SOUTHERN SECTION CROSS-COUNTRY : Girls’ I-A Race Includes Irvine and Esperanza

Many of the area’s finest cross-country programs will take aim at section titles as the Southern Section Championships begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.

The competition begins with the girls’ Division I-A and I-AA races. Esperanza, ranked third in the final section coaches’ poll and runner-up in the country championships this year, will try to avenge a section preliminary loss to ninth-ranked Irvine in theI-A race. Dana Hills, ranked fourth, is the only county team in the I-AA race, but Santa Ana Valley’s Ellaser Estrada will run as an individual.

A battle between Pacific Coast League rivals Laguna Hills (No. 6 in Division II) and Trabuco Hills (No. 7) highlights the II-A competition, but keep an eye on Century League runner-up El Modena (No. 5). Also watch for Carrie Garritson of Buena Park, the Orange County champion. Top-ranked Edison leads the four county teams in the II-AA race, which also includes No. 2 Canyon, No. 4 Ocean View and No. 10 Tustin.

Corona del Mar, ranked second in Division III, and newcomer Aliso Viejo will battle for the III-A championship, and Santa Margarita (No. 1) and Newport Harbor (No. 3) face each other again in the III-AA race.

Orange Lutheran, ranked sixth in Division IV, and Laguna Beach (No. 4) will highlight the IV-A and IV-AA races.

On the boys’ side, Orange senior Jaime Martinez and El Toro freshman Thomas Mejia are the county’s lone entrants in Division I-A, while the Santa Ana team, ranked second in Division I, will run with Santa Ana Valley junior Joel Orozco in the I-AA race.

Katella, ranked No. 1 in Division II, will face Laguna Hills (No. 7), La Habra, Villa Park and Trabuco Hills in the II-A showdown.

Ocean View’s Eric Wersching and the Tustin team (No. 10) will represent the county in the II-AA race.

Corona del Mar, ranked sixth in Division III, highlights the III-A race, while the III-AA competition features Sea View League champion Santa Margarita (No. 2), Newport Harbor (No. 8), Estancia and Brea-Olinda.