Caldwell erases 18-second gap in final mile against Parra to prevail in 14:49 in Division 1-2 individual sweepstakes, with Millikan earning win; Great Oak overcomes 12-point deficit to capture eighth team sweepstakes crown in nine years, with Ephraim running 14:50 to triumph for San Clemente

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

WALNUT, Calif. – As much as the come-from-behind victories by Concord De La Salle’s Trey Caldwell and the Great Oak boys team were among the biggest highlights Saturday in Division 1-2 sweepstakes competition at the 75th Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational Presented by Nike, the inspired rallies in both races were part of larger comeback stories from last season.

Caldwell overcame an 18-second deficit in the final mile in the Division 1-2 individual sweepstakes against Long Beach Millikan senior Jason Parra, with the junior emerging victorious on the 2.93-mile layout in 14 minutes, 49 seconds.

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Caldwell, who secured sixth in last year’s Division 1-2 individual sweepstakes race in 15:08 after clocking 16:48 in his Mt. SAC debut in 2021, elevated to the No. 2 all-time competitor in program history on the hilly course behind only the 2012 effort of 14:48 by Blair Hurlock.

Parra placed runner-up for the second year in a row, clocking 14:58, leading Millikan to a 165-173 victory against Chaffey. Redondo Union took third with 188 points.

Omar Reyes from Oceanside El Camino, last year’s Division 1-2 individual sweepstakes winner, took third in 15:07, with Saugus’ Sebastian Peraza (15:12) and La Serna’s Grant Miller (15:14) rounding out the top five.

Great Oak, which had its run of seven consecutive Division 1-2 team sweepstakes victories halted last season by San Clemente, trailed the Tritons again at the 2-mile mark Saturday.

Although senior Brett Ephraim triumphed in 14:50 for San Clemente, Great Oak had six athletes in the top 40 to overcome a projected 12-point deficit and triumph by an 88-116 margin against the Tritons.

Gabriel Rodriguez finished fourth in 15:02 for the Wolfpack, with Jack Paradise securing seventh in 15:10, Jeffrey Keeney taking 14th in 15:23 and Kai Marotta grabbing 27th in 15:41, in addition to Michael Rodriguez and Jacob Brown both running 15:53 to place 36th and 37th, respectively.

Trabuco Hills took third with 135 points, Mira Costa finished fourth at 164 points, Glendora took fifth with 168 points and Crescenta Valley secured sixth at 189 points.

Martin Luther King sophomore Maximo Zavaleta was second in 14:51 and Mira Costa’s Owen Franck captured third in 14:57. Santa Barbara’s Andreas Dybdahl earned fifth in 15:06, Glendora’s Dylan Flores placed sixth in 15:07, San Clemente’s Pierce Clark ran 15:11 for eighth and Trabuco Hills’ Ryan Stanley achieved ninth in 15:12.

El Diamante senior Devin Ibarra capped the meet by running 15:16 in the final Division 2 varsity race, helping him remain unbeaten in eight races this season.

Hesperia prevailed by a 76-119 margin against Vista.

Woodbridge teammates Aiden Zavala, a sophomore, and freshman Aidan Antonio took the top two spots in their Division 2 varsity competition to lead the Warriors to a 40-56 victory against Tesoro.

Nathan Bamford, a sophomore, helped Scripps Ranch hold off Westlake with a 99-104 victory, clocking 16:03 to triumph in his Division 2 varsity race.

Fountain Valley’s Diego Alonso prevailed in his Division 1 varsity competition in 15:22, but Warren was able to edge the Barons on a sixth-runner tiebreaker after the teams both accumulated 82 points.

Eastvale Roosevelt’s Luke Lopez emerged victorious in his Division 1 varsity race in 16:03, but Valley View earned a 77-103 win against the Mustangs.

Northgate senior teammates Nicholas Knisley (16:04) and Robert Benard (16:13) earned the top two spots in their Division 1 varsity competition, but the Broncos placed sixth with 158 points.

Quartz Hill grabbed a 93-123 win against Long Beach Wilson.

Santa Monica’s Landon Kozmor was victorious in a Division 1-2 varsity race in 15:45.

Corona Santiago held off Claremont by a 70-77 margin to secure the team victory.