Bielaczyc, Hill are Best in the West

By Erik Boal, DyeStatCAL Editor

Annie Hill made it nine consecutive victories, even if the Glacier High sophomore had to work a little harder than usual in the final 400 meters to hold off Kate Hunter of Provo, Utah.

Garek Bielaczyc was determined to elevate his status from ninth a year ago to winning the Foot Locker West Regional title Saturday at Mt. SAC, even if it required the Salt Lake City East senior to deliver a timely surge in the last 200 meters to get past Arcadia talent Phillip Rocha.

Both Foot Locker Nationals veterans found themselves on cloud nine as a result, earning return trips to Balboa Park’s Morley Field in San Diego with plenty of momentum in pursuit of All-America honors in the Dec. 12 championship races.

Bielaczyc covered the 5-kilometer course in 15 minutes, 21.6 seconds to equal the regional record set in 2000 by Seth Watkins of Flathead (Montana), becoming the first Utah boys runner to secure the West individual victory since Park City’s Ben Saarel in 2012.

Hill clocked 18:12.6 to become the third consecutive Montana female standout to capture the West title, following wins by former Bigfork star Makena Morley the past two seasons.

Both champions followed different paths in preparation to qualify again for nationals, with Hill winning the Nike Cross Nationals Northwest Regional title Nov. 14 in Idaho and Bielaczyc rebounding from an eighth-place finish Nov. 21 at NXN Southwest Regionals in Arizona.

The familiarity with the Mt. SAC course, combined with their closing speed on the track, paid dividends for Bielaczyc and Hill, the only returning national finalists among the 20 combined qualifiers.

California had the strongest showing with four individuals advancing in each gender, followed by Utah sending three qualifiers and Washington two athletes to both finals.

California and Utah both had a school produce a boys and girls national finalist, with Dylan Scarsone and Nikki Zielinski representing Anaheim Canyon, joining Talon Hull and McKenna Lee from Weber High.

The four girls from California are the most of any state among the 40 national finalists, with the four boys second only to Virginia’s five qualifiers.

Rocha led the way for the California boys, grabbing a temporary lead in the final 300 meters, before Bielaczyc responded with a sprint to the finish. With his position secure, Rocha finished second in an efficient manner, clocking 15:27.1.

Scarsone was fourth in 15:41.1, Flintridge Prep’s Jack Van Scoter placed sixth in 15:44.8 and Davis Senior’s Michael Vernau finished eighth in 15:49.4 to round out the California quartet.

Bielaczyc was supported by fellow Utah standouts Hull placing third in 15:33 and Lehi’s Connor Arnell taking ninth in 15:49.8.

Washington had Tibebu Proctor of The Northwest School in Seattle finish fifth in 15:41.3 and North Central’s Justin Janke place seventh in 15:45.5. Janke will be making his first appearance at Foot Locker Nationals after racing three straight years at NXN, leading North Central to a third-place finish last season.

Oregon’s Jackson Mestler secured the 10^th and final qualifying berth by overtaking St. Joseph Notre Dame’s Cooper Teare in the final 50 meters to advance. Mestler, from Sheldon High, edged Teare 15:52.3 to 15:52.4 in the most thrilling finish of the meet.

Following Hill and Hunter, who took second in 18:13.8, there was a similar dash to the finish in the girls seeded race, with third through eighth place being separated by 1.5 seconds.

Along with Hunter, Utah had Olivia Hoj of Olympus, a first-year cross country runner, place third in 18:21.1 and Lee finish ninth in 18:26.6.

Sultana’s Stefani Gaskell finished fourth in 18:21.6, Redwood Larkspur’s Glennis Murphy was sixth in 18:21.9, Zielinski took seventh in 18:22.5 and Burroughs’ Emily Virtue placed eighth in 18:22.6 to round out the California girls contingent.

Washington’s Kristen Garcia, who attends Sedro-Woolley High but doesn’t compete for the school, secured fifth in 18:21.8 and Holy Names Academy’s Jordan Oakes finished 10^th in 18:29.1. Oakes was 11^th at last year’s regionals, missing the final qualifying berth by less than five seconds, but finished comfortably in front of 11th-place finisher Gabby Satterlee of Central Valley Christian (18:40.5).