Lane sets regional 5K record, moves one step closer to back-to-back national titles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Malibu junior Claudia Lane became the first California female to repeat as Foot Locker West Regional champion since Mission Prep graduate Jordan Hasay in 2007-08, breaking the 5-kilometer regional course record Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut by clocking 16 minutes, 59.6 seconds.

Lane, the reigning Foot Locker national champion, took down the mark of 17:14 set in 2001 by Ukiah graduate Amber Trotter, then equaled by Hasay in 2005. Lane set the 2.93-mile course record Oct. 21 at Mt. SAC by running 15:49.4.

"I feel like I've gotten a lot more experience in the past year," said Lane, who ran 17:20.1 to win last year's regional title.

"I think I've learned to run races more strategically and I've learned more ways to attack every race and execute the courses the way I'd like. Mt. SAC I wanted to hopefully break the course record, but today I just wanted to qualify and hopefully win."

Kashon Harrison of Kirtland Central became the first New Mexico boys athlete to qualify for Foot Locker Nationals since Matthew Tebo of Eldorado in 2006, winning in 15:38.4.

"It's kind of overwhelming being the first runner since 2006," said Harrison, who rebounded from an eighth-place finish Nov. 18 at Nike Cross Regionals Southwest to secure the regional title.

"I feel happy. As the race was going and throughout the race. In the end, I felt like I had a pretty good kick. (The last straightaway) was long and I was fatigued for a little while after, but it felt good."

California led the way with nine individual qualifiers -- five girls and four boys -- followed by Utah with six and Washington with four.

Bellarmine Prep CA senior Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau finished second in 15:41.1 to earn a return trip to Balboa Park in San Diego to compete Dec. 2 in the national final.

Washington standouts Katie Thronson of Lewis and Clark and Kristen Garcia of Sedro-Woolley finished second and sixth in 18:11.8 and 18:19.5 to secure return berths, along with Lane. Annika Reiss of Bellingham was the third Washington female qualifier, with Gonzaga Prep's Turlan Morlan the state's lone boys finalist.

Olympus' Roberto Porras, Lone Peak's Justin Hartshorn and Fremont twins Bronson Winter and Zach Winter were the Utah boys qualifiers, along with girls finalists Camille Winterton of Skyline and Alissa Fielding of Mountain View.

In addition to Lane, Oakmont's Alize Hartke, Capistrano Valley's Alyssa Bautista, Walnut's Chloe Arriaga and Eastlake's Patricia Miessner were the California girls qualifiers. Cathedral Catholic's Joaquin Martinez de Pinillos, Liberty Ranch's Collin Ullrich and Rancho Cucamonga's Darius Riley were the state's boys qualifiers, along with Beaudoin-Rousseau.