Look to the Past
20 Years Ago 1985 Early September
Arroyo Grande Invitational - at the UCSB Lagoon course - meet that grew out of the cancellation of the popular San Luis Obispo Relay meet in early September that a number of teams used to travel north to. This AG meet was a great gathering with 1985 featuring a super Saugus HS Men’s group, coached by Steve Spraker, of late the Principal of San Pasqual (Escondido). Spraker had a dynamite brother duo in Darren (9:08.65 previous year 3200) and Kirk (9:16.40 3200) Stonerock, and Mike Fretz, with the trio racing 15:41-15:42 and 15:44 this weekend to lead Saugus to a 24 point win, with Arcadia’s Jim Ratigan fourth at 16:01. Melissa Sutton (Newbury Park), who the previous year was 25th in the Kinney (then the name) National Championships, broke her Course record with a 17:39 run, with Arroyo Grande, led by Sharon Plante in 2nd at 18:02, narrow team winners over Newbury 52-56. In third for the girls was Heather Scobie of Saugus, who later was in a terrible automobile accident while still a prep that left her severely injured but she did survive.
15 Years Ago - 1990 Early September
Jim Frank Invitational - Carson City Nevada
Meet at 4500 feet with 83 degree weather had Coach Dennis DeWitt and his Madera crew ready to roll, with a 33-38 win over Carson City, Nevada in a very high quality race. 3:52 1500 star Brad Meyer (Manogue, Nv) won over 9:11 3200 runner Bob Ryser (Carson City, NV) 15:35-15:36 with Madera four of the top eight!! 10:36 3200 star Kimberly Orlando (Carson City, NV) won the Girls’ contest at 18:30, with Carson the team winners of El Dorado (Placerville) 16-39.
Morro Bay Invitational - Southern Section
Soft sand greeted runners this day, with host Morro Bay’s Jennifer Lacovara leading her team over Nordhoff (Ojai) 23-54, with Jenny racing 21:52 on the challenging course. Louie Rudziewiz of Angelope Valley took the Boys’ contest at 18:27, with Nordhoff winning over Morro Bay 56-57.
Colton Swarm - Inland Empire Southern Section
Carrie Garritson (Rim of World, Lake Arrowhead), the famed age-grouper, had easily the fastest Girls’ time here, taking the frosh/soph run at 18:50, with Marion Sepulveda (Colton) racing 19:25 in her junior/senior race win. Bishop Amat had the day’s quickest Girls team time. James Pendergraph, leader of a fine Norte Vista team that was second in state in 1989 Div II, was 15:51 for the Boys’ quickest time, with Amat once again the team time winners on the Boys’ side.
Seaside Invitational - Buenaventura State Beach
Second edition of what has grown into a popular Southern Section affair had two of the nation’s best, Louie Quintana (Arroyo Grande), the current Arizona State distance coach, and Deena Drossin (Agoura), the 2004 Athens Olympic medalist, in the steeplechase, contest leaders. Drossin blazed 17:11, with the Agoura team racing 92:29 on the quick course, a time comparable to their 1989 team that was ranked #4 in the Nation at the end of the year. Arroyo Grande, with Brandy Barr leading at 18:26 was 94:34. Interestingly, age-groupers Gavin Klinger (son of Coach Dave at Hart), and Eric Dunn (another big age-grouper at Arroyo Grande) went 1-2 in the 9th grade Boys’ race over Meb Keflezighi (San Diego) 15:29-37-42, with Meb another Athens medalist in the marathon!! Boy could we butcher Meb’s name-spelling in those days!! Louie Quintana had run 1:51.90 and 4:07.20 the previous year, with Dave Hartman (Canyon, Canyon Country), long-time coach at Texas A&M and now at the University of Georgia, a 9:06.28 3200 star also in the field. Quintana smoked the course in a 14:14 winning clocking, 10 seconds faster than Bryan Dameworth (Agoura), who was the Kinney National Champ the year before (Louie would go on to take that title also). Hartman was 14:33 on a blazing day!! Hart, without 9:24 3200 star Billy Dixon, was 78:52 for quickest Boys’ team time. It was a cranking day!!
Bronco Invitational - Cal Poly Pomona - Southern Section
–El Modena (Orange) won the contests raced around the Cal Poly campus. Chino’s James O’Connor was 16:16 to 16:17 for Brent Austin (El Modena) on the Boys’ side, with El Mo scoring 59. The El Modean Girls were more dominant, with 35 points total, as Erica Sumi (Wilson, Long Beach) was the 18:56 winner over Kristina Dahlberg and Natalie Austin of El Modena!
is published by 