Lady Mustangs race to second-place finish

By Jen Blanco
| 4:00 a.m. September 19, 2011

Six members of the Lakewood Ranch High girls cross country team placed in the Top 20 at the Fort Myers Optimist Invitational Sept. 17.

East County
Sports

The Lakewood Ranch High girls cross country team scored 45 points to finish second by Estero (24 points) at the Fort Myers Optimist Invitational Sept. 17.

Six Lady Mustangs placed in the top 20, including Olivia Ortiz who won the meet in 18 minutes, 37 seconds. Devin McDermott finished fifth in 19:38 followed Kristin Zarella (ninth) in 20:29; Natalie Novak (13^th) in 21:15; Ashley Platt (17^th) in 21:33 and Katie Wray (18^th) in 21:35.

Michelle Last finished 23^rd in 21:48 and Emily Perez finished 34^th in 22:43.

Lakewood’s boys team finished sixth with 184 points. Evan Dipsiner led the way for the Mustangs finishing 21^st in 18:04. Quintin Wampler finished 27^th in 18:15 followed by Mitch Arnold (32^nd) in 18:27; Chris Branch (48^th) in 18:50 and Brandon Jones (58^th) in 19:09.

The Lady Mustangs return to action Sept. 24 at the University of Florida Mountain Dew Invitational Sept. 24 while the boys will compete in the North Port Invitational.