ANGELS CAMP >> Blake Noble of the Upper Lake High School cross country team won a medal for his 18th-place finish out of 76 runners in the freshman boys” race on Saturday at the Frogtown Invitational in Angels Camp.
Noble navigated the hilly 2-mile course in 14 minutes, 1 second.
“This time was only 11 seconds slower than his 2-mile at the Viking (Opener in Santa Rosa) and this is a much harder course,” Upper Lake coach Lynda Wade said. “In my opinion this course is more difficult than our NCS (section) course at Hayward High School. The hills are brutal at Frogtown.”
Noble was the only Upper Lake runner to bring home a medal.
Also competing in the freshman boys” race from Upper Lake were Rylan Robinson (43rd in 15:53) and Chris Johnson (44th in 15:54).
“This was his first meet and I think he did really well,” Wade said of Robinson.
In the girls” frosh/soph race, Lyndsay Wade placed 52nd out of 91 runners with a time of 18:43 and Flarissa Rahmer was 77th in 21:34.
“Lyndsay was also only 30 seconds slower than her Viking race time,” Wade said. “It amazes me considering how much more difficult this course is. Training for these kids is really starting to pay off.”
Molly Sivertsen was the lone Upper Lake runner entered in the varsity girls” 3-mile race (Mercedes DelosSantos is out with an ankle injury). Sivertsen was 140th in 31:27.
In the varsity boys” 3-mile race, Matt Willard led the Cougars, taking 71st out of 162 runners with a time of 20:40. Justin Lewis came in 90th (21:12), Arthur Wilkie was 105th (21:57), and Fernando Mendoza was 161st (29:48).
“I actually expected the three boys to be higher up in the pack, but as any runner knows every day is different,” Wade said. “I never doubt if these guys are giving it 110 percent. You just give what you can that particular day.”
Upper Lake competed in the small-school division. Large-school teams ran later in the day, which was a break, according to Wade.
“We are lucky because we usually get to finish before it gets to be unbearably hot,” Wade said.
The Cougars hit the road again Saturday to take part in the Pacific Tiger Invitational at Elkhorn Golf Course in Stockton.