CSUN Runs Off With Two Titles : Regional: Arreola wins individual title, men capture team race in cross-country meet.

A week that literally started off on the wrong foot for the Cal State Northridge men’s and women’s cross-country teams ended Saturday in triumph at the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Division II West regional.

Darcy Arreola, listed as questionable for the race after injuring her left foot on a training run Monday, defeated Jamie Park of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for the women’s title, and the Northridge men--led by Sasha Vujic and Jorge Castro--upset No. 1-ranked San Luis Obispo for the team title.

Both victories, at the Beau Pre Golf Course, added a new line in the record book as Arreola became the first Lady Matador to win a Division II West regional title with Vujic & Co. doing likewise in the men’s team category.

Powered by Arreola--who ran a course-record 17 minutes, 34 seconds over the 5,000-meter distance--the Northridge women placed third with 88 points.

San Luis Obispo, the seven-time defending Division II champion, placed five runners in the top eight to easily win its ninth consecutive regional crown with 20 points, followed by Cal State Los Angeles with 85. UC Davis (118) and San Francisco State (126) rounded out the top five.

The men’s race--featuring seven of the top 12-ranked teams in the country--figured to be close, and it was as Northridge totaled 84 points, followed by San Luis Obispo (85), Humboldt State and Cal State L. A. (86 each), and UC Riverside (98).

Stephane Franke of Cal Poly Pomona swooped past Jesus Gutierrez of Cal State L. A. in the final 100 meters to win the individual title by two seconds in 31:24 over the 10,000-meter course.

The top three teams in each race automatically qualified for the Division II championships in East Stroudsburg, Pa., Nov. 18.

The men’s race was so tight that Northridge Coach Don Strametz and assistant Bob Augello initially figured that the Matadors had finished fourth.

“Our first three guys were great,” Augello said. “But I was worried about our fourth and fifth men. They weren’t as close as I had hoped.”

Close enough to win, however.

The last mile was the difference for Northridge as Vujic (31:52) and Castro (32:17) maintained their fifth- and seventh-place positions.

Third man Jeff Gilkey improved from 15th to 13th (32:27), fourth man Derik Vett moved from 30th to 29th (33:04) and fifth man Richard Gitahi climbed from 37th to 36th (33:22).

“At five miles, we were in trouble. We were out of it in fifth,” said Strametz, who was named the regional men’s coach of the year. “But they (the Northridge runners) came on in the last mile and some of the other guys faded.”

Castro, an All-American (26th) at the 1987 Division II meet, and Vett are the only two Northridge men with national championship meet experience. But Castro isn’t worried.

“This team really doesn’t feel pressure,” the junior said. “We’re just very hungry because we didn’t do anything last year.

“We’re so young that I don’t think we’ve really comprehended what we’ve done yet.”

Arreola, who redshirted the 1988 cross-country season, expected to be challenged in the women’s race, but not by Park, a freshman from Santa Barbara High.

“I really thought Bente (Moe) would be more of a factor,” Arreola said. “When I looked over and saw (Jamie), I thought, ‘What are you doing here?’ ”

That feeling soon wore off as Park clung to the Northridge junior until the final 300 meters, when Arreola pulled away to win by five seconds.

Moe, the 1985 Division II champion and runner-up in 1986, finished third in 17:57.

Behind Arreola, Northridge received a superb performance from sophomore Kelly Tremmel (13th in 18:37), and solid ones from Gena Jauregui (29th in 19:11), Megan Warner (30th in 19:12) and Laura Doering (36th in 19:29).

“I really think Edinboro and South Dakota State are the teams to beat (in the men’s division),” Strametz said of the upcoming national championships.

“I think us, San Luis Obispo, Cal State L. A. and Humboldt will be battling for third.”

Edinboro (Pa.) is the three-time defending Division II champion, and South Dakota State is a perennial top-three finisher, having won the title in 1985.