San Diego Prep Review : Four Runners Qualify for Nationals : Kinney Field to Include Dani, Davis, Chapel, Jorgensen

In the seven years of the Kinney National Cross-Country Championships, only one San Diego County runner ever advanced beyond the regional competition.

Until Saturday.

Valhalla High School’s Mark Dani led four area runners who qualified in the regional meet at Woodward Park in Fresno for the nationals Dec. 14 at Morley Field in Balboa Park.

Dani finished second in 14:55 over the 5,000-meter course, two seconds behind Mark Mastalir of El Dorado Hills. Dani’s rival, Marc Davis of San Diego High, finished eighth and qualified in 15:08.

University City’s Laura Chapel and Vista’s Kari Jorgensen finished sixth and seventh in the girls race. Both clocked 17:56. The top 8 in each qualified for the nationals.

The boys’ race started quickly as the leaders crossed the half-mile mark in 2 minutes, 11 seconds and the mile mark in 4:35.

“It was really pretty easy,” Dani said. “Except you had to get out. It really slowed down after the first mile, until the last half mile. That was insane. Probably another 2:11.” Dani, who raised some eyebrows by running 86 miles the week of the Section 2-A championship, didn’t taper for the regionals.

“I ran 85 miles this week,” Dani said. “I’ll do the same for the finals. Some of the miles are hard, but mostly I’m taking it easier. I running slower and relaxed.”

Coons’ tale: It has been well documented that the Lincoln High School football team started the season with 14 players. But, Coach Skip Coons went back a little further in telling this story to a Times’ reporter last week.

Lincoln’s first scrimmage of the season was against Vista, the eventual 3-A Conference champion. According to Coons, Vista Coach Dick Haines called to confirm that his team had a team to scrimmage against.

Vista not only outnumbered the Lincoln squad, but it outsized the Hornets. Also, Coons said his team had done no real contact before the scrimmage in fear that someone would get hurt.

Coons picks up the story after the Vista offense lined up opposite the Lincoln defense.

“I was standing behind the Vista offense,” Coons said. “And when the Vista offense got set, I couldn’t see my defense. I couldn’t see them over the 200-pound Vista linemen.”

Coons said he then turned his head in fear of what might happen to his overmatched group.

“I couldn’t watch,” Coons said.

To Coons’ surprise, the whistles blew seconds after the play began. The defense had stopped Vista quarterback Sal Aunese for no gain.

“I thought, ‘hey, we might have something here,’ ” he said. “We’ve been improving ever since.”

Lincoln, which won the 2-A championship Saturday, outscored Vista in the scrimmage, four touchdowns to two.