MT. SAC CROSS-COUNTRY INVITATIONAL : Madera Lives Up to No. 1 Ranking; Hart and Saddleback Finish 2-3

The cross-country coaches at Saddleback and Hart highs, the top two ranked boys’ teams in the Southern Section Division I poll, gave similar excuses why their teams didn’t fare well Saturday in the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational.

Mel Silva, who coaches No. 1 Saddleback, said his team wasn’t mentally into the team sweepstakes race, in which the Roadrunners finished third.

Hart Coach Gene Blankenship, whose second-ranked Indians finished second to Madera, said his team just plain didn’t run well.

Madera, the state’s top-ranked team, placed five runners in the top 26 to win its second consecutive major invitational title, beating Hart, 96-161. Saddleback finished third with 168 points.

Paul De La Cerda, Hart’s fifth runner in 16 minutes 40 seconds, sprinted past nine runners in the final 200 yards to help push the Indians past Saddleback.

“Our heads weren’t into it, but I’m glad they beat us,” Silva said of Hart. “I think what happened today will make us concentrate in the future.”

Said Blankenship: “We came into the (final mile) with Madera beat. We had a terrible race. I think we’re better than Madera. I think we’re the best team in the state.”

Eddie Salinas led Saddleback, placing 17th in 15:54. Arroyo Grande’s Louie Quintana and Dave Hartman of Canyon Country Canyon posted the fastest times of the day at Mt. SAC with Quintana winning, 14:40 to 14:51.

Edison’s Shelley Taylor, Katella’s Martha Pinto and Jeannie Rothman of Westlake ran side by side with three-quarters of a mile to go in the girls’ individual sweepstakes race, but Rothman surged away at the foot of Reservoir Hill to win in 17:25.

Taylor finished second in 17:37 and Pinto (17:44) was third.

Taylor, a junior, led the Chargers to the team title. Edison placed five runners in the top 30 finishers to beat Fallbrook (San Diego Section), 94-105. Westlake (118) and Castro Valley (159) placed third and fourth.

In the girls’ team sweepstakes race, Deena Drossin of Agoura tied the course record set in 1983 by Palos Verdes’ Kirsten O’Hara. Drossin won her seventh race of the season in 17:16.

Agoura totaled 61 points to beat San Diego Mt. Carmel (91), Arroyo Grande (131) and La Jolla (145).

Irvine, behind Kelly Roda (fifth in 18:38), finished fifth with 152 points.