Chargers finish year strong

It was a rough race, but Hillary Hayes called the experience “a blast.”

The Edison High senior, along with cross-country teammate Matt McElroy, had the distinction of being invited to participate Saturday at the prestigious Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Ore.

Hayes placed 42nd in the girls’ championship race with a time of 18 minutes 39.5 seconds. McElroy, a junior, was 43rd in the boys’ race at 16:00.

It was the first appearance at the national event for both Chargers runners.

“I wasn’t too happy with my placement, but I had a lot of fun. It was a blast,” Hayes said.

“I fell in the beginning. It was a really aggressive race. I learned a lot from this race and it will help me out at the next level.

“It was a goal of mine to make this event. It was also my goals to win league and do better at (CIF) State than what I did last year.”

Hayes won the Sunset League girls’ title in November by running a league record time of 17:19. She eclipsed the previous league mark of 17:23 set in 2006 by Elizabeth Coe of Fountain Valley.

At the CIF State meet in Fresno Nov. 29, Hayes finished second with a time of 17:37 in the girls’ Division II race and was fifth among all runners from all divisions.

Jeannie Formosa, Hayes’ coach, said that her time was second fastest for an Edison female runner at a CIF State meet.

The top school time belongs to Shelley Taylor, who won a State championship (17:28) in 1991.

Prior to competing in Portland, McElroy ran a personal record time (15:13) to take fifth place in the boys’ Division II race and ninth, overall, among runners from all divisions at the CIF State meet.

Another Edison runner, Melisa Olgun, competed Saturday at the Footlocker West Regional at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. The senior finished in 67th place with a time of 20:42.