Foot Locker West

Girls Preview - Sara Bei

by Doug Speck

(times below for track distances from obvious 800 and 1600  distances unless otherwise noted). 

The Girls Western Regional features an outstanding group of 
athletes with the area a great tradition in the sport, with three 
of the last five Foot Locker Champions, a wicked string of 1994 
(Julia Stamps) 1995 (Kim Mortensen), and 1996 (Kristen Gordon), 
from this area. 1999 should pick that string up again after 
relinquishing the last two years to Erin Sullivan from the 
Northeast. The 1999 crew will finish out the century at the Mt. 
SAC course with an absolutely blistering competition that will 
feature some hot trotting for those eight spots to Florida. The 
West crushed the Nationals field last year in Orlando with 2-3-4-
6-13 placings that totalled 28 points, almost defeating the rest 
of the country put together. Five from that team are back this 
year with odds are that some may not qualify in 1999, the field 
is so tough from this area!!

Where does one start? A tough question, with a bevy of 
veterans of prep distance running with a ton of national and some 
international honors already in their young running careers. A 
few new faces have risen on the West Coast, with some vets from 
the inland states who have shown the ability to not require them 
to back down from anyone in attendance this weekend. 
On top are a crew who have proven themselves previously at 
the national level, come off good spring track seasons, and have 
had great Fall seasons in our sport. 

The Qualifiers: 

1) Sara Bei (Montgomery, Santa Rosa, Ca) has spoken this season 
of her wish to time her peaks better her junior year. Off of 
4:46.71 and 10:28.75 track bests, Bei is undefeated this Fall, 
surviving a nicely turned ankle early in the season, with a solid 
run against a top field at the Mt. SAC Invite here, and seems 
brimming with confidence. Sara's only loss in the sport in the 
last two years came at the Foot Locker Nationals, where she 
started way back, and worked her way up to second along with 
teammate Lauren Fleshman, then was outkicked for that spot. Sara 
is hot off a State Division II win last weekend in Fresno. 
(defending champ here) 

2) Felicia Guliford (Gallup, New Mexico) purred to victory in 
the Great American Cross-Country classic in North Carolina in 
late September over a super field, then had a state race that was 
frightening in quality and nearly within a minute and a half of 
the best Boys time in New Mexico for the day. Guliford has run 
5:00.97 and 11:11.19 in track, was a super fourth in last year's 
Foot Locker Nationals, with her state meet a month ago. (fifth 
here last year) 

3) Sara Gorton (Mountain Pointe, Phoenix, Arizona) comes here 
with a mission on her mind. Last year she was very competitive 
for a high spot in the Regional race here, then faded over the 
final mile to a non-qualifying seventeenth place. She had a 
super spring and summer track season, racing a 4:49.11 1600 and 
9:33.98 3000m, winning the US Junior title at the longer distance 
and the Pan American Junior Championships. Held back early this 
Fall with injury, she eventually emerged in fine style, taking 
the State meet race by 37 seconds in a Course Record. (17th here 
last year) 

4) Alejandra Barrientos (San Lorenzo Valley, Felton, Ca) has come 
more in a year and a half than any runner in the country, passing 
on this series after a good fall last year, then emerging in 
track to shock the nation with a 4:47.94 1600 at Arcadia, and 
later a California State 1600 title and National Junior 1500 
meter win. She has upped the act in the Fall sport to another 
level this year, leading one of the nation's top half-dozen teams 
for Coach Rob Collins with a number of good "big-meet" races. 
She was very tough on this course during a 17:13 Team Sweeps win 
on a warm morning in the Invitational in October. She will hang 
with the top pack and watch her kick. (did not compete here last 
year) 

5) Anita Siraki (Hoover, Glendale, Ca) under Coach Greg Switzer 
she has come on like gangbusters over the last year. A 4:52.5 
medley leg and 10:30.81 3200m at Arcadia last year really exposed 
her, with a super Fall this Cross-Country season where she showed 
a lot of toughness. Seventy miles per week over the summer on 
top of last year's success has a tendency to do that! She knows 
this course like the back of her hand. (15th last year) 

6) Abby Miller (Henderson, Green Valley, Nv) shocked with a third 
in the Foot Locker Nationals as a frosh runner three years back, 
with a 4:53.11 1600 best that year that seemed the start of a 
magical career. Injuries held her back her soph year, with a 
good junior season ending with a tenth place performance in the 
Foot Locker Nationals, and a 10:38.16 3200m best in track. This 
Fall has been a good one, with the hills suited to the methodical 
style of this pleasant young lady who will attend school down the 
freeway at UC Irvine. (4th here last year) 

7) Julie Allen (Fountain Valley) (We are starting to run out of 
spaces, remember we only have eight). Anyway, Julie, a soph, was 
10:52.14 last spring for 3200 meters, with a number of very 
impressive races this Fall. She favors a very aggressive start, 
and will be out with the lead pack. She has mixed it up the last 
couple of weeks with some of those above her and held her own 
well. Smile of the year. 

8) Laura Zeigle (Bingham, South Jordan, Utah) Leader of the 
nation's best ever prep Cross-Country team, Laura was 10:59.17 
last track season, with a number of very high quality races this 
Fall. She beat Abby Miller early this Fall, and was second to 
Guliford at the North Carolina Great American CC Festival. She 
and her sister (Jackie) come to run, with a trip here in early 
November for an open race on this weekend's course. (22nd last 
year) 


OTHERS: (A NUMBER OF WHOM WOULD NOT SURPRISE A BIT IF THEY 
DISPLACED SOME OF THE ABOVE) 

--Victoria Chang (Punahou, Hawaii) From a state that races two 
miles during the Fall, Chang finished off her spring and summer 
track season in super style, racing 4:35.06 for 1500 meters and 
making the U.S. Junior National team after a 9:38.03 3000m. 

--Erin Krogen (Shadle Park, Seattle, Wa) - State Champ in 
Washington with the fastest overall time. Super distance state 
that usually supplies at least one qualifier. 

--Megan Johnson (Seattle Prep, Wa) - State Divisional Champ in 
her state with 10:47.72 best from spring track season. 

--Alicia Craig (Campbell County, Gillette, Wyoming) - Out of 
Coach Orville Hess's great program, the State Champ in 
competition six weeks ago over last year qualifier, Katie Moon. 
Craig was fifth at the Great American CC Meet in North Carolina. 
(18th last year) 

--Paris Edwards (Ashland) - Fastest out of Oregon, with fine 
4:34.5 1500 meters from last spring's track season. From program 
with outstanding tradition. (23rd last year) 

--Katie Moon (Evanston, Wy) - National qualifier last year, 13th 
overall finisher in entire nation in 1998! 25 second loss to 
Craig at Wyoming State meet six weeks ago, but huge improvement 
over last month last year before this meet. (8th last year) 

--Latesha Jones (Rialto) - super Fall season in Cross-Country, 
used to racing up front with the best from California. 11:00.83 
best for 3200 meters in track. (39th last year) 

--Janie Nolan (Antioch) - 10:51.62 for 3200 meters last spring as 
ninth grader, has upped her fall program for her fine team to 
another level, showing last few weekends that she can compete at 
top end of event such as this.

--Phebe Ko (East, Salt Lake City, Ut) - 11:11.08 3200m runner in 
Track, from another of the West's most prolific programs. (12th 
last year) 

--Kikkan Randall (East, Anchorage, Alaska) - State meet in late 
September so anything possible since then. Fastest time in her 
state meet over some good people. 

--Darcy Dugan (Dimond, Alaska) - one of the most traveled prep 
runners in the nation. 5:00.6 and 10:48.02 last year in the 
distances in track, and 19th here last year. (19th last year) 

--Lauren Gustafson (Mills, Millbrae) - super spring track season 
with 4:58.02 and 10:37.14 bests. Steadily improved this Fall to 
level of prep excellence! 

--Robyn Stevens (Vacaville) - Olympic level race walker in 
addition to running exploits. Very tough competitor with 4:57.13 
and 10:56.97 track bests. 

--Liz Lindgren (Klamath, Klamath Falls, Or) - second fastest time 
in Oregon State Meet to Paris Edwards in Girls 4A. 10:20.98 3000 
meters last spring in track. (30th last year) 

Others: (Listed alphabetically) 
Jodee Adams-Moore (Newport, Bellevue, Wa 29th last year) - Jenny 
Aldridge (Maria Carrillo, Santa Rosa, Ca) - Erin Deasy (Gig 
Harbor, Wa) - Tara Dunn (Spanish Fork, Ut) - Jacquelyne Gallegos 
(Pojoaque, NM) - Laura Harmon (Jesuit, Portland, Or) - Michelle 
Hatch (Moutnain Crest, Ut) - Heidi Lane (Russell, Mt) - Kristel 
Redhair (Page, Az) - Laura Shordona (Desert Mountain, Scottsdale Az) - 
Shanna Sparks (Carson, Carson City, Nv) - Ashley Winter (Lander 
Valley, Wy) - Jackie Zeigle (Bingham, South Jordan, Ut) 

ONE PERSON WHO IS NOT ON THIS PAGE WILL MAKE THE FOOT LOCKER 
NATIONALS - SOMEWHERE THERE IS AN ATHLETE (OR TWO) WITH SPECIAL 
ABILITIES WHO HAS NOT SHOWN THROUGH TO THIS STAGE OF THE SEASON, 
WITH A REMARKABLE IMPROVEMENT THIS WEEKEND - THIS IS THE FUN OF 
FOOT LOCKER!!!

How the race will go---

With the Girls race at a sane size no traffic sigalerts will 
be called during the first quarter mile. None of your favorites 
favor a ridiculous start, remember defending Regional champ and 
national runner-up Mariel Ettinger's Course Record first mile 
last year of 5:05 landed her in 31st place and non-qualifying. 
Julie Allen and Anita Siraki are not afraid of a good early pace, 
with favorite Sara Bei somewhere back behind the first dozen and 
Felicia Guliford, short, but with a high bouncy stride, visible 
in the middle of the top group. Sara Gorton, another victim of 
not her best day on the Mt. SAC hills last year will be a wary 
member of the tail end of the top group, conserving for the final 
two monster "poop-out" and "Reservoir" Hills. Alejandra 
Barrientos, with more speed than anyone in the favored group, 
will be tagging along, mentally turning the course into a four 
lap track race. Utah's Laura Zeigle favors a quick start, with 
methodical distance runners Victoria Chang and Abby Miller 
counting on some falling off the quick early pace as they move up 
through the field. The first first mile of under 5:20 will still 
have a good number of people within contact of a qualifying spot 
in the race. 

The switchbacks are where the leaders will plant 
their bodies into qualifying spots, with Bei, Chang, and Miller 
moving up through those in the field who start to fade from 
contact with a top eight qualifying spot possibility. 
Down on to the airstrip at a mile and a half there will be a 
group of five who have separated themselves a bit. Sara Bei has 
duplicated her usual big move on this course during the hilly 
switchback loop, and heads the group down on to the airstrip as 
they head for steep "Poop-Out" hill. Anita Siraki, Sara Gorton, 
Felicia Guliford, and Alejandra Barrientos are a part of this 
group that can still reach out and touch each other. 

A great day for running will have the group on course record pace for the 
regular course (they pass the finish line for this course on the 
way to the 5000 meter distance run here) at this point (Julia 
Stamps CR on regular course at 16:55). Julie Allen, Abby Miller, 
Victoria Chang, Laura Zeigle, and one or two others with special 
determination and abilities will be in the hunt for the other 
three positions to go to Nationals. 

Over Reservoir Hill the undefeated Bei and Guliford will battle, 
with Gorton thinking qualify, Siraki smelling the flowers of 
Orlando, and Barrientos still rolling along. 

The "gut-checking" will go on after the 
first five over the final Reservoir Hill, with Abby Miller still 
moving up, Julie Allen running very tough, and Laura Zeigle 
battling Chang and others for the final spot. 

The last part of the 5000 meter course here takes you a 
quarter of a mile off of Reservoir Hill, then a tough 650 meters 
on the flat that takes one up the "airstrip" on to the main 
track, with 250 meters run there. This will be a real test of 
mental strength and concentration, with spectators shouting out 
placings to those in the top fifteen, with the 650 meters enough 
for someone who makes a big charge to pass a number of people.