National Cross-Country Races : Davis Is King of ‘The Hill’ : National Title Is a First for San Diego; Jorgensen Is Fourth

Marc Davis’ victory in the Kinney national cross-country championships Saturday at Balboa Park’s Morley Field was a dream come true after a nightmarish night.

“I had a couple of weird dreams last night,” said Davis of San Diego High School. “I dreamt about missing the race. Waking up late and missing it. I saw myself running up as the race was being started, yelling, ‘Hey, wait a minute!’ as the starting gun went off.”

Davis, 16, the top junior finisher last year (eighth), ran the 1.55-mile, two-loop course in 14 minutes 38.1 seconds, 11.7 seconds faster than Todd Williams of Monroe, Mich. Davis, the first San Diego County runner to be national champion, missed the course record by 1.3 seconds. Before the race, Davis said that he wouldn’t try to leave the pack the first time on a portion of the course called “The Hill,” a steep, 75-yard-long incline at the 1- and 2.5-mile markers. He planned to make his move the second time.

During the race, however, Davis changed his strategy.

“I was going to hang back in the pack,” he said. “But the pack was slow, and after the half-mile mark I said, ‘No more. I can take it. This is my hill. I own it.’ ”

At the start, Davis was 27th in the 32-runner field. But by the first half mile, he was running with Michael LaValle of Lauderhill, Fla., in first place. Approaching The Hill, a half mile later, Davis was in the lead for good.

“I worked that hill,” Davis said. “Going up and on the downhill. I worked that like I said I would.”

Davis knew from his experience last year that The Hill would decide the race. After running it numerous times in the past two weeks, he knew how to run it and used that to his advantage. One meet official said that Davis is the first Kinney participant to win after leading going up The Hill the first time.

At the two-mile mark, Davis was leading Williams by just two seconds with the rest of the pack eight seconds behind.

Davis was all alone when he approached the finish line. His arm was raised and his finger pointed skyward, signaling No. 1.

“I really felt the pressure of the last three days,” Davis said. “I took that pressure and put the pressure on myself. I turned that into energy. This is for San Diego. San Diego took it all today.”

In the girls’ race, Erin Keogh of McLean, Va., became the first runner to win consecutive national titles with her time of 16:55.7. Vista High sophomore Kira Jorgensen, the top underclass finisher, was fourth in 17:30.3.

Jorgensen, 15, finished 14th last year.

“Last year I was happy just to get a medal (place in the top 15),” she said. “This year I wanted to get one.”

At the start, Jorgensen was in ninth place, but when the runners got to The Hill the first time, she made her move and passed four runners. That’s where she stayed until the second time on the hill, where she moved into fourth place.

“The Hill was a major part of my race,” she said. “I passed a lot of people on The Hill and that was a key for me.”

Jorgensen, who bettered last year’s finish by 23.2 seconds, finished ahead of the top junior finisher, Brigid Freyne of Riverside, by 9.2 seconds.

Robbie Lopes of Monte Vista High, who spent all of Friday in bed with a temperature of 101 degrees, finished 24th with a time of 15:40.4. Lopes said that his illness affected his strength.

“I was really dead the second time around,” he said. “I just couldn’t pick up the pace. My legs were dead. A couple of guys passed me on the last downhill and I just let them go.”