Twelve local runners fared well in the USA Track and Field Pacific Association Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships on Sunday at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
The local runners competed against 350 of the best runners from Northern California and Nevada for the chance to run in the National Championships to be held on December 8 in Lawrence, Kan.
Ages 8 to 18 competed over 1.9, 2.5 and 3.1 miles. Runners who placed among the top 25 individuals or who were on teams that placed in the top three advanced to Region 14 Central and Pacific California Championships to be held on November 25.
In bantam girls (ages 8-10), Blanca Sosa took 14th, finishing in 14 minutes, 11 seconds over 1.9 miles. In bantam boys, Bryce Moyle was 15th in 13:09. In midget girls (ages 11-12), Alex Drozdoff was sixth in 12:03.
In youth girls (ages 13-14, Erika Sosa was 22nd, covering the 2.5-mile course in 15:14. In youth boys, the local team took second overall, led by Tommy Sullivan's second place finish in 14:28. Harrison Root took 18th (15:28), Nathanael Williams was 22nd (15:39), Peter Brinson was 25th (15:47), Ben Drozdoff was 39th (18:29) and Andrew Layman was 40th (18:36).
In intermediate boys (ages 15-16), Brent Moyle was fifth, covering the 3.1-mile corse in 19:46. In young women's (ages 17-18), Gloria Sosa was third in 21:21.