Wrapping up the 2019 season on November 10th at Tecolote Shores, the PRT Masters Women’s team added yet another cross country team title to their trophy case! Plagued by injuries and thinner roster in 2018, the women were determined to re-claim their title this November and showed up in strong fashion, fending off a formidable challenge from the 2018 defending champion San Diego Track Club.
The 2019 season started off well with a team win at the Wild Duck race at Guajome Park, where Hilary Corno took the individual win, and Celest Arambulo and Amy Halseth finished up high enough that the team won as well. The PRT women also got the team win at the Balboa 4-Mile race, where Hilary, Angela Moll, and Amy led the way. But the SD Track Club fought back hard, with team victories at Crazy 8s 5K, the Balboa Boogie 5K, and the Cuyamaca College 6K.
PRT Women’s Masters – Amy Halseth, Charisa Clarkson, Hilary Corno, and Angela Moll after the Balboa 4-Mile
PRT Women’s Masters – Angela Moll, Amy Halseth, Hilary Corno, and Celest Arambulo after the Balboa Boogie 5K
Dirt Dog Championship Race
With the women’s team having two team victories leading into Champs (compared to three victories for SD Track Club), Champs became a “winner take all” for the series win. While SD Track Club had won the last few matchups, their #1 runner was not planning on racing. Yet still, looking at previous race results, it was clear it was going to come down to whichever team had the better race on the day. The race was being held at the Tecolote Shores grass course, the same site as the Balboa Boogie 5K earlier in the season, where SD Track Club had demonstrated their strength on a tough course. But at Champs, the race was on!
Hilary took the overall masters win for the women in 23:21 over the 6K course, finishing in 3rd place for all the women racing, with Track Club’s #1 finishing just a couple places back in the overall standings. Celest was the next masters runner to finish, with Amy not too far behind—and ahead of SD Track Club’s 2nd and 3rd runners—to clinch the team race.
Hilary’s victory also meant that she won the individual title for 2019 to go along with her victories in 2015, 2016, and 2017. (In 2018 Hilary had a different focus, which was qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon, which she did in Chicago.) Talk about a super star!
The PRT Women’s Masters Team loved racing cross country this year, especially having such great competition from our friends on SD Track Club. Dirt Dog XC is a great San Diego racing tradition and we are happy to have been a part of it!
The women post-Champs race, including team member Tracy Wright who we are hoping to have back racing with us next year!