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California State Meet

Doug Speck's Finals Preview

From: DougSpeck@aol.com
Sent: Monday, November 23, 1998 1:58 AM
To: dye@dyestat.com
Subject: Cal State CC Meet Preview

Boys Div I - Boys Div II - Boys Div III - Boys Div IV -  Boys Div V -
Girls Div I - Girls Div II - Girls Div III -  Girls Div IV - Girls Div V

1998 California State Cross-Country Meet Again Features Top Group
by Doug Speck
(with assistance from Buzz Thom, Dan Cruz, Kirby Lee, Don Chadez, David Dennis, Bob Rush, Peter Guerrini, Peter Brewer, Steve Fagundes, Jim Eckman, Dave Ponas, Andy Leong)

(In the following preview abbreviations for sections are as follows: San Diego-SD,
Southern Section-SS, Los Angeles-LA, Central-CE, Central Coast-CCS, North Coast-NCS, Sac Joaquin-SJ, Northern-No, San Francisco-SF)

The State’s best “hill and dale” athletes will travel to Fresno’s Woodward Park once again this Thanksgiving weekend for our annual glorious end to the Cross-Country season. It has been a tremendously exciting Fall build-up to these championships, with a number of the state’s top individuals and teams again honored with rankings among the best in the entire country.

An amazing four Califonria female prep athletes return from last December’s National prep Championships in the sport, with Sara Bei (Montgomery, Santa Rosa-NCS), Lauren Fleshman (Canyon, Canyon Country-SS), Trina Cox (Santa Rosa-NCS), and Allyson Marquand (University, Irvine-SS) a talented crew equal to any group that can be gathered this season in any state in the country.

Josh Spiker (Ventura-SS), Alfonso Leon (Santa Ana-SS), Marcus Chandler (Serra, San Diego-SD), and Andrew Hill (Los Altos-CCS) have proven themselves capable this Fall of competing with any male athletes in the country.

A flock of California teams have been ranked among the top squads nationally this Fall. On the Boys’ side, Long Beach Poly (SS), Santa Ana (SS), and Katella (Anaheim-SS) have been ranked among a mythical top twenty-five teams in the nation, with Yucaipa
(SS), La Canada (SS), Esperanza (Anaheim-SS), and University (San Francisco) at the same level on the Girls’ side. So enjoy the action and appreciate the efforts of these fine young athletes, coaches, and their support entourages as they once again blister the Woodward Park course while seeking individual and team honors.

Boys Division I

The Boys Division I contest leads off action today, with an interesting group from the South battling for the team title and awards. Our defending team champion, Long Beach Poly (SS) (currently ranked sixth in the nation), was magnificent in both the Mt. SAC Invitational and Southern Section Finals, averaging under 15:50 for its scoring five on a course similar in time to today’s. Aaron Durham and Martin Conrad have led the Jackrabbit group recently.

West Hills (Santee-SD) was a strong second to Poly at the Mt. SAC Invite, with Evan Fox the section champion and a top ranked individual at this level. Belmont (LA) was strong in its Los Angeles Section Finals, scoring its fourteenth championship in the last seventeen years there, with Henry Briseno and Humberto Vargas leading the squad to victory. Santa Ana, led by Alfonso Leon, was a strong second in the Southern Section meet, with Saugus and Don Lugo (Chino) also very tough from that area. Clovis  CE) and Bellarmine Prep (San Jose-CCS) were section team champs.

Josh Spiker (Ventura-SS) shocked with a 15:01 run on the tough Mt. SAC course in the championship run there to assume the favorite’s role here, with Justin Willingham (Beyer, Modesto-SJ), Mike Gregg (Nevada Union, Grass Valley-SJ), Fernando Cabada (Buchanan, Clovis-CE), Sean Ricketts (Rancho Bernardo-SD), Ben Morales (San Benito, Hollister-CCS), Matt Swaney (Ventura-SS), and James DeBruhl (Chino-SS)  others with good season-long credentials and solid peaks at their Section Finals.

Predicted Team winner - Long Beach Poly
Predicted Individual winner - Alfonso Leon (Santa Ana)

Boys Division II

The Boys Division II is another contest led by one of the nation’s best teams, with Coach Mike Cochrane’s Katella (Anaheim-SS) group ranked eleventh in the entire United States and hot off a good Southern Section Finals run that had it average just under 16:00 for its scoring five. Katella impressed earlier in the year with an overall victory at the Stanford Invitational, where they moved up to Division I. Daniel Mejia was a section individual winner from Katella.

After Katella the division is very, very interesting with a number of solid teams that come to this meet from all areas of the state to compete for the three team plaques awarded at each level. Newport Harbor (Newport Beach-SS) has had a solid year, with Curt Herberts one of the division’s strong runners. San Pasqual (Escondido-SD) was the San Diego Section titlest at this level, with an eighteen second 1-5 gap in their area championship affair. Los Gatos (CCS) impressed at mid-season, then was very solid in the Central Coast Finals, continuing to improve at a rate that makes them very tough—they gap at thirty seconds 1-5!

Jesuit (Sacramento-SJ) took their area championship over a strong Casa Roble (Orangevale-SJ) team, with Coach Walt Lange having to be pleased with the Jesuit development over the length of the season. The division’s successful geographical diversity continues, with De la Salle (Concord-NCS) just nipping Eureka (NCS) 53-56 in the North Coast Section, with both teams looking very solid coming to Fresno.

Marcus Chandler (Serra, San Diego-SD) won his big showdown with area rival Matt McInvale (Ramona-SD) in the San Diego finals. Ryan Mack (Ukiah-NCS) took his Section meet and has run 4:13 for 1600 meters in track. Alex Murcio (Rubidoux, Riverside-SS) and Augie Escobar (Villa Park-SS) were under 15:35 on the tough Mt. SAC course a week ago and must be considered threats to the top pack individually.

Predicted Team winner - Katella
Predicted Individual winner - Marcus Chandler (Serra)

Girls Division I

The Girls Division I contest features a very strong group of teams. Irvine (SS) emerged over the last couple of weeks in the Southern Section to win the finals there over Esperanza (Anaheim-SS) a team ranked sixteenth in the entire nation. Coach Randy Rossi of Irvine carefully fostered the development of frosh stars Jordan Bechtold, Kira Mettra, and Jenny Ormes to go along with vets Valerie Morris and Melissa Livermore, with a 19:20 team average in the Section meet and an eighteen second 1-5 gap. 

Esperanza, runner-ups here last year has Pam Smith and Nicole Distefano leading a very capable squad smarting for revenge this weekend. Mt. Carmel (San Diego-SD) was another strong  group that steadily improved during the season, stunning local powers Torrey Pines (Encinitas-SD) and Rancho Bernardo (SD) in the Section  Meet. Karen Vasko and Ashlee Dere lead Coach Dennis McClanahan’s squad that has certainly should have award ceremony goals in mind.  Torrey Pines, ranked high all season long has Camille Dredge and Julie Komosinski capable of placing very high. Nevada Union (Grass Valley-SJ) was an impressive Sac Joaquin champion group behind frosh Tracy Compton.

Santa Rosa (NCS) is led by individual returning champion Trina Cox, with a good race from numbers two through five putting this team in the award plaque hunt. Thousand Oaks (SS), led by Kelly Hess, and University (Irvine-SS), with star Allyson Marquand on top, are others teams who will be very strong here.

Lauren Fleshman (Canyon, Canyon Country-SS) has had a great Fall season, with a 17:24 on the Mt. SAC course last weekend. Courtney Baird (Helix, La Mesa-SD) took her Section meet, with Valerie Flores (San Pedro-LA) winning over rival Natalie Stein (North Hollywood-LA) in Los Angeles. Katie Hotchkiss (Mission San Jose, Fremont-NCS) took the State Division II title last year, with Chrisie Gregory (Clovis-CE), Sopagna Eap (Lowell, San Francisco-SF), and Christina Llorente (Atwater-SJ) impressive Section Champs.

Predicted Team Winner - Irvine
Predicted Individual Winner - Lauren Fleshman (Canyon)

Girls Division II

The Girls Division II contest has season-long top-ranked Sultana (Hesperia-SS) the favorite off their win at their Section championships, averaging 19:43 for their scoring five on a course similar to Woodward Park. Coach John Mahr’s interchangable scoring five should gap within thirty seconds of each other here.

Defending State Champs at this level, Woodbridge (Irvine-SS) pressed Sultana in their area meet, with Jessica Kanin leading Coach George Varvas’s 1998 squad. Brea-Olinda (Brea-SS) was under a 19:50 average for five in the Southern Section meet, with soph Jenny Thune leading a strong squad. Clayton Valley (Concord-NCS) was solid in winning the North Coast title, with the scoring group, which gaps at about a minute, needing to move up just a bit to be very, very competitive for the championship here. Santa
Margarita (Rancho SM-SS) has Lori Mann, one of the division’s top ranked individuals, leading a strong team.

Jamie Witt (Folsom-SJ) and surprising frosh Kelly Dahl (Wood, Vacaville-SJ) battled at the Sac Joaquin Finals, with Erinn Gulbrandsen (Pleasant Valley, Chico-No) a 100 yard winner at the Northern Finals. Chloe Glare (Menlo-Atherton, Atherton-CCS) has put together a fine Fall, with Desiree Davilla (Hilltop, Chula Vista-SD) another big Section Finals winner. Laura Jakosky (Agoura-SS) took the Southern Section race, with Ridgeview (Bakesfield-CE) frosh Janel Suburu another who took her Section Finals run by over thirty seconds. Dyani Jones  (Livermore-NCS) took the North Coast individual title.

Predicted Team Winner - Sultana
Predicted Individual Winner - Jamie Witt (Folsom)

Boys Division III

The Boys Division III contest is a very interesting one with two veteran strong teams separating themselves a bit from the pack lately. St. Francis (Mountain View-CCS) has soph Eric Chaves leading a pack that gaps at about thirty-five seconds 1-5. Defending Champs Don Bosco Tech (Rosemead-SS) had Southern Section individual winner Armando Solis lead his team to a fine race in that competition. Top races by both teams could make this a tremendously exciting race won somewhere back in the pack. 

Redwood (Larkspur-NCS) edged rival Granada (Livermore-NCS) 55-56 in that area’s Finals run, with both tight packs that can compete for championship plaques here. South Hills (West Covina-SS) has star Jesse Hodges leading a highly ranked team that was solid in the Section Championships. La Jolla (SD) dominated its Section meet with 23 points. with Barstow (SS) and La Canada (SS) also tough from the Southern Section.

Andrew Hill (Los Altos-CE) won big Invitational races at Stanford and Mt. SAC with outstanding times, with Neil McDonagh (St. Ignatius, San Francisco-CCS) also strong from his area. David Ulibarri (Sierra, Manteca-SJ) has had a strong season, with Steve Laurie (Maria Carillo-NCS) edging Celedonio Rodriguez (Elsie Allen, Santa Rosa-NCS) in a tough North Coast Division III race. Bryce Lighthall (Enterprise, Redding-No) took the Northern title by 100 yards a couple of weeks back. Miguel Alonso (Pioneer, Whittier-SS) was third in the Southern Section and raced to some strong individual efforts during the season.

Predicted Team Winner - Don Bosco Tech (Rosemead)
Predicted Individual Winner - Andrew Hill (Los Altos)

Girls Division IV

The Girls Division IV had three Southern Section squads rise up to magnificent efforts in the Section Championship race. Corona del Mar (Newport Harbor-SS), top ranked all year long, emerged the winner with 63 points (98:20 team time 19:40 average), with Nordhoff (Ojai-SS) edging St. Joseph (Santa Maria-SS) on the sixth runner rule after both tied at 71 for second (Nordhoff 98:59 St. Joe 98:48 team times). A sub-20 minute average for one’s scoring five at this level on a tough course is very, very impressive.

Coach Bill Sumner’s CdM crew leads with Katie Quinlan and Liz Morse, with Nordhoff’s Ken Reeves maybe one more hitch in his team’s season peak up their sleeve, with frosh
Robin Quinn leading the team in the section meet. St. Joseph has Michelle and Kara June as individuals who can place high here. Campolindo (Moraga-NCS), led by Laura Cherdack, was very strong in their North Coast Section win, with Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco-CCS) a fine season and good Section Finals run. Louisville (Woodland Hills-SS) has been highly ranked and ran solidly in gaining the fourth spot out of the tough Southern Section race.

McFarland (CE) was a big winner in that area, with team leader Laura Davis a fine
individual section titlest. Amy Loper-Riley (Alhambra, Martinez-NCS) has dominated this division individually, with Ann Glenn (Sir Francis Drake, San Anselmo-NCS) and Weil Laurel (El Molino, Forestville, NCS) also strong from the North Coast. Angela Sanchez (Capuchino-CCS) has been running very strong, with Alejandra Barrientos (San Lorenzo Valley, Felton-CCS) another Central Coast star. Jamie DeNoewer (Costa Mesa-SS) was third here last year, with a Southern Section title a week ago. Jenna Timinsky (San Dieguito Academy-SD) took the San Diego title in fine style. Alexandra Guerro (Hughson-SJ) has traveled far and wide with success this Fall.

Predicted Team Winner - Corona del Mar
Predicted Individual Winner - Amy Loper-Riley (Alhambra, Martinez)

Boys Division V

The Boys Division V always impresses with the quality of the State’s smaller schools. St. Joseph/Notre Dame (Alameda-NCS) has been top ranked most of the season, with individual section titlest Alex Mason leading the team to a narrow 51-55 win over University (San Francisco-NCS) in their Section title meet. Sean Drake leads Uni, highly regarded all season long. Maranatha (Sierra Madre-SS) won the battle down south with Flintridge Prep (La Canada-SS), with a one point margin 92-93 (86:04-86:15 team times respectively—St. Joe was 86:49 on what appears to be a slightly tougher course).

Anyway, it’s going to be a great team contest in Fresno!! Don’t count out Tranquility (CE), which won its section with 23 points behind individual champ Antonio Estrada, and have shown the potential to run with anyone at this level. Crossroads (Santa Monica-SS) is led by the super twin duo of Jeff and Mike Tomlinson, with Desert Christian (Lancaster-SS) the fourth rep out of the tough Southern Section. Calvin Christian (Escondido-SD), with section champ Bart Conner leading, have had a fine Fall.

Tom Kubler (Viewpoint, Calabasas-SS), Matt Marks (Branson, Ross-NCS), Arturo Lopez (California School for the Deaf, Fremont-NCS), and Slater Nez (Sherman Indian, Riverside-SS) are other strong individuals.

Predicted Team Winner - St. Joseph/Notre Dame (Alameda)
Predicted Individual Winner - Jeff Tomlinson (Crossroads, Santa Monica)

Girls Division III

The Girls Division III race features one of the nation’s top teams, with La Canada (SS) currently ranked twentieth in the entire country. The deep Spartan program of Coaches Dennis McNulty and Tony Haynes has won very decisively divisional showdowns at Stanford and Mt. SAC, with a 97:45 team time (19:33 average) on a warm day in the Southern Section meet behind Section champ Nicole Bonino. Amy Foss, Christina Ellis, and sisters Carina and Kim Garnic could all finish among the top fifteen here at this level!

Foothill (Redding-No) can keep La Canada honest, with a 99:08 Northern Section effort (on a course that seems to run fairly close to Mt.SAC/Woodward Park) that did not
include team leader Rachelle Hastings, who ran sixth for the squad that day. A healthy Hastings and continued good running by Annette Corey could make the team race interesting!

There are a number of other very strong teams at this level! El Modena (Orange-SS) has great recent tradition and a strong Section Finals effort behind Christine Eckstaedt. Lompoc (SS) has Katie Moon leading another strong team from the south, with South Hills (West Covina-SS) the fourth spot out of the Southern Section. St. Francis (Mountain View-CCS) and Palo Alto (CCS) battled all season in their area, with St. Francis finally taking the Section meet on the sixth runner rule after the two had tied at 52. Palo Alto leads with super Katie Brizgys and Lauren Currie, with frosh Angela Gummow on top for St. Francis. University City (San Diego-SD) needed its 35 points in its Section finals meet to handle La Jolla (SD) and its 41 point effort, with both squads showing continued
improvement over the last half of the year.

The North Coast section had to leave power Carondolet (Concord-NCS) at home after Montgomery (Santa Rosa-NCS) and Granada (Livermore-NCS) went 1-2 in the Section Meet. Montgomery leads with all-world Sara Bei who appears to be significantly better than last Fall when she was eighth in the prep national finals in the sport and the country’s top ninth grade female runner.

In the North Coast Finals Sara was within two minutes of the top Boys’ time in the meet, a feat only sub-10:00 3200m star from Virginia, former Foot Locker National Champion Erin Keough, was able to do over three miles while in High School. Sarah Bashel has also had a fine year for Montgomery, with Granada Julia Fischer and fine back-up.

Sara Bei and Katie Brizgys mentioned above are super individuals on top of this division. Stephanie Ksenzulak (Liberty-NCS), Jenny Aldridge (Maria Carillo, Santa Rosa-NCS), Katie Martin (Irvington, Fremont-NCS), and Meghan Andrade (Carondolet, Concord-NCS) are all strong North Coast stars. Lauren Gustafson (Mills, Millbrae) has steadily improved in the Central Coast, with Ali Valle (San Luis Obispo-SS) the Mt.
SAC Division III Sweepstakes winner in October. Michelle Barrack (University of San Diego-SD) took her Section title by nearly 30 seconds.

Predicted Team Winner - La Canada
Predicted Individual Winner - Sara Bei (Montgomery, Santa Rosa)

Boys Division IV

Our Boys Division IV race has Nordhoff (Ojai-SS) hoping to continue the state’s strongest harrier tradition, with Coach Ken Reeves’ Boys’ squad aiming today for their sixth State title since 1991 (the girls have four since 1990 in an unprecedented run of success in the sport).

Last week the Nordhoff group took the Southern Section title comfortably with 74 points (82:08 team time). Soph Roberto Contreras led the Rangers a week ago, with one sensing the talented crew having a notch better effort still in the gas tank. Estancia (Costa Mesa-SS), with Alberto Munoz, and Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks-SS), led by Kevin Lelles, were 2-3 in the Southern Section. Coach Jim White of McFarland (CE) was hit by graduation last year, but in a “re- load” job had sophs Andres Gomez and Arturo Gonzalez and frosh Francisco Gonzalez emerge in the top five, with a 29 point effort in a huge Central Section Division IV contest two weeks ago. Central Valley (No) won the entire Northern Section this year, with Steven Springhorn and Stephen Pohlmeyer leading a solid team that should gap within a minute of 16 minutes here. A good Morro Bay (SS) team took the fourth team spot out of the South. Riverbank was the terror of the early year at this level, with the Sac Joaquin champs suffering injuries and the loss of some key athletes along the way. They were 85:40 at the Section meet on a course that should run fairly close to Woodward Park.

Vic Moreno (Escalon-SJ) was the Sac Joaquin titlest with a number of good runs during the Invitational season. Ryan Hall (Big Bear-SS) shocked with a minute improvement on the Mt. SAC course in the last month of the season to 15:38, with the soph emerging as the Section champ a week back. Mark Nevers (Oak Park-SS) and Bruce Hancock (Costa Mesa-SS) were 3-4 from the Southern Section. Brent Shaw (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa-NCS) took his section championship by a second over Bob Brown from Del Norte (Cresent City-NCS).

Predicted Team Winner - Nordhoff (Ojai)
Predicted Individual Winner - Ryan Hall (Big Bear)

Girls Division V

Our final race of the day, Girls Division V, features maybe the most amazing squad in the entire meet. Winners of this competition the last two years at this level, University (San Francisco) impressed with every small school’s dream, a victory in the large schools Mt. SAC Invitational Team Sweepstakes race against the top group of teams gathered this Fall in the Western U.S. Coach Mike McManus’s group perfect scored the North Coast Section Division V a week ago, with Kira Morser (defending state individual champ), Aliza Cohen, Linden Bader, Diana Clock, and Yfa Kretzschmar rated among the country’s top twenty-five teams, and as one of prep history’s best ever under 300 student school teams. If the group makes it to the park safely everyone else is running for second place.

Chadwick (Palos Verdes-SS) is a super group at this enrollment level, but will undoubtedly be relegated to a distant second this go-round.  Frosh stars Kristin Cahoon and Vanessa Smith led Chadwick to a fine 101:42 team time (20:20 average) in winning the Southern Section a week ago. Surviving the hot competition in the Southern Section for spots to the state meet were Desert Christian (Lancaster), St. Margaret’s (San Juan Capistrano), and Santa Clara (Oxnard). They will battle for the third place plaque. Convent (NCS) was a strong second to Uni in the North Coast.

Angela Petersen (Francis Parker, San Diego) was second at this level last Fall, with Kelly Moore (Avalon, Catalina Island-SS) a surprising Southern Section champ. Jenny Bell (Ontario Christian-SS), Ana Guerra (Santa Clara, Oxnard-SS), and Khasla Haripurkh (Windward, L.A.-SS) were next from that Southern Section championship run. Kaili Shumilak (The Bishop’s School, La Jolla-SD), Clara Horowitz (Head Royce, Oakland-NCS), Sonja Perakis (Pinewood, Los Altos Hills-CCS), and Alle Porter (Dunsmuir-No) are others with the potential to challenge the front pack individually.

Predicted Team Winner - University (San Francisco)
Predicted Individual Winner - Angela Peterson (Francis Parker, San Diego)