Pair to Run in Regionals at Fresno

Twin brothers Eric and Mark Mastalir of Jesuit High School in Sacramento will compete in the Western Regional Qualifying meet of the Kinney Cross Country National Championship, Saturday, Dec. 7, at 10 a.m. at Woodward Park in Fresno.

The top eight boys and girls finishers from the Western Region (along with a similar number of qualifiers in other three regional meets) will complete in the seventh annual Kinney Cross Country Championship finals Dec. 14 in San Diego, the only national championship for preps.

The Mastalir brothers are favorites in the regional meet at Fresno. Both have successfully competed last year, as juniors, in the Kinney Cross Country. Eric was third in the Regional meet in 15:04 over 5,000 meters, Mark placed eighth, in 15:15, also making the first All-Western team. In the Kinney finals, at Balboa Park in San Diego, Eric was sixth and Mark 17th.

In the last outdoor track season Mark took the edge over Eric, placing second in the State meet, in Sacramento, in 1,600 meters race (his 1500-meter best is a very promising 3:54.8), while Eric was third in 3,200 meters in 9:03.31.

Now Eric is the top returning finisher in the Kinney Western Regionals, and Mark is third, behind David Naranjo of Sanger.

Eric and Mark Mastalir placed a spectacular one-two recently at Mt. San Antonio College Invitational Cross Country, beating, among others, another pair of twin brothers, the fast improving Daren and Kevin Stonerock from Saugus.

Eric’s winning time, 14:38 over three miles, makes him the second faster performer of all-time at Mt. SAC. Mark’s clock, 14:57, is eighth best ever. Eric and Mark led their Jesuit High team to the first place and a 77:58 course record, nine seconds under the previous team record set back in 1977.

After the Mt. SAC race, prep specialists across the country consider Eric Mastalir not only the favorite for Kinney Western Regionals, but perhaps the main challenger of the last year’s second place finisher and top returning runner John Trautman, of Central Valley, New York, in the Nationals.

The Kinney Regionals are open to all high school cross country runners and entry blanks are available through high school cross country coaches or through Chairman Bill Cockerham, (209) 264-5847, P.O. Box 6103, Fresno, Ca. 93703.