THE TIMES ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY : Lugo Faces and Beats Adversity

Being the responsible student that he is, Chris Lugo of Valencia High School decided to forgo the qualifying meet for the year’s most recognized cross-country race.

Instead of traveling to Fresno for the Kinney Western Regional meet, the qualifying race for the only national high school competition a week later, Lugo opted instead to take his Scholastic Aptitude Test.

It sounded like a noble sacrifice because his chances of qualifying for last Saturday’s national meet at Balboa Park in San Diego were very good.

Well, at least he’d get those dreaded tests out of the way. So, how did they go?

“I didn’t take them,” said Lugo on Saturday, the day of the Kinney national meet. “I got a letter in the mail three days before the tests saying they were canceled. It was too late to make plans for Fresno by then.”

But Lugo, The Times’ boys’ cross-country Athlete of the Year, isn’t the type who sits around moping. He found something to do Saturday. Despite a bout with the flu, he finished fourth in the young men’s division at the National Junior Olympic cross-country meet at UC Irvine.

It was just an example of Lugo’s ability to handle adversity, using a setback and turning it into a motivational tool.

He did the same thing during the high school cross-country season. At the Buena Park Invitational, sophomore Roger Nava of Santa Ana dealt Lugo his first defeat of the year, edging him at the finish line.

“I think it really helped me,” Lugo said. “It showed me my weaknesses and what I had to work on.”

Lugo, a senior, suffered only one more defeat after Buena Park. He placed seventh at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in the team sweepstakes race, recording the fastest time among Orange County runners. Marc Davis of San Diego, who won the Kinney national race, placed first at Mt. SAC.

At the Orange County Championships, Lugo avenged his loss to Nava, finishing with the top time of the day.

In the Southern Section championship, Lugo defended his 2-A title, making his move with about one mile remaining. He fought off the challenge of Agoura freshman Bryan Dameworth and Walnut sophomore Scott Hemple. It was almost the same strategy Lugo used to win his first 2-A title.

This time, Lugo defeated Hemple by 17 seconds and helped Valencia to a second-place finish among 2-A teams.

FIRST TEAM

Chris Lugo Valencia Senior Roger Nava Santa Ana Soph. Eddie Lavelle Corona del Mar Soph. Ken Hall San Clemente Senior Chris Hobson Costa Mesa Senior Richard Brethour Tustin Senior Kirk Depfyffer Laguna Beach Senior

SECOND TEAM

Haissam Sabra Ocean View Senior Shannon Winkleman Marina Junior Moises Garcia La Habra Junior Gabriel Sanchez Buena Park Junior Greg Shryock Corona del Mar Soph. Jamie Oman Capistrano Valley Senior Mike Tansley Dana Hills Soph.