Cross country: Plenty of standouts will be at Mount SAC Invitational
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It may not be the forested trails of Eugene, Ore., but plenty of legends have been made at Mount San Antonio College -- Southern California’s very own cross-country holy land.
And the trails around the Walnut-based community college will once again come alive this weekend when many of the best prep teams in the state compete at the Mt. SAC Cross-Country Invitational. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the teams and runners that should do well, provided they don’t run out of steam on poop-out hill.
- Saugus girls’ team -- Even through Katie Dunn has hit the college trail, that hasn’t stopped the Centurions’ from being one of the most dominant cross-country teams in the nation. They’re a slam dunk to take home a third consecutive state Division II title but can sophomore sensation Kaylin Mahoney and the rest of the Cents topple the Mt. SAC course record they set last year? We’ll find out.
- Jordan Hasay -- It’s not everyday when a high schooler competes in the U.S. Olympic Trials, but that’s exactly what Hasay did during her summer vacation. The San Luis Obispo Mission Prep distance ace, pictured, has pretty much won everything she has competed in at the high school level, so I guess she’ll be looking to set a new course or personal record.
- Alex Dunne -- Fresh off her sweepstakes triumph in the Orange County Championships last week, the San Clemente speedster will try to establish herself as one of the best prep runners in the country. It’ll be interesting to see how she fares going up against Hasay, Alaskan state champion Leah Francis (Juneau-Douglas) and Footlocker Nationals qualifier Jessica Tonn of Arizona (Phoenix Xavier Prep).
- Dana Hills boys’ team -- These guys set a course record at the Orange County championships and Tyler Valdes & Co. wouldn’t mind taking home the Mt. SAC title. Of course, Loyola and Woodbridge won’t be content with just chasing their shadows for three miles. The Dana Hills girls also could do some serious stopwatch damage.
Be sure to check out the invitational website for more information. Also, go here to find out which teams will be competing and click here for a complete race schedule.
-- Austin Knoblauch
