Orange County Cross-Country Championships : Rematch Turns Into a Mismatch : Valencia’s Lugo Distances Himself From Santa Ana’s Nava

For those eagerly awaiting the exciting sequel: Chris Lugo and Roger Nava Together Again . . . sorry.

There was no carbon copy of last week’s dead heat because Lugo smudged the carbon.

Last week, Lugo and Nava had the same time (14:58), but Nava was awarded the victory because his torso crossed the finish line first.

Saturday, though, it was a different place, different result.

Lugo, a senior at Valencia High School, ended the suspense about a mile and a half into Saturday’s boys’ varsity race, pulling away from Santa Ana’s Nava and Marina’s Shannon Winkleman. Lugo finished in 15:26, the best time in the Orange County Cross-Country championships at Irvine Park.

His victory also helped Valencia win its first overall team title. The Tigers, the county’s second-ranked team, had a time of 80:59. Corona del Mar was second in 81:36, Dana Hills finished third and La Habra was fourth.

“I really wanted to push it on the hills,” said Lugo, who took the lead on the race’s first hill. “I wanted to take him out. Buena Park (Invitational) was a different kind of race; I tried to break him. Today wasn’t as fast a race. This one was more of a tactical race. Last week was an all-out race.”

Lugo felt that Winkleman’s presence helped him run better.

“He kept the race from being too tactical,” Lugo said. “If he wouldn’t have been there, we would have slowed down. I’m glad he was there because it probably would have been an all-out sprint at the end.”

Actually, there was more of a race for second place. Winkleman avenged two losses to Nava this season by taking second place (15:45), beating Nava by five seconds.

Said Nava: “My legs didn’t respond today. It was just a bad race. But he (Lugo) beat me fair and square. My legs felt heavy, but I don’t think that was because of nerves.”

Lugo had more problems with nerves before the race. He couldn’t sleep Friday night, thinking of the Buena Park defeat.

“I was really scared,” Lugo said. “I just got a haircut the other day.”

He shrugged.

“I was trying to do everything I could.”

Evidently it worked. Nava will attest to that.

Cross-Country Notes

Chris Lugo’s teammates were excited about the rematch--almost too excited. “They all wanted to stay and watch the race instead of running in it,” Valencia Coach Mike Cummins said. Valencia ran in the third heat and took 1st, 7th, 8th, 13th and 14th. . . . Ocean View, which was unranked at the beginning of the season, won the girls’ overall team championship with a time of 98:34. Newport Harbor was second in 99:49, Laguna Beach took third and Dana Hills was fourth. Kathy and Shannen Karpel led Ocean View as they finished in 19:01, the best girls’ time. Kathy was given first place. “I felt confident, and I knew we were capable of running the times,” Ocean View Coach Beth Chilcott said. “I felt they could run with the best of them. We came out of nowhere.” About 1,500 runners competed . . . The Canyon High School girls’ team finished second in a field of 22 at the Southern California Invitational at Guajome Park in Oceanside. San Diego Vista won with a total team time of 111:38. Canyon’s time was 114:15. Canyon winners included Sandi Clark in the fourth division (16:06), Beckie Garcia in the fifth division (16:18) and Kristen Price in the seventh division (16:31).