lower than second place Venice — to establish itself as one of the favorites to win the City title. Palisades finished second to San Pedro last year.

“I forgot about this course a little because we’ve been running at Griffith Park, but I kind of already knew where the big hills are,” Williams said. “At least I didn’t get lost. That happened once at an invitational — I’m not joking. I got lost and stopped before the finish line and another girl passed me.”

Williams built such a big lead Monday that she could’ve taken several wrong turns and still won. She finished 1:17 ahead of second-place Sarah Dobbs from Venice. Hannah De Silva (19:45), Natalie Marsh (19:50), Mackenzie Gray (20:06), Chelsea Levi (20:06) and JJ Wittbrodt (20:28) swept the next five spots for Palisades.

Gray, the team captain and only senior on varsity, hopes this is the year the Dolphins break through. Palisades has all of its runners back from last year while San Pedro lost several standout runners to graduation.

“In a race like this I pay attention to time, but in the [City] finals it’s all about place because we want to make state again,” said Gray, who went to Marquez Elementary and Paul Revere Middle School with Williams. “We’re all back so hopefully we can do it.”

Palisades took the top 10 places in the junior varsity race for a total of 15 points — the lowest score possible — with Maddie Frick winning in 22:51.

Shane Brouwer was second in the varsity boys race in a personal-best 16:33 — seven seconds faster than his time at last year’s league finals meet. Daniel Vazquez won the junior varsity boys division in 18:13.