Chapus Runs to State Title

Harvard-Westlake High junior Cami Chapus won her second consecutive state Division IV cross country championship Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno, running the second-fastest time in division history. Chapus, who had won the Southern Section individual title the week before, completed the course in 17:45, three seconds ahead of runner-up Kat Delaney from Junipero Serra. Last year, Chapus was 20 seconds behind with a mile to go and ended up winning by seven seconds in 17:59, propelling the Wolverines to the team title. This time, despite Chapus’ repeat, Harvard-Westlake was fourth in the team standings. The season still isn’t over for Chapus, a Pacific Palisades resident who was a multi-sport star at St. Matthew’s. She will travel to Portland this weekend to compete in the Nike Cross Nationals. After that, she will join the Wolverines’ soccer team for a run at a second straight CIF title. In September, Chapus won the Seaside Invitational in Ventura by almost nine seconds. Last spring, she was the Mission League champion in the 3200 meters and ran on Harvard-Westlake’s 4×400 relay at the state preliminary meet. Palisades High sophomore Jacklyn Bamberger, who won the City Section individual title last week at Pierce College in 18:46, ran the Division I race in Fresno and clocked 19:21, finishing in 106th place. Bamberger finished 55th with a time of 18:56 at last year’s state finals meet. Grant Stromberg, runner-up in the City, was 37th in the boys’ Division I race, finishing in 16:43. The Dolphins’ junior had just missed qualifying for state last fall. Sophomore Drake Johnston ran 16:23 and placed 95th. “It was more like a 5K and it was raining, so I got the conditions I like,” said Stromberg, who said he wants to triple in the 800, 1600 and 3200 in dual meets when the track season starts in the spring. “I tend to like courses with more hills than that one had but I’m happy that I placed ahead of all the City guys except [City champion] Mizrael Mendez.”