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Looking Back
in California Prep History - 25 (1978) - 20 (1983) - 15 (1988) and 10
(1993) years ago!!
Looking Back in California Prep History - 25 (1978) - 20 (1983) - 15
(1988) and 10 (1993) years ago!!
Mid-September 1978 (25 years ago)
–A Women’s “Where they are going” included one
Florence Griffith (Jordan HS, Los Angeles), who was listed with 10.8 100y
and 24.5 200y and 17-7 LJ bests, who was scheduled to go to Cal State
Northridge that 1978 Fall season. “Flo-Jo” would develop into
one of the world’s most well-publicized female athletes in Track
and Field history, racing the still World Record 10.49 100m clocking in
the decade later 1988 Olympic Trials, then blazing 21.34 for 200m at the
Seoul Olympics later that same year! The young lady from the housing projects
in South Los Angeles came a long ways in ten years to Olympic glory, with
a tragic death in 1998 from natural causes.
–Showing up in 1978 running results were some folks who went on
to Coaching glory around the state - Joe Carlson, current Long Beach Poly
Girls Cross-Country Coach and administrator, was a 2:18:41 marathoner
in 1978 (#5 Californian for the year), with Dave Frickel (Chino HS long
time coach) a 2:19:43 clocking for the 26-miler. Others in the news 25
years ago were Jim White (Sacramento State Univ), father of current Hiram
Johnson star, Natalie, who was third in the early season Aggie Invitational
at UC Davis, racing 24:03 for the 5 mile event! One place back was Dan
Aldridge (CPSLO) 24:10, Maria Carrillo Coach and long-time Santa Rosa
area resident. Nike executive John Capriotti (CPSLO) was 5th at 24:17,
with Mesa JC Coach Manny Bautista (CPSLO) 24:50 in 6th - interesting!
SLO won the event with 18 points. Janice Kelly (CPSLO), current Hemet
HS Coach, was one of the top runners for that fine team in 1978 Fall races.
–Early season prep competition had Jeff Nelson (Burbank) take the
Kenny Staub Invitational at La Crescenta Park (SS). Nelson raced 15:05,
which we were pretty sure was a meet record at the time, with that course
running real close timewise to the old Mt. SAC course in those days. We
remember the race, which Nelson won by 30 seconds over top miler Paul
Medvin (University, LA), with Jeff running full force head on into a slower
girl from an overlapped race on a narrow bridge partway through his effort.
This was the year where Jeff set the long-standing Mt. SAC (old course)
course record of 14:32.
–Sac Joaquin results from the early season at the Bret Harte Invite
had Jose Garza (Lodi) taking the Boys contest at 15:22, with Laura Crisp
(Downey, Modesto) the Girls 1.67 miles (geez, short distance ladies!)
at 8:12. Bella Vista took both team titles there. Div II had Powell of
Ponderosa winning
Mid-September 1983 (20 years ago)
–Colton Invitational results from 20 years ago had the Barstow Boys
dominate with Jim Ortiz (14:59), Ed Toro (15:27), and Henry Morton (16:01)
go 1-2-3 in their race, with the team the day’s top overall time
of 80:48. On the Girls’ side it was Trish Ramirez (Rubidoux, Riverside)
the day’s quickest at 18:37, with the Arlington trio of Sally Cohenour
(18:49), Kris Ehrhard (18:54), and Lori Good (19:08) leading their team
to a 100:42 team time win.
–Mt. Carmel Invitational - Second year of this meet at Mt. Carmel
HS had runners #1 and #2 race against each other in one contest, #3 and
#4 in a second race, etc. John Grouls (El Camino, Oceanside) won an exciting
Boys’ 5k race at 15:19.7 over Bobert Fithen (Serra, SD) 15:19.9,
and Pat Green (La Jolla) 15:20.2. Pauline Stehly (Orange Glen, Escondido)
was 13:36.6 over the Girls 2.2 mile run at 13:36.6.
Mid-September 1988 (15 years ago)
–Woodbridge Invitational - This meet hit the big time a decade and
a half ago, with monster attendance and super quality. A great Boys’
Medium Schools race had Jim Rodriguez (Santa Ana Valley) win at 14:40
(taking down Darren Stonerock of Saugus’s CR of 14:41) over Scott
Hempel (Walnut) 14:50 and Eddie Lavelle (Corona del Mar) 14:58! CdM was
78:33 for the day’s quickest team time! 1987 Nationally #1 ranked
Palos Verdes Girls squad was hot again, with 39 points to take their 1988
contest here. The 1987 team time was 94:08, wit 93:26 in 1988 - Ashley
Black (4th 18:15) lead the Sea Kings. Karen Hecox (South Hills, West Covina),
who went on to win an NCAA 3000m title at UCLA, was the day’s quickest
at 17:56. Deena Drossin (Agoura) was out with plantar fascitis at this
portion of the season.
–The Monte Vista Invitational in Northern California had Kevin Holbrook
(Vacaville) race 9:25 to win, with De la Salle (Concord) taking the Boys’
title at 60 on the sixth runner rule over Berkeley (also 60 points). Thea
Roberts (Mitty, San Jose) was the day’s quickest girl at 11:53,
with her team 29 points for the win.
–The 1988 Ed Sias Invitational had Jeremy Seven (De la Salle) fastest
of the day at 10:13, with Santa Rosa the Boys’ team winner with
69 points. Amy McConnell (University, San Francisco) took the Girls’
event at 12:21, with San Ramon (Danville) 91 points to win the team contest.
–Other early season winners - Colton Invite - Nicole Robbins (Hesperia)
17:50 super effort, with soph Dave Hartman (Canyon, CC) 15:20 in his level
race and Mike Ratttary (Canyon) 15:22 in the 11/12 race. Millikan Invitational
had Lucinda Reyes (Lakewood) 18:23 day’s fastest, with Martin Morales
(LA Wilson) 14:59 on the Boys’ side. Laguna Hills Invite had two
athletes break the Boys’ CR with Eddie Lavelle (Corona del Mar)
going 14:48 in a win over Bill Gould (Capistrano Valley, Mission Viejo)
15:04, with Frances O’Neil (San Pasqual, Escondido) 14:50 in Division
II. The old CR was 14:58 by Marc Davis (San Diego HS) the year he won
the Kinney National CC Championships. Tania Brix (University, Irvine)
was 17:27 to take the Girls fastest of day honors over Shelley Taylor
(Edison, Huntington Beach) 17:56
Mid-September 1993 (Ten Years ago)
–Mt. Carmel Invite - the meet had moved to the Kinney Finals CC
Course at Balboa Park, with Thousand Oaks’ boys group, setting a
Team Time Record of 78:22. They took down a super record set by Hart HS
of Newhall, ranked very high nationally in those days under Coach Gene
Blankenship. Brandon del Campo of TO was 15:15 in his race, with Brett
Strahan (Hart) 15:15 in another contest during the day! Hart raced 90:13
on the Girls’ side, a bit shorter distance, with Jessica De la Cerda
16:40 winner over Kim Nelson (Canyon, Anaheim). Claire Becker (Bonita
Vista, Chula Vista), a native of Scotland, was 17:27 for the day’s
quickest.
–Sanger Invitational - Pammenos Ballantyne (Sanger) blasted 14:40
win here (by 35 seoconds over Galvin Gonzalez of McFarland 15:15), with
Sanger 42 points for the Large Schools win and McFarland 25 at the Small
Schools sorted out in the same race. Angela Ruiz (Reedley) 18:23 took
the girls race, with her team scoring 27 to take the Large Schools, with
McFarland 85 winning the Small Team contest.
–Woodbridge Invitational - 5700 athletes raced this day at the Irvine
school. Amy Skieresz (Agoura) led teammate Kay Nekota 17:22-17:30, with
the squad recofrding an impressive 93:00 team time. Irvine took Peninsula
(Palos Verdes) 93:17-93:57 in another race for some stunning efforts!
Katella (Anaheim) 77:28 and Santa Ana (77:40) were the top Boys’
teams, with Mebratom Keflezighi (San Diego) 14:30 for the day’s
quickest, with John Greene (Agoura) 14:51 and Jaime Martinez (Orange)
14:52.
–San Ramon Valley Invitational - Steve Immel (Livermore) led his
team to the Large Schools’ title with a 9:47 win, with Elissa Riedy
(Mission San Jose) 11:32 over sister Lori (11:33) with MSJ winning there
at 21. Steve Brown (Piedmont) took the Small School Boys race at 9:54,
with his team 59 for the win! Kristen Gordon (Carondelet), later a National
Prep Champ in CC in another titanic battle with Julia Stamps, took the
Small Schools race at 11:54, with her team totally 33 for the win!
–Laguna Hills Invite action had Carrie Garritson (Buena Park) 17:48
the fastest Girls’ clocking, with Edison (Huntington Beach 96:48
team time) take cross-town rival, Ocean View in a highly touted Girls
team contest, and Chula Vista (81:34) fastest boys team of the day.
Link to past History Pages DyeStatCal
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