BENICIA HIGH’S cross country team had six runners win individual awards in Wednesday’s Solano County Athletic Conference Championships at Community Park. Benicia award winners included (from left) Reid Burford (third, boys F/S), Luis Ramirez (first, boys varsity), Daylon Garcia (third, boys varsity), Alexandra Menjibar-Moore (first, girls varsity) Rachel Kravitz (seventh, girls varsity) and Hannah Keala (fourth, girls varsity). The varsity Lady Panthers finished first as a team while the Panther varsity boys took second.

Benicia High senior Luis Ramirez won the varsity boys title and freshman Alexandra Menjibar-Moore took the varsity girls crown at last Wednesday’s Solano County Athletic Conference cross country championships at Community Park.

It was the second straight SCAC championship for Ramirez, who set a course record Wednesday with a time of 15:24. Vanden’s Erick Fierro finished second in the boys varsity race, followed by Benicia junior Daylon Garcia.

“I just wanted to get off to a fast start and then just stayed consistent on the hills,” said Ramirez, who dominated the conference this season.

Menjibar-Moore ran a strong girls varsity race and won with a time of 20:10.

“I was doubting myself all season and it’s a real accomplishment to actually win the championship,” Menjibar-Moore said. “Every time I thought I was going to die on the course, the word ‘determination’ kept going through my mind.”

Teammate Hannah Keala was fourth in 20:32 and Rachel Kravitz finished seventh in 21:26.

The Lady Panthers won the SCAC team title with 29 points, easily out-distancing second-place American Canyon (62) and third-place Vanden (69). Vanden won the varsity boys championship with 28 points to 38 for second-place Benicia.

Benicia’s Reid Burford finished third in the boys frosh/soph race. Izabelle LaFountain was fourth for Benicia in the frosh/soph girls race.

The Panthers move on to the Sac-Joaquin Section sub-section meet Nov. 5 at Frogtown in Angels Camp.

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