West Ranch’s Braulio Castillo places sixth individually, Canyon’s Owen Souther takes 11th; Canyon, Saugus, Hart girls and Saugus boys also compete  When Darren James took over the Hart boys’ cross country program in 2019, he set out to bring the program back to national dominance.  Five years later, he’s one step closer to seeing that dream become a reality as his boys placed third in Division 3 at the CIF state meet held Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.  “It’s just a really exciting time,” James said in a phone interview. “It’s what we set out to do. We know we wanted to bring the Hart program back to what it what it was historically, and this was just a huge year of progress toward that.”  West Ranch junior Braulio Castillo (left) with coach Gerry Perez after placing sixth in Division 3 at the cross country state meet held in Fresno on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Courtesy photo. That team wasn’t the only one from the Santa Clarita Valley celebrating at the end of the season. West Ranch junior Braulio Castillo placed sixth individually in the Division 3 boys’ race, followed by Canyon junior Owen Souther taking 11th. The Hart girls were 14th in Division 3, just ahead of Canyon in 16th.  In Division 2, the Saugus boys placed 11th in Division 2 while the girls were 14th.  Part of the team that placed third at the state meet last year, Castillo was able to consistently drop his times from last year. According to West Ranch coach Gerry Perez, his time of 15:10 in the 5k race was the fastest any junior from the SCV has ever had at the Fresno course, breaking the 15:13 mark that Saugus’ Sebastian Peraza had last year.  Castillo also now has the top time for any Foothill League runner this year.  The Canyon girls’ cross country team after competing at the cross country state meet in Fresno on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Courtesy photo. Perez said Castillo, who had never run cross country prior to his freshman year at West Ranch, had a strategic plan to ensure he was at his peak heading into the final races of the year.  “He started a little bit rusty, but that was by design,” Perez said in a phone interview. “And then at league finals, he gave a notice to everyone, saying, ‘Hey, I’m here. I’m getting faster.’ … His achievements have already elevated our program at West Ranch cross country and showcasing, to be honest, what is possible through dedication and strategic preparation.”  Souther, a first-year runner, finished in 15:24.50. The Hart boys were led by senior Eli Ahten (30th, 15:47.80) and sophomore Josiah Himsl (38th, 15:49.80). The other five runners — Samuel Aina, Josue Lopez, Miles Prante, Nicolas Zamora and Alireza Tofangdar — helped to round out the team, which saw a split of just 19 seconds from first to fifth and had an average time of 15:57.  It’s the first time that the Hart boys finished on the podium at the state meet since 1994.  “Our strength has been our depth all season long, although Eli can be a real frontrunner for us,” James said.  The Hart girls’ cross country team ran at the state meet in Fresno for the first time ever on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Courtesy photo. Himsl, Aina, Prante and Zamora will all be back next year. James said that gives him hope that the progress that has been made is likely to continue and see them back competing for a state title next year.  The Hart girls are also projected to be fighting to get back to Fresno as the top three runners on Saturday — Julia Redwine, Sasha Berry and Alexa Ojeda — are freshmen.  Saugus had a few individuals stand out for both the boys and girls.  Peraza came in at 19th in the boys’ race, with Adrian Cantu close behind at 35th. Lucia Pearson was 19th in the girls’ race.  It’s been quite the journey for Castillo, who was plucked from volleyball his freshman year, Perez said. Only running four races that season, he averaged 6:10 per mile before improving that to 5:30 per mile over nine races his sophomore year.  This year, Castillo ran 10 races and averaged 5:08 per mile, becoming the top runner for the Wildcats and improving his times at each course he had previously run his sophomore year.  Canyon junior Owen Souther (right) with coach George Velarde after placing 11th in Division 3 at the cross country state meet in Fresno on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. Courtesy photo. “He’s on a path to do big things, so hopefully he can accomplish some of those things,” Perez said.  James is hopeful that with more success at the state level comes a chance to compete on the national stage. The top two teams across all divisions are selected to compete at the national championships in Portland, with another two at-large teams potentially in the mix, according to James.  “We just need to be consistent and continue to bring in a new freshman class that’s more talented than the one before,” James said. “And over time, we’ll get better and better and better. And, you know, that’s a big goal in the future, and we try not to be outcome-oriented. What we focus on is the process every single day. And if the little things go right every single day for 1,000 days in a row, then good things will happen.”  The post Hart boys’ cross country medals at state meet  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.