Prep Cross-Country : Granada Hills to Challenge Belmont’s Reign in City Meet

Granada Hills High School, with star Ian Alsen deciding to run with the team, instead of as an individual in the Kinney national finals at San Diego, will attempt to break Belmont’s five-year hold on the City boys’ cross-country title today at Pierce College.

Alsen won the Kinney West Regional last week in Fresno, but the national meet conflicts with the City championship. He chose to compete on the three-mile course in Woodland Hills with Granada Hills, looking for its first title since 1976.

L.A. Wilson is favored to repeat as the girls’ champion.

The Kinney meet, the only national championship for high school runners, will be held on the 5,000-meter course in San Diego’s Balboa Park, with the girls’ race at 10 a.m. and the boys’ at 10:45. Eleven Californians will be among the 64 runners, eight from each of the four regions in the two races.

In the boys’ event are Jaime Ortega from Arroyo of El Monte, David Scudamore from Palos Verdes, Francis O’Neill from San Pasqual of Escondido and Ben Ayers from Sacramento.

Rob Kennedy of Westerville, Ohio, who placed third in the 1986 meet, is the leading returnee.

In the girls’ event are Kira Jorgensen from Rancho Buena Vista of Vista, Deena Drossin of Agoura, Nicole Robbins and Robbyn Bryant of Hesperia, Rayna Cervantes from Montebello, Katy McCandless from Castilleja of Portola Valley and Ashley Black from Palos Verdes.

Jorgensen finished fourth last year and won the West Regional in Fresno this season.