Mt. San Antonio Invitational Boys Preview
By Rich Gonzalez

      (WALNUT) -- With more than three-fourths of the state's ranked boys teams in attendance -- including nearly every team in contention for Nike Team Nationals berths -- this weekend's 60th Annual Mt. SAC Cross-Country Invitational is sure to serve as the best pre-state meet indicator on the 2007 calendar!
      The featured races once again occur on Saturday morning, when the Large Schools divisions attack Mt. SAC's three storied hills -- The Switchbacks, Poop-Out and Reservoir. Of the 400-plus schools and 15,000-plus athetes expected to traverse the trails, the top spots are reserved for the SuperSweepstakes races slated for 9:52 a.m. (girls) and 10:16 a.m. (boys) on Saturday.
      The SuperSweepstakes division is is geared for the premier teams and premier indivduals to lock up, with 7 of the top 10 teams in the Division I state rankings among the combatants in the boys race. All told, 76 of the state's 100 ranked teams will compete at Mt. SAC this weekend, although only 55 of those have either requested or been seeded into the featured sweepstakes races of any particular division. The other 21 state-ranked races will compete in non-sweepstakes races somewhere during the two-day, 103-race extravaganza
      As three races snake along the course at any given time -- races typically start every 7 to 8 minutes -- the event is a production of efficiency, with hundreds of volunteers scurrying throughout the community college's athletic facilities to make sure every detail is covered. Much of the task falls upon members of the Mt. SAC cross-country and track and field teams, with campus support staff and former participants in the monster-sized event also offering their services as officials, marshals, aids, clerical taskmasters, etc.
      Although many of the state's (and nation's) top harriers have competed in the Mt. SAC Invitational over the years, it is the fame afforded to the historic course that really serves as the centerpiece to the meet's popularity. A flat and fast double circuit along the "Valley Loop" carries runners through the first mile of the 2.91-mile challenge, with three daunting hills then awaiting. With consecutive uphills and downhills of varying gradients and length and little flat in between, runners are tested on every facet on the proper biemechanics of hill running, with any error in execution leading to painful and accumulating consequences down the road.
      This course -- unlike any other -- has a true snowball effect in performance results, whether it be in masterfully approaching the varying obstacles or in making costly mistakes in judgement that leads to the lungs searing and the quadrciceps burning. If you are among the former group, you can be among the legends such as Jeff Nelson, who toured the originaly layout in a mind-boggling 14:32, and current course recordholder Diego Mercado. If you are among the latter set, you will find yourself doubled over, hand on knees and clamoring to a walk up Poop-Out Hill.
      But the top runners and teams will be flying through the course! Here's a rundown on the top boys races, listed chronologically:
      Race #32, Division III Sweepstakes, Friday @ 4:48 p.m. -- Perennial Division III megapower Barstow owns the Mt. SAC course, putting together many championship efforts over the years come CIF time on this layout. The Aztecs figure to set the pace again today, with Coach Jim Duarte's top-ranked crew statewide at this level holding a very minor statistical edge over rival Oak Park, which has opted to skip this race in favor of non-seeded action (some coaches prefer to have their kids get one final "look" at the Mt. SAC course before returning here for postseason, while preferig to avoid the high-intensity showdowns that the Mt. SAC Invitational can facilitate).
     Barstow, which has won three invitationals this year while also placing among the top three in challengings outings at the Pepperdine and Kenny Staub invitationals, has the slight edge over Cabrillo of Lompoc (ranked #3 statewide), which has Clovis Invitational division champion Miguel Ortiz at the front of its attack. There are five state-ranked teams in the race, with Northern California power Acalanes (#5), Orange County entry Corona del Mar (#7) and Cnetral Coast Section force North Monterey County (#10) also in the wars. Acalanes, winner of the Nike De La Salle/Carondelet Invitational last month, has senior Nate Beach already off to a sensational individual campaign this fall. Corona del Mar toppled then-higher ranked Servite to scale the rankings chart with a Top 10 finish at last week's power-packed Orange County Championships, North Monterey County, which rested its "A" crew out of the recent Clovis Invitational, has been among the most decorated programs residing within the Central Coast Section in recent years.
     Stanford Invitation winner James Attarian, Clovis winner Miguel Ortiz and De La Salle winner Nate Beach along with sensation out-of-state talent Bryan Tibaduiza of Galena (NV) are expected to battle for individual honors.
     Race #34, Division IV Sweepstakes, Friday @ 5:20 p.m. -- Despite lacking a bit in quantity (only 10 teams are entered here), the race does not long for quality. Three of the state's top five teams square off here, with top-ranked and favored McFarland of the Central Section being dominant in recent divisional victories at the the Roughrider and Clovis Invitationals, with each of those affairs taking place on the state meet course in Fresno. Coach Amador Ayon's crew is as deep as it has been in a long time, with fine consecutive freshmen classes the last two years arming the red-and-white-clad crew with the artillery to win the D4 battles.
     Maranatha of nearby Pasadena (#3) and Oaks Christian of Westlake Village (#5) arfe the other top entries swarming the field as each has had fine showings up and down the state line this fall. Paracelte and Avenal are tow other state-ranked groups in attendance, but each of those is slated for action in non-sweepstakes races. Chris Okano of Harvard/Westlake should be the pacesetter.
     Race #36, Division V Sweepstakes, Friday @ 5:52 p.m. -- The four best teams in the state are pitted against each other here, with an additional pair of state-ranked squads also in the mix. Woodcrest Christian of Riverside is the #1-ranked team in the state with Jake Jeanson among a very fine crew that is the odds-on favorite (and could dominate) at season's end. Woodcrest has been unbeaten against small-schools competition this fall and has also fared quite well when "moving up" in enrollment class competition on occasion. Prep League rivals Pasadena Poly and Flintridge Prep are two other squads very familiar with postseason success at Mt. SAC, with the #2-ranked Poly Panthers and the #3-ranked Rebels already squaring off twice this fall with Poly prevailing each time.
      Mt. Shasta (#4), which often hides in its northern-most California confines before championship time, will rise above the surface this weekend to get a first-hand glimpse of its state meet competition. Chadwick (#8) and Sage Hill (#9) are a pair of Southern Section forces also in the fray. Chadwick has developed quite a reputation for late-season improvements in recent years although the Dolphins were struck by unexpected roster departures this fall. Sage Hill had a fine 1-2 punch but has added a dangeros #3 man in recent weeks to scale up the Division V hierarchy. Hopi, traditionally a Division IV powerhouse from Arizona, has moved down to Division V -- which has reportedly left at least one Southland coach complaining of the perhaps unwanted challenge.
      Sage Ridge's Nathan Chellman, Woodcrest Christian's Jake Jeanson's and the Sage Hill tandem of Connor Rose and Sean McElroy project to spearhead the race. Oakwood School's Aric Van Halen, the favorite to win state in this division, will race instead in Large Schools action this weekend.
      Race # 62, SuperSweepstakes, Saturday @ 10:16 a.m. -- Oh my!  Seven of the top nine ranked teams in Division I from California are here, along with the top-ranked team in Division II! Loyola of Los Angeles, ranked first in state Division II and also topping the California Region interdivisional poll, might be an ultra-slight favorite here, with state meet 3200m track qualifier James Kostelnik, key contributors Anthony Milin and J.P Slater and frosh phenom Elias Gedyon amnog a very deep group. However, defending state Division I champion Trabuco Hills excels on the slopes and is no doubt seething after a narrow four-point setback to Dana Hills at the County Championships last weekend. The Mustangs haave improved their depth noticeably in recent weeks and will look to frontrunners Riley Sullivan and Scott Blair to set the table for a low-scoring effort.
      Murrieta Valley, which stole the show with a memorable dominant victory at the Woodbridge Invitational in mid-September, is the top-ranked squad in the state in Division I, with the Nighthawks led by David McCutcheon and being very deep throughout its lineup! Buchanan deserves plenty oif respect after a series on top-five finishes at major meets while running shorthanded. With everyone now in the lineup and Jonathan Sanchez leading, the Bears would very conceivably win this contest! Rancho Buena Vista of the San Diego Section and Clovis East of the Central Section are two other stellar squads, with the former's effort further aided by a key transfer and the latter being well motivated after missing the state meet last year from a strong section where only two spots to Fresno where alloted.
      Vista Murrieta, which has risen swiftly in recnet years, and El Rancho, with a great rebuilding effort after returnnig only one from last year's section finalist squad, are two other celebrated programs to watch. Skyline, Foothill, Arcadia, and Crescenta Valley are just a few formerly state-ranked teams also entered, giving this race scary depth! Individually, Trabuco Hills' Sullivan and Blair, Royal's Alex Routh, Alisal's Diego Estrada, Crescenta Valley's Zach Torres, the Loyola pacesetters, La Sierra's Steven Norton, Skyline's Andrew Sylvester, and Arcadia's Renaid Poizat are among a VERY DEEP crw of quality performers.
      Race #63, Team Sweepstakes, Saturday @ 10:38 a.m. -- Perhaps the two hottest teams in the state over the last 10 days are not in the SuperSweepstakes race, but they'll at least have the chance to challenge each other in this one as newly crowned Orange County team champion Dana Hills and Roughrider Invitational winners Woodcreek of Roseville (Sac-Joaquin Section) will lock up. Dana Hills was highly regarded in preseason but had more than a few issues to address in September.
      But with the season's championship phase now approaching, the Tyler Valdes-led Dolphins are swimming toward clearer waters. Last weekend's 4-point win over defending state Division I champion Trabuco Hills was the first notch in its belt, with perhaps anm effort at team-time supremacy here being possible. If all cylinders click, Dana Hills makes a strong argument for the deepest team in the state.
      Woodcreek has perhaps the best 1-2-3 punch around -- and certainly the best triumvirate from Northern California -- in Garrett Seawell, Chris Romo and Cameron Mitchell. Woodcreek ripped a sub-80-minute performance at Woodward Park over the weekend to send a strong message to all Golden State rival. It'll be the Dana Hills depth versus the Woodcreek frontrunners, although Dana Hills has had pacesetters emerge recently while Woodcreek has improved its latter scoring positions.
      Newport Harbor (Sunset) League and Foothill (Sea View) represent some of the finest leagues on the West Coast and will strive to keep Dana Hills and Woodcreek on their toes. Powerhouse David of the Sac-Joaquin Section, state-ranekd De La Salle of the North Coast Section and recently rising Apple Valleyt and Granite Hills of the Southern Section are among the phalanx of others to watch.
      Race #64, Individual Sweepstakes, Saturday @ 11:00 a.m. -- The top two runners in California are not here as top-ranked German Fernandez of Riverbank and Mac Fleet of University City have laid out thier plans to arrive at FootLocker nationals via perhaps some guarded late-season efforts after some great early-season showings. The SuperSweepstakes race has also claimed a few of the state's remaining top individuals, but this race clearylt still harbors plenty of star power. ...
       Troy's Johnathan Shawel arrives here in a real groove after upsetting a few elite runners to win last weekend's Orange County Championship on a rain-shortened and flat 2.8-mile layout. Shawel's task this weekend will be for the 800/1600-meter track star to successfully negotiate the Mt. SAC hills. Ayala has among the best tandems in the state and is ultra-familiar with this course as its campus is located just a few miles away. Stephen Doolittle and Tyler Reed enjoyed a bit of a "coming out" party to emerge on the regional landscape via an excellent showing at the early-season Woodbridge Invitational.
       Carlmont's Brad Surh, who dropped his times in dramatic fashion this past track season to rise as among the nation's top milers, and Los Osos' Brett Valencia are two other names to remember. Surh has been training through the early season while Valencia who clicked off a number on impressive top-five invitational showings. Corona's Raul Arcos, slowed by an early-season ailment and the Redondo Union tandem of twins Cody and Simon Schmidt haave also fared well under the radar in recent weeks, with top-ranked Division V star Aric Van Halen also here after opting to move up in class this weekend. Madera has among the finest 1-2-3 punches in the state and figure to be a strong visual presence up front here, with Isai Orea, Javier Sanchez and Jesse Arrellano forming the sensation trio. Glendora's Thomas Finnigan and Joey Divizia and Leuzinger's Joe Lezama are additional standout entries. Lezama is a late bloomer after switching over from soccer.

 

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