Orange County Cross-Country Championships : Team, Individual Bragging Rights on the Line

More than 85 cross-country teams from 45 high schools are expected to compete today in the 21st annual Orange County Championships at Irvine Park in Orange.

The meet, which begins at 8:15 a.m. with freshman boys, ought to provide answers to such long-running questions as:

--Is the Corona del Mar’s boys’ team really worthy of its top ranking in Orange County and the Southern Section 4-A?

--Has Dana Hills, ranked second in the county, improved enough to beat the Sea Kings?

--Will top-ranked Santa Ana Valley be able to hold off second-ranked Villa Park in the girls’ division?

But there are individual questions, too. Namely, who is the best runner in Orange County?

In the boys’ division, six runners could fit that description. They are Igor Daza of Valencia, Eddie Lavelle and Jim Robbins of Corona del Mar, Terrence Mahon of La Habra, Jimmy Rodriguez of Santa Ana Valley and Mike Tansley of Dana Hills.

All but Tansley will race in the first of four varsity heats, at 9:45 a.m. Tansley will race in the second heat at 10.

Daza, a senior, is a front-runner who relies on strength and tenacity to break his competition. Though others are cautious of going out too fast, Daza rarely hesitates to set a fast pace.

Lavelle, a junior, has nine years of competitive experience. Though he rarely takes the lead from the start against major competition, his strengths are in his floating stride and his fast final mile.

Robbins, a senior, rarely runs from the front in the early stages. But with the best speed of the six (1:54 in 800 meters), Robbins is often the biggest threat in the final 200 yards.

Mahon, a senior, mixes strength, speed and the confidence to surge anywhere in the race. His final mile is often faster than his first, making him a tough opponent for both front-runners and kickers.

Rodriguez, a senior, is the strongest of the six. He likes to set a very fast pace from the start, and more often than not, he hangs on to win.

Tansley, a junior, relies on a fast last mile and likes to hang with the leaders before outkicking them to the finish line.

In the girls’ varsity division, which starts with the first of four consecutive heats at 10:45, Maricela Benavides of Santa Ana Valley and Laura Doering of Villa Park are considered to be the co-favorites.

Benavides, a senior, is strong for her size (4-feet 10-inches, 93 pounds), aggressive and tenacious. Except for a fourth place at the Woodbridge Invitational (she was the first Orange County finisher), Benavides is undefeated this season.

Doering, a junior, is also undefeated in county competition. An age-group runner as a youngster, Doering has more than six years of racing experience. She likes to lead from the start but has a strong kick if needed.

Other top competitors are Heather Killeen of Valencia, Sita Jones of La Habra, Leslie Cashion of Corona del Mar, Kathy Cannon of La Quinta, Shannon Liddy of El Toro, Kirsten Quigley of Dana Hills and Maria Mendoza of Santa Ana.