Marina girls, Edison’s Thies and Seward move onto Fresno

Every cross-country team had to make a quick mental adjustment in the CIF Southern Section Division Finals at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday after rain pushed the races onto an alternate, flat and mostly paved course.

It didn’t hold back the Marina High girls’ cross-country team, which was the only local team to advance to the CIF State Meet by taking sixth in Division I, with the top-seven teams making the cut.

The Vikings were led by Kylie Nishisaka, who placed sixth individually in 16 minutes 30 seconds. The senior was thrown off by the course change, which was announced just about an hour before the first race, but it didn’t matter in the end.

“I was definitely looking forward to the original course so it kind of threw me off a little bit mentally, but I just went out there and ran,” Nishisaka said.

While the Vikings were the only team to advance, Edison High will still be represented at the State Meet, which is at Woodward Park in Fresno on Nov. 24, after Jeff Thies and Haley Seward both moved on individually. The top-five runners who aren’t on qualifying teams in each division move on to State.

Thies was the only Charger competing in the Division I boys’ race and took eighth in 14:18 and was the fourth individual to stamp his individual ticket to State.

“I was pretty confident I was going to make it to State so I was more looking toward trying to win and being up with the leaders more,” Thies said. “That didn’t work out like I was planning, but otherwise it was a good race.”

While Edison’s girls (ninth, 211 points) didn’t move on as a whole, the Chargers still erupted with cheers when the results were posted and it was revealed Seward would move on after she took ninth in 16:36.

“I personally love the rain course so when we came and I found we’re running the rain course I was so stoked,” Seward said.”

Marina’s top-five scorers were Eileen Stressling (28th, 17:07), Brianna Shoffner (42nd, 17:21), Erin Nighswonger (67th, 17:52) and Madeline Fox (77th, 18:01). Edison’s scorers included Gabrielle Yatauro (19th, 16:58), Julia Sienski (41st, 17:21), Alexa Yatauro (74th, 17:59) and Janie Wiess (88th, 18:12).

andrew.shortall@latimes.com

Twitter: @TCNShortall