PREP CROSS-COUNTRY ALL-COUNTY TEAMS : Consistency Is the Key for Canyon’s Nelson

It wasn’t revenge that motivated Kim Nelson of Canyon this year, but somehow the few runners who defeated her wound up losing to her later in the season.

Laura Monson of Claremont defeated Nelson at the Woodbridge Invitational, the season’s first important meet, but Nelson routed her at the Southern Section Division II final at Mt. San Antonio College.

Elyse Homberger of Edison won the section final over Nelson by 14 seconds, but Nelson routed her at the State meet in Fresno.

Michele Cox of Escondido won the State Division II race over Nelson by 14 seconds, but Nelson came back to defeat her by 22 seconds at the Kinney Western Regional a week later.

As it turned out, those were the only defeats Nelson, The Times Orange County girls’ cross-country runner of the year, suffered this season.

Canyon Coach Mike Sayward and Nelson set some lofty goals for 1992, and by season’s end she had achieved every one.

Nelson, a junior, wanted to cover a three-mile course in 17 minutes 35 seconds or better. She knocked that goal out with a 17:33 clocking at the Dana Hills Invitational Oct. 3.

Nelson set out to win the Orange County championship Oct. 17. She achieved that with a time of 17:52, some three seconds ahead of Corona del Mar’s Tracy Clark.

Nelson hoped for an undefeated Century League season and a championship at league finals. She took care of that one with a seven-second victory Oct. 31 at Yorba Regional Park.

Second-place finishes at the section and State Division II finals hardly came as surprises, given the consistent form that Nelson maintained throughout the season.

Perhaps the only disappointment came in the Kinney Regional, where she finished 14th and missed a berth in the national final in San Diego.

“It was a real satisfying year,” said Nelson.

If there was a turning point to the season, a race that buoyed her confidence and made her think anything was possible, it was the county championships.

“We set a very high goal and that was to be county champ,” Sayward said. “There were maybe five runners we were watching out for. I was impressed with her workouts in the week leading up to the race. That was when I thought she was in fact the best runner in the county.”

Nelson wasn’t so sure.

“I was kind of surprised I won,” she said. “My coach mentioned I had a chance to win and I was (saying), ‘Are you sure?’ ”

A close pack of runners seemed to ebb and flow into the lead, but Nelson was steady and unyielding over the three-mile course. At the finish, she was the strongest and turned back the others.

“That was the point where she became one of the top names in the county,” Sayward said.

In the end, Homberger was the only county runner to defeat Nelson this season.

And only Cox could best her at the State meet. Nelson’s place and her time of 18:40 made up for a 27th-place finish in the 1991 meet, she said. Then, she had gone out too slow and got trapped in the back of the pack.

“I wanted to keep the No. 1 runner in my sight,” Nelson said. “I knew I wasn’t going to let myself get that far back again.”

Nelson and Sayward hoped for a top-eight finish at the Kinney Regional and a berth in the national meet, but it didn’t pan out.

At least that leaves something to shoot for in 1993.

All-County Girls’ Cross-Country

FIRST TEAM Runner: Tracy Clark School: Corona del Mar Yr.: So. Comment: Helped young Sea Kings win State Division III title. Runner: Christie Engesser School: Ocean View Yr.: Sr. Comment: Led late Seahawk charge to State Division II title. Runner: Elyse Homberger School: Edison Yr.: So. Comment: Southern Section Division II champion in first season. Runner: Taryn Lawson School: Ocean View Yr.: So. Comment: Third at section finals; ninth at State meet. Runner: Mayra Medina School: Laguna Hills Yr.: Sr. Comment: Was the county’s fastest in late-season meets. Runner: Kim Nelson School: Canyon Yr.: Jr. Comment: County champion and top finisher at the State meet. Runner: Kelly Roda School: Irvine Yr.: Sr. Comment: Led Vaqueros to second place in State Division I.

SECOND TEAM Runner: Lizza Alexander School: Tustin Yr.: Sr. Comment: Sixth at section finals and 13th at State meet. Runner: Carrie Caulkins School: Esperanza Yr.: So. Comment: Finished ninth in her first State meet. Runner: Christina Dahlberg School: El Modena Yr.: Sr. Comment: Eighth at section finals; seventh at State meet. Runner: Jennifer Formosa School: Edison Yr.: So. Comment: Helped Chargers to section II-AA title. Runner: Heidi Sickler School: Laguna Hills Yr.: Sr. Comment: Helped Hawks win section III-AA title. Runner: Glen Twist School: Newport Harbor Yr.: Jr. Comment: Improved to finish 11th at State meet. Runner: Sara Valdez School: El Dorado Yr.: Sr. Comment: Ninth at section finals; 10th at State meet.