Marissa Williams Sets Course Record at Bell Gardens Cross Country Invite

Coach Bob Macias gave his star runner one piece of advice before her race Saturday morning at the Bell Gardens Invitational.

“Just go have a good time,” he told her.

Marissa Williams did just that, winning the girls senior race in 16:07.21 and breaking the course record in the process.

It was the second-fastest  time this year for the Palisades High senior, who opened the season clocking a personal-best 15:59 at the Seaside Invitational in September. She ran the three miles at Cerritos Regional Park more than 1:40 faster than runner-up Micaela Lamb of Glendora.

Williams’ teammate Natalie Marsh also ran a stellar race,  shaving three seconds off her personal best to take fifth in 18:06.66.

“I knew Marissa would run big because she runs with the boys in training and I know the workouts she does,” Macias said. “And Natalie was terrific. She was in the first group and ran a smart race.”

Marsh hopes to break 18 minutes by the end of the season and doesn’t have far to drop to reach that goal.

“I started off with Hannah [de Silva] for the first mile and as the race went on I started feeling better,” she said. “Someone was shouting out our times so I was aware, but I’d rather not know. It was my first time running there and the course is so confusing. At one point I was second and I didn’t feel pushed.”

Shane Brouwer ran 15:48.72 to  in the senior boys race.

Palisades won the freshman boys race, paced by Ben Hamer (16:18.62) and Finn Cawley (16:55.07).

“My goal is to break 16 [minutes],” said Hamer, whose PR is 16:09, which he ran at the Woodbridge Invitational in Irvine. “This was a relatively flat course, which helped. I want to run my best but it’s always good when the team does well too.”

Jake Greanias (17;24.08), Oscar Gagne (17:27.23), Jonathan Amiri (17:28.87), Joseph Reed (19:00.93), Henry Navarro (19:08.35), Aiden Venckus (21:07.04), John Mete (21:18.01) and Massino Pavoni (22:00.56) rounded out the team, which beat second-place Warren by 78 points.

Palisades’ freshman girls team finished 10th.

Next up for the Dolphins is the Mt. SAC Invitational on Saturday in Walnut.