KINNEY CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

What--This is the only national championship event in high school sports. It is the culmination of four regional qualifying meets. The top eight boys and girls from those regionals will run a 5,000-meter course in the finals.

Where--Balboa Park’s Morley Field will be the race site for the 10th consecutive year. The course is considered among the nation’s most challenging.

When--The girls’ race begins today at 10 a.m. and the boys’ race will start at 10:45.

Who--Louie Quintana of Arroyo Grande, third place last year and the first underclassmen to finish, is expected to have little competition in the boys’ race. Already this year he has won the Stanford Invitational (14:47), the Virginia Invitational (15:26) and the Clovis Invitational in Fresno (14:56). His times at Stanford and Virginia set course records. The two favorites in the girls’ race--Melody Fairchild of Boulder, Colo., and Deena Drossin of of Agoura--should duel for the title. Fairchild is attempting to become the second person to win two consecutive championships. Erin Keogh managed the feat in 1985-86. Fairchild recently won the Colorado State championships by two minutes and 30 seconds. Drossin of Agoura finished the West regional at 17:07, the fastest time in any regional. Fairchild clocked a 17:08 in the Midwest regional. Don’t be fooled by Drossin’s superior time, however. All courses are different and Fairchild has not lost a cross-country or track race since May 1989. Fallbrook’s Milena Glusac, a sophomore, is the only San Diego-area entrant. She finished third in the West regionals (17:25) and may have an advantage, having run at Morley Field in Section championships for two years.