Orange County Cross-Country Championships : Moore Has No Peers as He Runs to Victory

David Moore of Orange High School had good reason to relax at the 2 1/2-mile mark during his race at the 19th annual Orange County cross-country championships in Irvine Park on Saturday.

Last year at that point, Moore lost the race to William Feliciano of Cypress, who had been clinging closely to him. Feliciano, a senior last fall, broke away and won by 50 yards, establishing a course record of 14 minutes, 45 seconds.

Saturday, Moore was alone at 2 1/2 miles in the Division 2 race.

So, in absence of real competition, he invented an imaginary challenger--an apparition of Feliciano.

That spurred him on to finish in 15:06, the fastest time of the day over the 3-mile course.

“I was pretending that someone was there even if no one was,” said Moore, who led from the outset.

Moore, as planned, took command on a long, slightly curving section of the course next to a dry creek bed--where the trailing runners could see ahead to the front.

“I knew if I could get away there, I would have a psychological edge,” Moore said.

After two miles he had a 34-second lead over Ken McFadden of El Toro, his closest pursuer. McFadden was later passed by Terrence Mahon, a sophomore from La Habra, who finished second. McFadden was third.

Moore is undefeated in dual meets, and has beaten Century League rivals Jose Alcaraz (winner of the Division 3 race) of Santa Ana Valley and Spencer Greene of Villa Park.

Greene and his Spartan teammates were impressive Saturday, winning the Division 1 team title, and recording the meet’s fastest team time--78:55 to Buena Park’s 79:02.

Greene, Bill Meyer and Jim Sorensen took turns leading for the first two miles. At 2 1/2 miles, Meyer led by 20 yards. But Sorensen passed Meyer and then held off Greene, who also passed Meyer. Sorensen won in 15:23, and Greene was second in 15:28, just edging Santiago’s Gilberto Vazquez . Meyer finished fifth.

Buena Park, with only one senior among its top five--a cross-country team’s scoring members--finished third through sixth to win the Division 3 race. Tom Fortney, a senior, ran 15:42, followed by junior Phil Rameriz (15:44), sophomores Marty Baratti (15:45) and Gabriel Sanchez (15:46).

Newport Harbor was as impressive as Buena Park in the girls’ Division 1 race. The Sailors placed five runners among the first eight.

Maggie Henson (17:47) and Buffy Rabbitt (17:50) proved once again that the Sailor teammates are their only county competition when Sheri Smith of Woodbridge is not running against them.

The three will meet in two weeks at the Sea View League championships. Henson is looking forward to the showdown.

“I think Buffy and I are ready for her,” Henson said. “We were ready to run with her today.”

The fawn-like Smith, The Times’ 1984 cross-country runner of the year, shook off Irvine’s Tracy Wright in the first mile then cruised to victory in the Division 3 race in 18:01.

“It probably would have been better for all three of us if we ran in the same race,” Henson said.

As for Moore, he was content to run against his rival only in his imagination.