HIGH SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY : Fallbrook’s Glusac Wins Regional Again

Fallbrook senior Milena Glusac vowed that this season she would save her best for last.

Glusac was one of the favorites last season to win the Kinney National cross-country championship, especially after impressive victories in the state meet and at the Kinney West regionals. But she slipped to 30th in the national competition.

In this year’s regionals Saturday at Woodward Park, Glusac won, but said she left plenty in reserve for Saturday’s finals at Morley Field in Balboa Park.

“This time I saved something for next week,” said Glusac, who covered the hilly, 5,000-meter course in 17 minutes 11 seconds. “Last year, I ran myself all out in the regionals.”

Glusac covered the first mile in 5:14 and, by the time she reached the two-mile mark in 10:58, she had left behind her primary competition, Buena Park junior Carrie Garritson, who faded to third. Agoura sophomore Amy Skieresz was second in 17:27.

“I just wanted to go out at my own pace,” Skieresz said. “I wasn’t really racing Milena. I just wanted to qualify.”

The boys’ race was billed as a showdown between undefeated seniors Margarito Casillas of Hoover High and Ryan Wilson of Agoura, but it was disappointing.

Casillas, the defending West regional champion, finished 48th in 16:02, and Wilson, third in last year’s West regional, did not finish.

Theo and Tim Martin, senior twins from Page (Ariz.) High finished first (14:57) and second (15:00), respectively.

San Diego High’s Mebrahtom Keflezighi turned in a strong showing, finishing 10th in 15:19.