Pustilnik leads Spanish River to title sweep
Rylee Pustilnik ran a personal-best 18:21.82 to win the girls title over Boca Raton freshman Pia Beaulieu, who also clocked a personal-best time of 18:30.45.
BOCA RATON — The Spanish River boys and girls cross country teams checked all the boxes at Thursday’s Palm Beach County cross country championships at South County Park in Boca Raton.
Sharks’ sophomore Rylee Pustilnik ran a personal-best 18:21.82 to win the girls title over Boca Raton freshman Pia Beaulieu, who also clocked a personal-best time of 18:30.45. Pustilnik also helped the Sharks (79) top runner-up Boca Raton (105) for the team title.
“I was really happy, I ran my best time ever,” said Pustilnik, who trimmed 11 seconds off her personal best time (18:31) in finishing second in the same meet last year. “I am really happy with my race. I am confident with my time and hope I beat 18 (minutes) this season.”
The pair had traded wins over each other this year with Pustilnik winning the Sharks Invitational and Beaulieu winning the Palm Beach County South Championships.
Beaulieu shaved nearly 18 seconds off her previous best time of 18:47.98 when she topped Pustilnik a week ago in the Palm Beach County South Championships.
“I love running against her because she is an amazing runner and even though she beat me I was able to keep her in my vision,” said Beaulieu, a middle-school county champion in the 800 and 1,600 meters last year. “Coming into cross country, I wasn’t sure how I would do, because the farthest I ever had to run was a mile and this is three miles.”
Jupiter High’s Ali Del Re, the defending county champion, was sidelined this year with a strained oblique muscle, but said she would be ready next week for districts.
“I just want to go to state this year,” said Del Re, who was unable to compete in the postseason last year because of a stress fracture in her ankle. “It was tough. I wanted to be out there, but I have other meets. I just have to rest and eat healthy and go as hard as I can.”
Forest Hill’s Isaias De La Puente became just the third runner in the past decade to repeat as individual champion as he clocked a 16:28.15 to win by 27 seconds over Spanish River’s Chris French (16:55.88).
“It’s pretty good to win two years in a row,” De La Puente said. “I just wanted to put myself and my school on the map. I just wanted to come out here and do my best. There is a lot of pressure on me, but I try not to focus on that.”
Spanish River coach Doug Horn was elated with the school’s first sweep in his four years with the program. The boys finished with 72 points, while Palm Beach Central was runnerup with 102.
“We have a postseason motto to be the best at the end,” Horn said. “Each meet we want to be better and better. That’s what we did and I am so proud of everybody. Rylee had a beautiful race and the girls all ran PRs. Will Noonan was sick all week with a virus and he ran like a champ today.”