ESCONDIDO — After a breakout track season, Cathedral Catholic High School’s Grace Keefe added a strong summer of training.

It showed on Saturday. Keefe won the Bronco Roundup cross country large-school race in 11 minutes, 18.55 seconds over Kit Carson Park’s 2-mile course.

Keefe bolted into the lead and was seriously challenged only once. Scripps Ranch’s Olivia Liu met her at 1 1/2 miles; they ran shoulder to shoulder for a time.

“I know how to be an aggressive hill runner, and I dropped her,” the Dons’ senior said. “Then I just raced to the finish.”

Keefe, who ran a 4:49.67 in the state 1,600-meter prelims on the track, placing 10th overall, collected her first cross country invitational win. She hopes it’s the start of a big season.

“This was a good race, and I enjoyed it,” said Keefe. “Cathedral Catholic has such a good program, and it’s fun running against the others. But I have so much more in me.”

It was a Cathedral Catholic sweep as Lucas Derheimer made his first high school cross country race a big one, winning in 9:44.40.

A freshman winning is rare, but Derheimer is no newcomer to the sport. He placed second and fifth the last two years in the USATF Junior Olympics.

Derheimer, who fell back to ninth place early, was second after the hill but rallied to beat Mt. Carmel veteran Josh Bell, who was just a step back in 9:45.70.

“I was a bit intimidated before the race, but I knew I had a faster 3,000 time than the others,” he said. “I used my speed to win.”

Ian Cumming/Tim Lathan Invitational

The boys’ cross country teams from Olympian and Eastlake were deadlocked 56-56 for first place in the Mustang Division of the Ian Cumming/Tim Lathan Invitational at Rohr Park.

It came down to which team’s No. 6 runner was fastest. That would be Olympian’s Carlos Gonzalez, who finished 23rd overall, giving the Eagles the team title.

Just as important was Micah Schenko’s 12:54.30, second-place finish for Olympian. He finished behind race winner Anthony Delicio of San Diego High (12:45.10) over the 2 1/2-mile course.

In the girls’ Mustang Division, Bonita Vista sophomore Bethlehem George covered the 2-mile course in 12:21.2 for the victory.

Wolf Pack Invitational

Monte Vista Melissa Velasquez Varela clocked a time of 9:38.80 for 11th graders, edging El Capitan senior Cora Lottermoser, who ran 9:39.40 in the senior race, for the day’s fastest girls’ time over the West Hills 1 1/2-mile course.

On the boys’ side, Central Union’s Noah Munguia sped over the 2.1-mile course in 10:05.90 in the senior race to beat Southwest-San Diego’s Carlos Martinez by six seconds.

Eagles Invitational

Imperial’s Mia Bustamante won the girls’ junior/senior race at Seeley by more than a minute, posting a time of 12:04.20. Brawley’s Alejandro Gutierrez led his school to a 1-2-3-4 finish in 10:50.43 in the boys’ event.