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Mt. SAC Invitational
- Friday Sweepstakes Races
Congrats to Meet Director Tim O'Rourke, the great Community College support,
and the millions it takes to pull off this coming Mt. SAC weekend, with
another series of stunning races over the hills and valleys that make
up this challenging course! With some 15,000 entrants expected this coming
weekend it will be the biggest and best ever, with some weather that appears
to be cooperating with optimum conditions. As you can see from the previews
below, the first day, Friday, will be a cooker on the facility, with Saturday's
previews coming tomorrow--should be fun!!!
Race #30 - Girls Div 3-4-5 Individual Sweepstakes
Melissa Grelli (Presentation, San Jose pictured above from Joe Hartman)
has had a crushing series of successes this Fall, and comes in with the
top time last week from the Monterey Bay Invitational on the course where
the CCS will run its finals–she will be very tough to handle on
the Mt. SAC Hills. Melissa was 10:36.68 for 3200m last year in track!!!
A legit LA City star, Belen Mendoza (Poly HS, Sun Valley LA Section),
strong this Fall after a third last year in the Section Finals, and teammate
Andrea Banuelos, have had strong Fall seasons. Christine Bjelland (Costa
Mesa) and Rebecca Cummins (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach - leader of a
very strong team) are highly thought of out of Orange County. Othes individually
with success at the Invitational level this season are Tina Forouz (Benicia
- 12th in the Sac Joaquin Section last Fall), Delayna Jensen (Bishop Gorman,
Nevada - 12th in the recent Las Vegas League Championships), Nicole Martinez
(East Bakersfield), Kelly Rodgers (Healdsburg - 8th NCS Div IV 2001),
Diane Reed (Marymount, LA), Kaylyn Gallo (Ocean View, Huntington Beach),
Elizabeth Dooley (Pasadena Poly), and Stephanie Farac (Terra Linda, San
Rafael - 15th at Stanford). Grelli, 4th in the State Meet Div III, should
be the pace-setter with a good group in pursuit. Some great weather is
predicted, so the times should fly!!
San Lorenzo Valley (Felton) at the starting line at Stanford - happily
looking forward to another great race!!
Race #31 - Girls Div 3-4-5 Team Sweepstakes
The State’s Top Small School teams will battle here. San Lorenzo
Valley (Felton) has super recent tradition under Coach Rob Collins, with
Div III power Campolindo (Moraga) last year’s State Champs by a
single point over SLV!! Both squads are super this Fall once again, with
SLV Raquel Barrientos, Emily Romo, and Stephanie Hamilton out charging
through a win at Stanford. April Dyer and Bernadette Casabonne have been
strong for the powerful Campolido crew. St. Francis (Sacramento) has stepped
up from the Sac Joaquin Section, with a ranking among the top half dozen
statewide Division III, led by Sarah Kritl and Katie Hartman. La Canada,
another with great tradition, and third in last year’s State Meet
Div III has Tara Sharma and Megan Drugan running strong this season. They
are ranked #2 in the Southern Section this season. Harvard-Westlake (North
Hollywood), has Lindsay Flaks, among the State’s best individuals
and super frosh Bridget Ballard strong this Fall for their highly ranked
squad! Orange Lutheran is ranked highly out of the Southern Section, with
Kelly Rendon and Kari Andrews top individuals. Maranatha (Sierra Madre),
with super Laura Meyers on top, and Lizzy Thompson a top twenty returnee
statewide last year, has great potential. Hopi (Arizona), with 11 of the
last 13 Arizona State 1A/2A titles always comes in and does a super job,
with 2002 no reason to be an exception to that rule. Desert Christian
(Lancaster) is highly rated Division V this season, with Claytonia Tarazi
a top individual, with Flintridge Prep (La Canada) Sarah Peterson, Hannah
Baughan, and Clara Gonzalez racing strongly this season. Holly DiGeralamo
leads a strong Div V Woodcrest Christsian team. Bessie Hatch (Thacher,
Ojai) is a top individual on a fine team, with Tani Brown of Brentwood
another who has had individual success this Fall. LaToya Cunningham and
Laura Swigart lead La Jolla Country Day, with Carrie Fabing, Audrey Barrett,
and Lexie Warrick a good Lompoc group. Erica Tomlinson (Oakmont, Roseville
Sac Joaquin Section) has enjoyed individual success, with Suan Bush the
St. Margaret’s (San Juan Capistrano) team leader.
Desert Christian stars Tim Smith and Sky Johnson
Race #32 - Boys 3-4-5 Individual Sweeps
Woodcrest Christian (Riverside), defending State Div V Champs, led by
Grant Nunnaly and Dustin Andrews, and Desert Christian (Lancaster), highly
ranked at that same level, with strong Tim Smith and Sky Johnson on top,
are very good teams here. Brian Baker (Beaumont), Paul Sparks (Littlerock),
Russel Bush (Santa Cruz), Garrett Metcalf (Tri-City Christian San Diego
4th Stanford Div V), and The Bishop’s (La Jolla) Taylor Searls are
top individuals.
Can the Barstow pack work its magic at Mt. SAC this weekend?
Race #33 - Boys 3-4-5 Boys Team Sweeps
A super group will mix it up here as we fight darkness this time of day!!
The running conditions should be superb!! Wow, what a contest!! Hopi,
Arizona, with one of America’s great distance traditions under Coach
Rick Baker, 12 straight Arizona Titles in Cross-Country, the first 11
at Division 1A/2A,with last year’s at 3A, with the team never scoring
more than 50 points in the State Championship run at Division 1A/2A. Figure
out their colors early, as they will give the best California small schools
a real battle!! McFarland, the Golden State’s “magical power”
through the decades under Coach Jim White, is ranked top in the State
at their level once again, with the Central California group emerging
with another strong squad after significant graduation losses. Javier
Medina and Victor Zavala lead a strong white and red clad McFarland crew.
Barstow, defending State Div III Champs, are out rolling in 2002, with
a tight group of six, led by Avery Himes and Adam Rodriguez a couple of
crushing team performances that would predict some very quick running
here. The desert crew of Coach Jim Duarte will be tough to handle!! Fillmore
has had a super Fall, with Juan Mejia, Jose Zavala, and Sergio Arriaga
moving to a #1 Ranking in the Section Div IV. There is more!!! Oakmont
(Sac Joaquin Section) brings on the State’s top individuals, Dan
Napieralski, to town, with Redwood (Larkspur) highly ranked NCS super
soph Jake Schmitt on top!! Santa Margarita (Rancho SM) is #3 ranked SS
Div III, with strong Mike Powers challenging the leaders here! Humberto
Rojas, a 4:14 1600 runner, leads a good Estancia (Costa Mesa) group, with
4:18 1600 junior Alex Dunn (San Lorenzo Valley, Felton) adding to the
mix!! My goodness!!! East Bakersfield, highly rated out of the Central
Section, has Colby Rozell a strong individual, with Flintridge Prep (La
Canada), stunning Division V tradition, has soph Tom McLean and Senior
Seth Horowitz racing to second behind Fillmore Div IV at Stanford. Lompoc
is #4 ranked SS Div IV, with soph Eduardo Ramos strong this Fall. Miramonte
is #4 Ranked NCS Div III, with Joel Buscheck 9th at Stanford. North Monterey
County (Castroville) is ranked among the state’s top half dozen
Statewide Div III, with a tough pack scoring for them. Orange Lutheran
is led by Jorge Jabaz, with Div V power Santa Clara (Oxnard), Tony Arredondo.
University of San Diego has Jon Zimmer a top individual, with Valley Christian
(Cerritos) Nick Chen on top. THIS WILL BE AN ABSOLUTE COOKER (in case
you have not figured it out!!!)
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