2005 MT. SAC INVITATIONAL
SWEEPSTAKES RACE
SUMMARIES/PREVIEWS
BY RICH GONZALEZ

Race #49 @ 9:15 a.m. -- Boys Individual Sweepstakes

               RECAP: While Oregon's Isaac Stoutenburgh and Northern California's Jake Matthews came to Mt. SAC to get one final good look at the course before FootLocker West Regionals, Ben Sitler's plan was different. He came here to conquer it.
               And in an impressive explosion across the final two hills, Sitler simultaneously took down a pair of harriers that DyeStatCal had identified in preseason as the best darkhorse FootLocker All-American candidates from both the West Region (Stoutenburgh) and the state of California (Matthews). The trio, no doubt overshadowed in pre-race attention by the Boys Team Sweepstakes competition (where A.J. Acosta and Diego Mercado were both quoted in making course record predictions), strolled along at what can be described in a leisurely 4:40 pace at the opening mile, taking full advantage of a well-manicured course and perfectly cool weather conditions. After having seprated themselves from the rest of the field during Switchback Hill , the leaders came across three abreast at the crossover point  (about 1.65 miles) with Stoutenburgh looking especially relaxed alongside Sitler, tripping a 7:55 clip at the turn as they headed toward Poop-Out.

               Sitler took command from here, using his long gait to begin pulling away on the descents (and crossing the two-mile at 9:50) in eventually gapping five seconds on Stoutenburgh the rest of the way, while Matthews tailed off a tad in finishing 20 seconds back, but with a fine 15:02 clocking nonetheless. Sitler's 2:22 close for the final 800m capped a personal best on the course, and also established a Central Coast Section record on the famed course!

               PREVIEW: A race reserved for top-flight individual on non-elite teams for the current season, this affair often leads to some blazing times! With Oregon's Isaac Stoutenburgh (Crater HS), Colorado's Daniel Roberts (Crested Butte), Northern California's Jake Matthews (Folsom) and Marlon Patterson (Franklin of Elk Grove) and a deep cast of Southern California talent, that's the expectation this time out as well. Stoutenburgh is a sensational blue chipper who has been on a tear in his home state this season -- including a recent photo finsih triumph over defending state champ Kenny Klotz -- and projects as a clear All-American at nationals. Roberts, a FootLocker Finalist a year ago (where he placed 18th) is making the trip to Mt. SAC for the first time. Matthews and Patterson, also using this weekend and a recruiting stop at UCLA, and Mt. Shasta's Austin Fritzke will battle Central California stars Mikel Thomas of Clovis (although reportedly battling injury of late) and Russell Pfaff of Clovis East and Southland stars and Dylan and Spencer Knight of La Sierra, Colton Tully-Doyle and Carl Dargitz of Rancho Bernardo, West Valley's Travis Kuhlman and San Diego's Ahmed Osman in  blockbuster lineup! With ideal conditions and smart pacing, we could have an army breaknig 15:00!

Race #50 @ 9:40 a.m. -- Boys Team Sweepstakes

             RECAP: Course record and team-time record rolled into one race? WOW!!! While West Covina High's Diego Mercado was busy carrying out his pre-race plan to a 'T', Royal's High's boys were en route to posting yet another sensational 'W'. When the dust finally settled (although there isn't much dust on the course these days!), the virutal hometown hero Mercado claimed the renovated course record shared by both Ryan Hall and Mohamed Trafeh, and Royal drew comparisons to the jaw-dropping Thousand Oaks teams of the 1990s while besting Canyon of Canyon Country's team-time mark since course renovations took hold in 1999. Along the way, a ton of programs set schools records and a truckload of teenagers established lifetime course personal bests!
             Mercado, known as a fast race starter in the spirit of idol Steve Prefointaine, avoided such a mistake on this course and crossed the mile split right at 4:36, his pre-race target. El Camino's A.J. Acosta, the nation's top returnee from last year's FootLocker Nationals, was steadily along for the ride as well, but the situation quickly changed up Switchback Hill. That's when Diego Mercado underwent "shock treatment." The shock created courtesy of his sibling.
             "On the second turn (up Switchback Hill), A.J. passed me and I was like 'okay,' " Daniel explained. "But then my brother passed me and I was like, 'Hey, hey, hey! What's going on here?!' That's when I knew I had to get moving."
             And get moving he did. Moving faster than Ryan Hall... faster than Mohamed Trafeh.... faster than Mark Matusak... faster than Troy Swier... faster than Tim Nelson and several thousand others. Over the next three minutes, Mercado opened a noticeable gap on the field, and a gaping hole in Acosta's psyche.
            "That got me. I let him get away," lamented Acosta, who had set a 14:19 course record as his goal. "My coach told me beforehand the most important thing was to always keep contact, and I didn't do that, and that finished me."
While a shark swirling in tragic waters, Daniel Mercado tasted blood as well and attacked. As the leaders exited Switchback Hill, the red-white-and-gold clad set of twins emerged 1-2, to the surprise of many. At the crossover, Diego and Daniel hit splits of 7:47 and 7:48, respectively.
             Not far behind, another colorful sea began to spread: Green, black, and yellow.

          Royal, which threw down the most commanding September performance by a California team in ages at the Woodbridge Invitational earlier this season, looked dominant here once again, despite having its team captain sidelined by injury. At the crossover, Royal was 4-13-18-20-29 with an 84-point aggregate at that juncture. Junior Michael Cybulski, bothered by a bone spur in one of his toes in recent weeks, stayed within his race plan (come out at 4:40) and led the Highlanders parade, with Hudson Andrews and Kevin Sullivan not too far behind.
          Along Poop-Out, Diego reportedly made another bold move and came across the 2-mile mark at 9:42, sending his nearest pursuers further into the red zone, including shaking his brother in the process. In the team battle (which qualified as Royal against the stopwatch and then all others against each other), each Royal runner begin closing gaps in the field, the team score shrinking with every chunk of seconds. 83... 82...81...80....   All the while, Inland Empire Challenge winner Murrieta Valley, Orange County champion El Toro and San Gabriel Valley emerging power El Rancho were fiercely mixing it up in the battle for second place and a glimpse at NTN possibilities.
           Then it was time for the record to go down.
           As Mercado entered the gently rolling but mostly flat paved path along the backside of Reservoir Hill, he no doubt that back to the repeated suggestions made to he and Acosta by various people.. "the flat part behind Reservoir is the key..." ... "the dirt strip back there is no man's land, where everyone falls apart"... "you've got to stay awake and be strong back there"... and Mercado proved to take it all to heart. Another gust of energy. Another bout of fortitude... 12:08 at the flag with a half mile to go, then 12:13 at the top of the hill. (In the past, the very best runners annually cover this last downhill stretch in about 2:10, so the record was his, barring disaster.)
             "I felt pumped, but I was hurting like I never have before," Diego said. "I just kept telling myself, it's right there for the taking."
             With the crowd urging him on under pristine racing conditions (course and weather), Mercado prospered under pressure and amid the lactic acid to inch further away from his rivals, wheeling down the final stretch and toward the finish line. 14:20... 21....22.....23..... 14:24 COURSE RECORD!!
            "Everything went perfect, accorifng to plan," Mercado quipped. "I couldn't ask for better weather and I couldn't believe how fast the course was. It was perfect!"
            "They both ran real well," Acosta said. "I'm happy for them. And Danny!!... Man, that was a huge PR!"
            And speaking of PRs, Royal had a roster full of them.  Michael Cybulski at 14:53. Hudson Andrews at 15:12. Kevin Sullivan at 15:12. Jun Reichl at 15:28. Danny Benson at 15:37. Dustin Patterson at 15:48. Alex Routh at 16:16.  Total team time: 76:22, snaring 37 whopping seconds off the team-time record set by Canyon of Canyon Country in 2001.
            "We wanted the course record. Without Jason (Pedersen) in there, we wanted it even more. We wanted to
break it for him," said Royal coach Ryan Luce. "All the kids came through and ran great, all seven. Top to bottom."
            Royal's 69-point tally less than halved the score put up by runner-up Murrieta Valley (141), which edged ahead of El Toro (147) and El Rancho (149).

             PREVIEW: Heavily favored Royal has yet to lose to an in-state foe while at full strength since 2003, but the Highlanders will be shorthanded this weekend as team captain Jason Pedersen is sidelined by injury. Even so, national-class 11th graders Michael Cybulski (the reigning California state 3200m champion) and Hudson Andrews lead a very deep varsity cast that figures to be challenged by Inland Empire powerhouse Murrieta Valley and Orange County megapowers El Toro, Trabuco Hills and Dana Hills, which might comprise the best 1-2-3 punch of any league in the nation in 2005! El Toro and Dana Hills arevery deep, while Murrieta Valley and Trabuco Hills have their attacks bolstered by great lead tandems up front. El Rancho, which stunned many with its Woodbridge Invitational runner-up showing early in the season, Nike Team Nationals Southeast Region power Hoover HS of Alabama and Southern California standout Upland are other leading squads entered. Individually, this race should SIZZLE as America's top returning male from last year's FootLocker Nationals -- El Camino's A.J. Acosta -- leads the cast. Acosta has gone on record to state that he is in 14:19 shape for the Mt. SC course.... quite a statement considering the record in 14:28!!! FLN Finalist Diego Mercado of nearby West Covina HS and twin brother Daniel also expect to battle Murrieta Valley's Patrick Milloy and Mike Munoz up front, along with Don Lugo's Daniel Garza and several others. As good as this race is teamwise, it will be hard not to get too caught up in the individual battle up front!

Race #51 @ 10:05 a.m. -- Girls Team Sweesptakes

               RECAP:
               PREVIEW: National-class powers Buchanan of the Central Section and Murrieta Valley of the Southern Section collide here, with rising Southern California powers La Costa Canyon of the San Diego area and Redlands of the Inland Empire also adding nice depth. South Tahoe -- which resides just inside the California border but competes in the Nevada athletic association -- and Reno are here representing the Nevada contingent, with Hoover HS of Alabama representing the Southeast Region, where it is ranked eighth in the Nike Team Nationals poll. Buchanan dropped the hammer on Murrieta Valley at the Woodbridge Invitational early in the season, with the Nighthawks no doubt focused on trying to exact revenge and regain the top Division I ranking in the state. Buchanan, which boasts a steller freshmen class, is led by All-American 11th-grader Lauren Saylor. MV, a West Coast juggernaut in recent years, is paced by Liana Boucher. Reno showcases the clear individual favorite in Marie Lawrence, the FootLocker Nationals runner-up in both 2003 and 2004. South Tahoe, which came from nowhere to shine brightly on the national radar in 2004, seeks to thrust itself back into the national rankings with a strong showing this weekend. La Costa Canyon is very strong through three scoring positions, with Ayala finally getting in gear in recent days and Redlands being among the surprise teams on the Southland scene this fall. Keep an eye on Serrano, which had the nation's top frosh in Kauren Tarver last year, and peaked as well as any team in the state in 2004!

Race #52 @ 10:35 a.m. -- Girls Individual Sweepstakes
                RECAP:
                PREVIEW: Oh my!!! Ninth-grade wunderkind Jordan Hasay of Mission College Prep in the Central Section will garner much attention in her first Southland appearance as a prep, with the age-group phenom already owning a cache of national records to her name. Hasay, who has been known to be a fast starter in her races, will be well-served to utilize a slightly more conservative opening-mile approach here, as the final 1.9 miles of challenge are littered with challenging hills that are not undertaken with success if arriving at them already leg weary. Peninsula's Brittany Morreale, the latest in a parade of talented runners from the famed Panthers program, and recently-returned-to-action Alma Escobar of Corona are other meganames expected in the front-pack mix, with sensational newcomer talents Kevyn Murphy of Mira Costa (an accomplished triathlete) and Stephanie Felix of La Mirada (also a fine basketball talent) also enetred here. Glendora's Christy Adamyk, who has been on a real tear in 2005, could be a very dangerous sleeper pick here, with her strength and her familiarity with the Mt. SAC hills being to her clear advantage. Out-of-state star Whitney Hardt of Queen Creek HS, Brieanna Morris Quartz Hill and Shannon Murakami and Dunn of Saugus are other showcase names in this Who's Who field!

Race #27 @ 4:15 p.m. -- Girls Division 3 Team Sweesptakes
         RECAP -- Corona del Mar dominated as expected here, with the Sea Kings out quickly and in mini-packs along the first mile, then coming along at the 1-4-6-9-10 individual positions in the race at the "crossover" point (about 1.65 miles in) as senior team leader Annie St. Geme pulled further away from the entire 81-runner group after opening up with 5:33 and 11:23 splits over the first two miles. Corona del Mar, the #1-ranked team in the nation according to The Harrier, pegged this meet as a "train through" affair on its calendar weeks ago, as it already contested two fairly key meets to them (the Clovis Invitational along the state meet course two weeks prior and the much-ballyhooed Orange County Championships the week prior), so it donned the trainers in favor of the racing flats and was content to run in mini-groups for much of the first half of the race. St. Geme "let it roll" a bit along the final mile, gracefully galloping home to a huge 53-second triumph over Bishop O'Dowd's Ariel Wright, 17:08-to-18:01, with St. Geme's time being the fastest on the course this year and the 5th-fastest since course renovations took place in 1999.
          Corona del Mar's just-beyond-the-midpoint 1-4-6-9-10 order didn't change too much from there, with final placings of 1-4-8-10-15 good for the stunning 38-point effort and 92:42 team time (8th-fastest since 1999) well ahead of runner-up Campolindo's 97 points and 97:39 team clocking. Campolindo kept much of its early positions along to the finish as well, with its 8-12-19-23-33 crossover order eventually yielding a 5-13-20-26-33 finish.
Bishop O'Dowd, a team entering the 2005 season with great credentials and high hopes, kicked it into gear here after a sluggish and shorthanded September, placing fifth overall ahead of a pair of state-ranked teams as Wright (18:01) and teammate Alexi Pappas (18:30) helped set the table for a nice showing. St. Francis of Sacramento, with Nicole Mendoza kick-starting a 67-second scoring gap, put forth a fine effort here. Yucca Valley, ranked fourth in the state but known to take a cruise approach at this meet, took a distant eighth but figured to be heard from again.
          PREVIEW -- Corona del Mar, the top-ranked girls team in America, has declined an invitation to mix it up with the large-schools programs on Saturday morning, instead opting to "cruise through" in training shoes on Friday afternoon. As part of a season-long master plan head coach Bill Sumner has concocted in hopes of having the Sea Kings peak in perfect form come championship time, CdM won't be caught chasing any  all-time course records this weekend in favor of staying fresh for November, but expect the crew to still handily win this 12-team affair comprised mostly of CIF-ranked teams. Annie St. Geme, the runaway Orange County Championships victor for the Sea Kings last week, is the race favorite if she decides to put the hammer down here, with teammate and former Division III state champ Shelby Buckley (who attended Rosary HS last year) also expected in the lead group. Bishop O'Dowd, a strong candidate to find itself perched on the state meet podium come Thanksgiving weekend, has Ariel Wright and Alexi Pappas forming an astounding lead tandem for the North Coast Section team favorites. Yucca Valley, which has had one of its lead runners sidelined by injury for much of the season, projects to battle Bonita in a Southern Section joust for hardware this weekend.

Race #28 @ 4:32 p.m. -- Boys Division 3 Team Sweepstakes
            RECAP -- The #11-ranked team in the country wasn't sharp enough to defeat the #10-ranked team in California on this day, with CIF-Southern Section power Cabrillo starting out impressively and holding on to a thrilling 91-97 decision over U.S. #11 (and NTN Southwest Region #4) Page of Arizona, with CIF-SS force Barstow closing very well and taking a close third in 108. Cabrillo looked dominant along the opening stretch, with four runners seemingly in the top dozen after the Valley Loop as they approached the mile mark, where team leader Michael Coe looked strong in 4:48 and teammate Colin Hacker was just  stride behind as they attacked Switchback Hill. Santa Margarita's Julian DeRubira appeared to make a move here, slotting into the second position along this first ascent as the rest of the 124-runner field snaked along the zig-zagging climb.
          Coe, who missed much of the 2004 cross-country season for health-related reasons, looked great here in approaching the crossover in a very controlled effort and hitting that point in clear command. Cabrillo went 1-3-8-21-37 at the crossover (70 points), but had a tad of trouble along the closing mile as the rest of the competition tried to close the gap. Cabrillo finished at (1-3-8-21-37), with the final scoring position yielding several key points along the final minutes if our spotting was correct. Coe, looknig controlled early but seemingly pressing just a tad along the final mile, finished in a very fine and unchallenged 14:50 (was at 12:30 with 800 meters remaining, so he closed in 2:10 -- we think he'd have been high 14:30s if challenged in ideal conditions throughout the race here today), well ahead of Bishop O'Dowd's Ben Gutierrez (15:11), whose kick edged Santa Margarita's Julian DeRubira (15:12), who saw his personal winning streak in 2005 end at six consecutive races. Page, however, hit the crossover with 101 points (12-14-17-18-40) and was only able to muster slight improvement the rest of the way with 97 points on 10-14-23-24-26 placing.
            Barstow, ranked #2 in state Division III behind Cabrillo and expected to offer up a stiff challenge in November, appeared to move up tremendously well after the crossover point as its conservative early approach left the team more than 50 points behind Cabrillo and well behind Page at this point. Barstow dazzled along the final mile to shore up the gap and serve notice its racing approach and traditional late-November peak fitness will be a factor once the sectional plaques are presented. Page struggled along the final 250 meters to loe a 7-point scoring edge on Cabrillo, with Barstow actually shaving six points off its scoring total in that same stretch. There were really no surprises in the team standings, other than traditional North Coast Section power Campolindo shrugging off a less-than-auspicious start in 2005 with a nice clutch effort in 5th-place team finish here as team leader Chris Vizcaino (injured for much of September) rounded into shape for a modest 12th-place finish (15:52) Also, #6 state-ranked Santa Margarita was running without its #2 runner due to injury (plug him in at his usual gapping and the Eagles appear to project just a tad ahead of Campolindo in the results here.
            PREVIEW -- Many have been waiting since the summertime for this epic medium-schools clash between new state top-ranked Cabrillo of Lompoc and preseason #1 Barstow, but the teams might find themselves upstaged by an out-of-state entry this weekend! Page HS, ranked fourth in the newly released Nike Team Nationals Southwest Region rankings, brings an excellent pedigree to the start line as an Arizona powerhouse, with the crew seeking to avenge a narrow setback (to Campolindo) in this very same race here last year. Cabrillo is sensational up front, with Michael Coe and Colin Hacker leading a superb frontrunning pack while Barstow has Sam Melton leading a Jim Duarte-coached cast that has enjoyed much postseason success along the Mt. SAC course over the years. St. Francis of Mountain View also looks strong here, with slight pre-race individual favorite Ben Sitler leading the Central Coast Section title favorites. Defending race champion Campolindo of the North Coast Section is glad to have pacesetter Chris Vizcaino back in action after a lengthy injury to open the season as its lineup projects to battle Southern Section powers Corona del Mar and Julian DeRubira-led Santa Margarita (with he going for his seventh consecutive race win, including last weekend's Orange County Championships title) for team placements. Northview's David Smith, picking up right where he left off during a fine track and field season, is another lead-pack threat to watch.

Race #29 @ 4:49 p.m. -- Girls Division 4 Team Sweepstakes
              RECAP -- Central Coast Section power San Lorenzo Valley edged Half Moon Bay in a fine mid-season showdown, 50-56, with the difference seemingly being senior Marie McReynolds' concerted effort over the final 1.3 miles to move up six places, helping the Cougars erase a 2-point (56-58) deficit to HMB at the crossover point. San Lorenzo Valley came across the crossover at 2-3-9-15-29, with sophomore leader Taylor Johnson just a stride behind Half Moon Bay's Ashley Millett at that point. Johnson went on to outkick Millett on the airstrip for an 18:18-to-18:24 decision (opening up all six seconds on the final 180 meters). SLV finished up at 1-3-9-14-23 for the victory in a fine 96:07 clocking. Page of Arizona showed well here to claim third with 71 points, with California State Division V champion Maranatha electing to move up in division this weekend and takin fourth here with 110 points and a fine 100:42 team clocking, best among all Divsion V schools on this day. Oaks Christian, running without a scorer here today, finished a distant eighth.
               PREVIEW -- Preseason divisional #1 San Lorenzo Valley has been overtaken in the polls recently, but the Rob Collins-coached crew traditionally uses this weekend as a jumpstart into the championship phase of the calendar, with sophomore Taylor Johnson leading the red-and-white clad charge across the hills of Walnut. Perennial Southern Section success story Laguna Beach leads the expected chase pack, battling out-of-state foes Hopi (AZ), Page (AZ) and Faith Lutheran (NV). Maranatha, the defending Division V state champion, has opted to move up to Division IV for this meet yet again, perhaps seeking a bit stronger competition or maybe to avoid a possible homecoming dance scheduling conflict later in the evening? Escalon's Amanda Moreno and SLV's Johnson could very well wage the individual battle up front.

Race #30 # 5:06 p.m. -- Boys Division 4 Team Sweepstakes
               RECAP -- The storybook McFarland program from the Central Section added yet another chapter of success to its voluminous tradition, with the red-clad crew dominating from the outset in a runaway 27-point (!!!) scoring triumph over runner-up San Lorenzo Valley of the Central Coast Section. McFarland blanketed the lead positions early on, with all seven runners positioned among the top 16 at the crossover point (1.65 miles) in  32-point effort well ahead of San Lorenzo Valley's 95 at that point. In fact, if you would have scored ALL SEVEN of McFarland's runners at the crossover (it would have been 59 points), they would have still been in command over everyone else's five scorers! San Lorenzo Valley closed the gap slithly along the last two hills, snaring another 11 points off its eventual team total.
                 Not much surprise here in the team results, although it should be pointed out that Oaks Christian (ranked 10th in the state) would have fared better if three of its team members were not missing due to conflicts with the school's Homecoming festivities. The big news individually here was the continued emerging dominance of Central Section star Erick Garcia of Parlier. Garcia was on control by the first climbs along Switchback Hill, pulling away convincingly along the descent to open a big gap en route to a big 15:25 win over runner-up Octavio Ruiz of McFarland, who tripped the phototiming mechanism at 15:50. McFarland, which posted an 81:14 team time, went 15:50-16:12-16:20-16:25-16;27-16:28-17:02.
               PREVIEW -- Central Section title favorite McFarland returns to Mt. SAC in hopes of adding more big-meet prestige to its already glistening resume, the the red-and-white swarm boasting another tight-knit pack projected to blanked the competition here this weekend. McFarland, just a shade behind top-ranked Orange Lutheran in this week's new state rankings, in the race favorite here, with defending state champion Laguna Beach (led by Max Mullender and Jeremy Eaton) and Division V power Maranatha (obviously electing to move up in division this weekend) also in the mix alnog with a very dangerous San Lorenzo Valley squad tryng to speed through a mini slump of late. Parlier's Erick Garcia could emerge as the individual winner here.

Race #31 @ 5:23 p.m. -- Girls Division 5 Team Sweepstakes
               PREVIEW -- With Division V power Maranatha opting to compete in Division IV this weekend (and doing very well; see recap above), it was Prep League foes Flintridge Prep and Chadwick left to battle it out in this one, with the outcome reversing earlier results from their league encounter a few days earlier. Flintridge Prep took command early in this one, but Chadwick closed well late in the race to make it an eventual 42-56 margin. It shoudl be noted that Chadwick donned their trainers for the race, perhaps opting to not prematurely put extra wear and tear on those legs befoe the big postseason challenges ahead. Flintridge Prep appeard to have six runners in the top 15 in the first half of this race, with five finishing in that grouping by race's completion. Arizona's Jillian Klassen, competing for Scottsdale Christian, put on a file solo effort after the first mile to win in 18:45, with Woodcrest Christian's Ashleigh Pratt claimnig second in 19:21. Woodcrest Christian, which competed with only four runners for most of September, finally found a fifth girl on campus willing to sacrifice on the hills and immediately it takes the Royals to the fringe of the Southern Section-rankings! Keep an eye on them!
               RECAP -- Flintridge Prep, the state's top-ranked program at this level, is the clear favorite here, although Prep League foes Chadwick and Pasadena Poly will be aiming to set up their postseason stretch drives with fine shwoings along the championship course. Brentwood, led by two-time state champion Tani Brown, is another state-ranked program expecting to do well here.

Race #32 @ 5:40 p.m. -- Boys Division 5 Team Sweepstakes
               RECAP -- Top-ranked-in-the-state Woodcrest Christian looked as loose as could be befoe the race, joking and smiling away during pre-race introductions and then happily take care of business once the gun went off. The Royals went 3-4-10-11-18 at the crossover to carry a big 47-105 scoring edge over Flintridge Prep, with Arizona's top small schools program in Northland Prep Academy sitting ni third at that point with 119 points. Woodcrest Christian held its positioning and an eventual 2-3-10-13-18 order among scoring runners for the 35-58 advantage over a fast-closing NPA group that overtook Flintridge Prep for the runner-up position, 58-78. With Mt. Shasta's Austin Fritzke electing to face Large Schools competition on Saturday, it was Fall River's Brent Handa that overtook early leader Robbie Knorr of Dublin Valley Christian and held on for the 15:31 win, with Tim Burdett edging Woodcrest Christian teammate Kody Peterson (15:34 to 15:39) for the runner-up spot. The Royals had four other runners (J.R. Barreto, Jake Jeanson, Chris Marks, and David Branch) all within a 22-second gap and sub-17:00 to seal the convincing victory. Tolan Thornton, a 9:09 two-miler from Northland Prep Academy, has been battling tendinitis in both knees recently and placed fifth in 16:06, just ahead of teammate Tanner Carothers (16:09).
               PREVIEW -- Preseason heavy state title favorite Woodcrest Christian has seen the gap over its rival diminish in recent weeks, with Santa Clara and Flintridge Prep making quick strides up the performance charts. The Royals of Woodcrest Christian are led by Kody Peterson and Tim Burdett, while Santa Clara has Miguel Cisneros among a fine lead quartet. Tom Adams leads a proud Flintridge Prep program striving to rebuild after major graduation losses from 2004. Familiar foes Chadwick, Brentwood and Webb are also showcased here, with each harboring state meet aspirations here next month. Assuming he is healthy (although we've heard recent reports of injury), the definite individual favorite here is Tolan Thornton of Northland Prep Academy in Arizona, another fine team that could battle for hardware here. Thornton, a successful late bloomer last track season, has sub-9:10 credentials on the oval for two miles. Valley Christian's Robbie Knorr is another prime challenger up front.