Skieresz, Castner in World Meet

Amy Skieresz of Agoura High and J.J. Castner, a former Oak Park runner, get their first taste of international competition Sunday in the World Junior (age 19 and under) cross-country championships at Amorebieta, Spain.

Skieresz, a sophomore, qualified for the U.S. women’s team by winning the junior trials race in Sandy, Ore., on Feb. 6. She was timed in 14 minutes 34 seconds over the 4,000-meter course.

Castner, a freshman at UC San Diego, finished fourth in the men’s 8,000 meters in 25:59.

The top six finishers in each race qualified for the U.S. team.

Although Skieresz and Castner have experience at the national level--she finished third in the Kinney high school cross-country championships in December, and he placed 39th in the NCAA Division III meet in November--neither has raced overseas.

“I just want to beat some guys over there that finished ahead of me in the trials race,” Castner said. “I haven’t really set any goals based on a certain place.”

Skieresz, 16, has adopted the same attitude she brought to the Kinney nationals: “Run, have fun, and just see what happens.”