File photo – Arcata’s Bella DeCarli

The fourth H-DNL cross country race of the season featured an exciting finish with less than three-tenths of a second separating the top two runners.

For the third straight week, Arcata’s Bella DeCarli and Eureka’s Sequoia Ashby finished in the top two, but this time it was DeCarli who got the win.

The impressive Tigers freshman crossed the finish line in a time of 22 minutes, 22.44 seconds, with Ashby right on her heels in a time of 22:22.71.

This was the second win of the season for DeCarli, who has taken the league by storm in her first season competing at the high school level.

DeCarli also won the season-opening race in Del Norte, which Ashby did not compete in.

The Eureka senior placed first in each of the past two races, giving her and DeCarli two victories each this season.

Ashby’s Eureka senior teammate Miriam Mende had her fourth top-three finish of the season, placing third for the third straight week in a time of 24:42.

Four different schools featured in the top seven, with Arcata taking the team win with 23 points, followed by Eureka (36) and McKinleyville (80).

Arcata junior Josephine Maguire was fourth on the day with the same listed time as Mende, according to athletic.net, while there was also a tight battle for fourth with impressive Fortuna sophomore Brida Lester crossing the finish line in a time of 25:26.03, barely ahead of Arcata senior Nicole Nozawa (25:26.33).

Hoopa senior Julia Jackson matched her career-best finish and crossed in seventh place for the second straight week.

Arcata’s Sydney Ventuleth and Emma Martin and Eureka’s Summer Morales placed eighth through 10th.

Hoopa’s Ruby Jackson was the second fastest freshman on the day in 15th.

For more on the boys race, see First career win for Thompson as Tigers dominate at Fortuna …

The fifth league races of the season will be hosted by Northcoast Prep next Wednesday.

File photo – Sequoia Ashby

File photo – Miriam Mende