HIGH SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY : SOUTHERN SECTION PRELIMINARIES : Newbury Park’s Wilson Unable to Perpetuate His Anonymity

A surprise awaited Jeff Wilson last Saturday when he arrived for cross-country practice at Newbury Park High.

Wilson caught a glimpse of the Nov. 11 issue of The Harrier magazine, a national cross-country publication. Pictures of Wilson and Ibrahim Aden of Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy highlight the front cover.

By virtue of his “undefeated” season, Wilson was ranked as the No. 1 high school runner in the nation by The Harrier. Aden is No. 2.

“He saw the cover before I could read what was inside,” Coach Ed Linglebach said. “At first he was like, ‘Oh, wow.’ But later it was, ‘Oh, no. Don’t let anyone know about it.’ ”

Although he exudes confidence, Wilson sometimes prefers to keep a low profile about his ability. After Wilson’s rise to the cream of the national crop, any attempt to remain incognito will be in vain.

Linglebach photocopied the cover of the magazine and the national top-15 individual rankings and posted them on the school bulletin board.

“I hate it,” Wilson said of his No. 1 ranking. “Last year I liked (competing) because I wasn’t really heard of. I came out of nowhere. Now, I’ve got everyone watching me.”

Everyone will be watching today when Wilson toes the starting line in the Southern Section preliminaries at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut. His personal-best 15 minutes 8 seconds on the three-mile course in the Mt. SAC invitational makes him the favorite to repeat as section Division III-AA and state Division III champion.

However, Wilson would prefer to be recognized by means other than his cross-country prowess.

“The last four years I’ve been recognized as ‘Jeff the Runner.’ It gets to me after a while. I’d just like to be known as a normal human being who runs.”

Wilson still loves to compete, he just could do without the recognition and mock adulation. At a recent practice Wilson was greeted by several teammates saying, “Oh, look. It’s God.”

God help his opponents. In seven major meets this season--including the Marmonte League finals--Wilson defeated his closest competition by an average of 22 seconds.

Wilson has won 10 consecutive races this season entering the section preliminaries, but by no means does he consider himself undefeated.

Agoura’s Ryan Wilson beat Jeff Wilson in a 2 1/4-mile scrimmage at Paramount Ranch to open the season. Scrimmages technically are practice events and don’t count toward a team’s or individual’s season record. In Wilson’s book, however, a loss is a loss.

“Officially I’m undefeated, but unofficially I’ve been beaten this year,” Wilson said.

The pressure to win will be off today because Wilson will be focusing on helping his team earn a berth in the Southern Section finals Nov. 23.

Last year, Wilson competed as an individual because Newbury Park finished a nonqualifying fifth in the Marmonte League team standings. This fall the Panthers currently are ranked second in the state Division III behind Laguna Hills, also a Southern Section team.

“I want to slow the race down so my team can get up there,” Wilson said. “Last year was my year, this year is the team’s year.”

It seems as though every year is a team year at Hart and Agoura highs.

The Hart boys and Agoura girls have become perennial powers in section and state cross-country competition and this year they are the No. 1-ranked teams the nation. Both open section and state title defenses in the Southern Section preliminaries today at Mt. SAC.

Hart has finished no worse than fourth in the past seven Southern Section championships and currently has designs on its third section and second state Division I titles in a row. Juniors Keith Grossman and Paul De La Cerda have been strong for the Indians.

Meanwhile, Agoura will be working on a fifth consecutive section championship and second successive state Division I title. Before their banner 1990 season, the Chargers finished second in the state meet to Palos Verdes three years in a row.

Sophomore Kay Nekota, who finished fourth in the state Division II meet as a freshman at Irvine Woodbridge, is a key ingredient in Agoura’s front-four attack.

The Agoura boys, who compete in Division II, are the top-ranked team in the Southern Section and could repeat as section champions after upsetting some of the state’s best Division I teams in the Marmonte League finals.

The Nordhoff boys’ team surprised many Ventura County juggernauts in the county championships Nov. 1 by finishing second to Buena. The Rangers are ranked No. 1 in the state Division IV and must contend with No. 2 Bell-Jeff and No. 3 Oak Park for section honors.

The Fillmore girls, the state’s No. 1 Division IV team, have a potent 1-2-3 combination but defending state Division IV champion Nordhoff has the depth to counter the Flashes.