Mt. SAC Cross-Country Invitational : New Jersey High School Has Hot Time in Cool Fog

A throng of cross-country runners--some 7,000 from 310 high schools--participating in the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational Saturday, were greeted by a cool fog that hung over the grueling 3-mile course.

The conditions proved to be ideal for fast times and made one school’s long trek to the 40th running of the country’s largest high school cross-country meet worthwhile.

Christian Brothers Academy High School of Lincroft, N.J. (located about 50 miles south of New York City) won the boys’ team sweepstakes title over Camarillo, which was second, and Poway, which finished third. Corona del Mar, the only Orange County team in the team sweepstakes race, was fourth.

John Coyle led Christian Brothers by finishing second in 15 minutes 3 seconds, 2 seconds behind team sweepstakes winner Mike Williamson of Thousand Oaks, whose 15:01 was the fastest time of the meet.

Brian Dameworth of Agoura was third in 15:11 and Eddie Lavelle of Corona del Mar was fourth in 15:13.

Jimmy Rodriguez (15:10) of Santa Ana Valley had the best individual performance of any Orange County runner in Saturday’s meet. Rodriguez was second behind Kevin Holbrook (15:02) of Vacaville in the boys’ individual sweepstakes race.

Christian Brothers came into the meet considered one of the top teams in the country. The victory certainly will help its claim to the No. 1 spot.

Lavelle, who won the Orange County Championships last week, ran in sixth place for the first half of the race before surging up Poop-Out Hill, one of three difficult hills on the course.

He seemed surprised he was that close early on.

“I thought I might have been farther back,” said Lavelle, who never thought of running with the leaders. “I wanted to run smart. With all the hills, I don’t know if I could have done that (run with the leaders and finished as fast).”

Nevertheless, Lavelle ran a personal best, eclipsing his previous Mt. SAC best of 15:39.

“This was important for our team goals,” he said. “We kept working for the state meet. This meet is just one more stepping stone.”

Holbrook’s victory in the individual sweepstakes race was something of a surprise. Rodriguez and Scott Hempel of Walnut had been the pre-race favorites. Hempel was third in 15:20.

Roger Nava of Santa Ana placed fourth in 15:25, leading the Saints to the title over second-place Walnut and third-place Capistrano Valley.

Irvine made an impressive showing in the girls’ individual sweepstakes race by placing four runners in the top 20. Tricia Caminiti, who was eighth in 19:25, was the Vaqueros’ top finisher. Jenny Baldwin (10th in 19:32), Meline Bulujian (17th in 20:29) and Kerrie Baldwin (20th in 20:55) finished in the top 20 for Irvine.

However, the Vaqueros were no match for Kira Jorgensen of Rancho Buena Vista.

Jorgensen, who won the state 1,600-meter title in track last spring, bolted to a 13-second lead after the first mile and finished in 17:32.

She said she was trying to break the 5-year-old girls’ course record of 17:16 set by Kristen O’Hara of Palos Verdes. But Jorgensen twisted her ankle twice in the first mile and slowed as she neared the 2-mile mark. Still, her time was the eighth-fastest in the meet’s history.

“I felt really good in the first mile,” Jorgensen said. “but I got to the top of Poop-Out and knew I had gone out too fast.”

Jamie Park of Santa Barbara came closest to Jorgensen, finishing second in 17:48. Freshman Tanja Brix of University, who was sixth in 18:57, was the top county finisher.

The girls’ team sweepstakes proved to be a showcase for Palos Verdes. Ashley Black won in 18:18, then was followed by a wave of black-and-red clad Palos Verdes runners. The Sea Kings had five runners in the top 10 and easily won over Agoura and El Toro.

Terri Smythers of San Clemente was eighth, the highest county finisher, in 19:17. A 10th-place finish by Natalie Adam, who ran 19:26, led Huntington Beach to a fifth-place finish.

Mt. SAC Notes

Other noteworthy performances in varsity races: Heather Killeen of Valencia, who won girls’ race No. 38 in 19:09. . . . Stacy Wright and Kim Bowden went 1-2 in helping Marina to the girls’ race No. 37 title. Esperanza was second and Westminster third in that race. . . . Valencia’s boys won race No. 44 over Marina and Point Loma. Jose Sandoval, who was third in 16:21, led the Tigers. . . . Fountain Valley’s boys won race No. 45 over Saddleback and Channel Islands. Rob Price of Saddleback won in 16:07, Rich Lockwood of Fountain Valley was second in 16:26 followed by teammate Dave Dannav also in 16:26.