52nd Mt. SAC Cross Country Invitational

Doug Speck's Saturday Report

Highlights of the sweepstakes races: Boys Team - Boys Individual - Girls Team - Girls Individual

Boys Team Sweepstakes - 

Nine of the State's top ten ranked Div I teams plus Arizona Champ Horizon (Scottsdale, Az) and a couple of top ranked Division II squads would battle here. It was a great morning for racing as this group set off. Matt McInvale (Ramona, San Diego Section) took over early on, leading through the first 880 at under 2:20, with JJ Duke (Clovis), Evan Fox (West Hills, Santee), Neil Davis, (Bellarmine, San Jose), and Belmont leader Huberto Vargas prominent early on. McInvale was intent on running away with the race, based upon his continuing an "upcscale" tempo through the mile (upper 4:30's to the measured one mile mark). This was some quick early running, with the San Diego area star continuing to push over the Switchback loop. 

Off the hill McInvale continued to lead over JJ Duke, Aaron Durham (Poly, LB), Neil Davis, and Fernando Cabada. Jim Polite (Meet Director HS Section) mentioned that Matt was on his way to a quick time, only ten seconds behind Bryan Dameworth's Course Record at the turn towards "Poop-Out" hill on the airstrip. The team contest through a mile and a half seemed to go towards Don Lugo, with Belmont looking strong, and a ton of others still in the hunt. McInvale, who has run 9:05 in track for 3200 meters continued to roll along, comfortably in the lead, with the good pack still back a ways. 

At the top of Reservoir Hill, with an 880 to go, McInvale was 12:28, with a downhill 440 and flat quarter mile to the finish. McInvale appeared on the airstrip with a 50 yard lead over JJ Duke, with the Ramona flash maintaining that margin in to the finish. Matt's time was an impressive 14:53! Duke was next at 15:02. Don Lugo appeared to comfortably take the team contest with a score under 100, with a pack of teams very close for second. 

When talked to a bit later in the morning McInvale indicated that he knew he would have a good race on his hands when he looked over the list of entries before the race. Matt's plan to was to go out hard, take the lead, and come thorugh two miles at 9:40-9:45. He accomplished his tactical goals, and stated that he actually took a peak back near the top of Reservoir Hill, then cruised in comfortably during the last half mile.  

When asked if it as his best race ever Matt replied that he felt it was, due to the fact that he felt so relaxed during the event. Goals down the road for the season include League and Section Championships, handling some good competition at this level in the State meet, then qualifying for the Foot Locker Nationals. Matt felt the reason his running has gone to the next level this Fall was the work that he did over the summer, covering 850-900 miles during that stretch, doing about all, but not all, the tough work he felt he needed to get ready for this season. His best road 10k was 30:52 during the summer. Matt mentioned Kentucky, Kansas, Cal Poly (SLO), and Colorado among possible college choices so far. 

Don Lugo (Chino), ranked among the top fifteen in the nation, emerged victorious with a fine 78:24 team time, with Clovis, Poway, Vista, and Belmont also averaging under 16:00 for their scoring five's on this tough course in places 2-5 in the team scoring. It was as deep a race in the team area as any in recent years. 

Boys Individual Sweepstakes 

This event was high-lighted by Josh Spiker (Ventura), who had run in the Foot Locker Nationals last December, 8:56 during the spring season in track for 3200 meters, with some fine races this Fall. Coach Bill Tokar's star would take this season to the next level this morning. Josh spoke later about hearing McInvale's 14:52 time from the previous race and taking a deep gulp, hoping to come away this day with the quickest time! 

Spiker yanked the field out through close to 2:15 for the first 880, with Carlos Handler (Temescal Canyon) closest at that point. Josh kept the pressure on through the mile, leading through the measured mark there in the low 4:30's. It's been a while since someone came past the mile point in this meet that fast! Sergio Campos (LA Marshall), an amazing talent, who ran under 4:20 in the 1600 last spring while playing the infield for the school baseball team, was second at that point! Shannon Laird (San Marcos, SAn Diego Section) was also close after the mile. Spiker continued to push the tough switch-back hill loop, emerging at the top with a 50 yard lead.

Interestingly, Spiker made the turn on the airstrip to head for "poop-out" hill at exactly the same time as McInvale. Josh is capable of running very hard by himself, so interest in his final time was certainly there. At the top of Reservoir Hill, Josh continued with a big lead over Oswaldo Pina (Lakewood) at 12:25. Looking very strong when he appeared on the airstrip with a quarter mile to go, Josh charged in at 14:42, the number six time ever on the course, and only 10 seconds out of the Course Record! Wow!!! That was some special running. Pina, a junior was next at 15:17. 

Afterward, when asked his goal, Spiker replied that he wanted to run 15:10 here today. He ran 15:27 in the Invite last year, and had run 25 seconds faster at Stanford this year than last and hoped to drop at least 15 seconds here this time round. Josh stated that he had a good training week, and was inspired by McInvale's time from the previous race when it was announced. Coach Bill Tokar told Josh where he was in comparison to McInvale at different points during the course as he ran. While he developed "dry-mouth" early in the race, Josh stated the heat did not affect him much (it was starting to warm by the time his run came). 

When informed that he was number six all-time on the course he stated, "That's great," with thoughts that maybe he could get the course record in the Foot Locker Regionals back here in December. He races now and for a number of weeks into the future in training flats, switching to racing flats come the Section meet or after.  Compared to 15:01 in the Section meet here last year, Josh stated that he felt his improvement was due to a bigger base, averaging 40 miles per week two summers ago, and 53 miles per week this past summer. His interval training is progressing, with the distance of those stretched out to a mile and a half in the future at 4:45 per mile pace. Wisconsin and Arizona were quickly mentioned as possible college choices, with some others probably considered down the road. 

Girls Individual Sweeps

It was starting to definitely warm by the time of this race! Sara Bei had come by the finish line here on the way to the 5000 meter course in the Foot Locker Regionals last year at 16:59, with Julia Stamps the CR holder at 16:55. Sara has become a real favorite of fans, so all had their eyes glued on the fine Montgomery HS (Santa Rosa) junior. 

The first 880 here went by in a relaxed pace (just under 2:45 at the turn generally marking that point). Within a 50 yard distance Sara Bei went from about sixth to the lead, appearing bored with the current tempo and interested in something quicker. At the measured mile, just under 5:30, Sara had already broken slightly with the pack, with San Pedro's Valerie Flores and Anita Siraki (Hoover, Glendale), both very hot in Southern Cal action early on, in the next positions. 

As Sara, who typically favors a casual start, charged the middle part of the course, it was off to the races for the white and red clad Montgomery star. Unpressed, but with that uncanny ability to really push races by herself in the center of events, Bei flew by the huge crowd around the course. At the turn heading for poop-out hill she was 9:20, indicative of a good overall clocking. It was hot! Still unpressed, Bei crested Reservoir Hill at 14:28, with a downhill and flat half mile to go. Flying down on to the airstrip with the race a ways behind, Bei sailed on in and finished in 17:05, another quite amazing effort for the Montgomery star on a very warm morning. Anita Siraki was an impressive second at 17:23, with Valerie Flores a fine 17:33 in third. Those 2-3 clockings should be very competitive for spots on the western Regional Foot Locker team come December. 

After, Sara talked about her race. "I hoped to run better than last year," she commented. "This is my first hard race this year, and I wanted to see at what point I was in my training.  I have not done a lot of speed work as compared to last year at this time. I did not feel quite as strong as last year, but expect to feel stronger when I start to do some speed work with the strength running." She indicated a little impatience with the pace after the first 880, and went ahead at that point when she felt good. The heat was not stated as a factor by our winner. When asked if there was anyone who could beat her, she replied, "Sure, there are plenty of people who can probably run with me. I never race against people on the East Coast, and I see a lot of fast times from people back there." Halloween costume for this year's Magic Mountain trip, taken by the team after this Mt. SAC meet each October, is "Cats," with members of the team making a special trip to buy "cats ears" Friday evening before the meet here. 

Girls Team Sweepstakes 

Some greaqt match-ups would take place here, with San Lorenzo Valley (Felton) (#8) and Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) (#12) highly ranked nationally, in addition to a ton of highly ranked large school California teams. University (San Francisco), who shocked with a win here last year over the bigger schools (Uni is a Division V, small school, enrollment-wise), was back to go again. Alejandra Barrientos (San Lorenzo Valley) had shocked with her improvement last year in track to a State 1600 meter and National Junior 1500 meter title, with the rest of the team joining her in improving this Fall under Coach Rob Collins, with the squad improving about ten minutes on the course to a number eight ranking in the entire nation! Abby Miller (Green Valley, Henderson, Nv), two-time Foot Locker National Finalist was along, with some other good individuals. It was expected to be interesting, and proved to be, with the day definitely warm by the time this race started. 

Barrientos, Miller, and Robyn Stevens (Vacaville), a nationally ranked walker in addition to strong distance running, took the early pace out, coming through the measured mile in the mid 5:20's, slightly faster than the Individual sweeps. San Lorenzo Valley as a team really came to run, putting all their five scorers inside the top fifteen at that point. Corona del Mar was not far behind, with their five inside the top 25 there. Miller is the long distance type with Barrientos a half-miler/miler type, so how the rest of the race went would be interesting. The duo continued to battle stride for stride, with their struggle up over grades like Reservoir Hill a classic. This race crested Reservoir Hill at 14:50, with the twosome still battling step for step. Down on to the airstrip it was Barrientos who looked freshest, rocking up off her toes during the final quarter mile, eventually bursting through the finish line in a fine 17:13, with Miller 17:17. Two really fine times! 

Barrientos later commented that the heat did affect her, with, "my feet burning up near the end." Never having seen the course before, she was a bit intimidated the day before as she visited, but when she came in on Saturday it did not look so bad. "I looked at it as a track race today, envisioning myself running the sections as laps on a track and it did not seem so bad." "I knew there was a great group of runners, and I tried to work off of Abby Miller a bit as the course went along." "All I thought about during the final 880 was to 'kick now.' It was really hot on my feet, and I just thought about how tired I was." As for her goals, she stated, "I would like to win state and qualify for the Foot Locker Nationals." Miller stated that she had been sick earlier this week and there was some chance that she would not even run today, but because, "it is Mt. SAC," she had to race. Abby knew of Alejandra Barrientos before, and knew she would be tough to beat. During the tough final 880 Abby felt the only thing going through her mind was to push to stay with Barrientos. Used to the Las Vegas heat, Abby interestingly described the conditions here (definitely warm) as "nice."