Alder wins cross country race as Irvine’s Wilson is fourth

Utah runner returns to best rival after the Duke commit goes out strong at O.C. meet.

- STEVE GALLUZZO

STEVE GALLUZZO For The Times SUMMER WILSON finishes the Woodbridge Classic in 15:54.1 at the Great Park in Irvine on Saturday.

For much of Saturday night’s Bob Day Girls Sweepstakes race, Irvine High senior Summer Wilson was the pace setter. Yes, hindsight is always 20-20, but after finishing fourth in an elite field of 272 runners, she wished she had changed tactics during the 44th Woodbridge Cross Country Classic on the flat, three-mile course at Great Park in Irvine.

“My coach told me I could go [15 minutes, 30 seconds] and I know I’m a lot better than I was today,” said Wilson, who is committed to Duke. “I found myself leading in the first two miles, but my strength is my kick, so in retrospect it would’ve been smarter to stay back and if I did I could’ve gotten third.”

The top two returners from last year shifted to high gear in the second half of the three-mile course before Lily Alder of Timpview (Utah) passed La Jolla’s Chiara Dailey in the last 30 yards to win by 1.6 seconds in 15:40 flat after placing third in 2024 in 15:28.9, only seven-tenths of a second behind runner-up Dailey. Jaelyn Williams of Chula Vista Eastlake was third Saturday in 15:52.2, and Wilson clocked 15:54.1.