HIGH SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY / STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS : Thousand Oaks Runners Figure to Walk Away With Title

With the Thousand Oaks High boys fresh off a record team time performance in last week’s Southern Section cross-country championships, it’s only logical that the Lancers will be gunning for a another record in today’s state meet at Woodward Park in Fresno, right?

Wrong.

Although Thousand Oaks Coach Jack Farrell was delighted with the Lancers’ course record team time--the cumulative time of the top five runners--of 77 minutes 56 seconds in winning their second consecutive Division I title at Mt. San Antonio College last Saturday, he is wary of expecting a repeat performance.

“We don’t want to get in the habit of thinking we have to run a team time record each week, or we’re not running well,” Farrell said.

“I’ve seen that type of attitude become a burden to some great teams. It’s easier to motivate these kids to run for place and let the times take care of themselves. All I’m asking them to do this week is run well and win.”

If the Lancers meet the first part of Farrell’s request, they should not only win, but win big.

Thousand Oaks is fifth in Harrier magazine’s national poll, and the Lancers defeated 17th-ranked Santa Ana by a 32-82 score in the section championships.

Santa Ana is expected to again be Thousand Oaks’ toughest competition with Madera--second, third and third the past three years--San Jose Bellarmine, Palmdale and Peninsula fighting it out for third.

Although the race for the individual title should be closer than the team battle, Mebrahtom Keflezighi of San Diego is a definite favorite over the Southern Section foursome of Thousand Oaks’ Brandon Del Campo, Hart’s Brett Strahan, Palmdale’s Antonio Arce and Orange’s Jaime Martinez.

Keflezighi, a native of Ethiopia, finished third in last year’s state championships and is undefeated this season.

The Agoura girls could give the Marmonte League a sweep of the Division I team titles, but the Chargers’ quest for an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship will not be easy.

Although junior Amy Skieresz and senior Kay Nekota are capable of duplicating their one-two finish from the section finals, the Chargers’ success will ultimately depend on how well their third, fourth and fifth runners perform.

Peninsula lost to Agoura by a 78-83 score in the section meet and the Panthers’ superior depth could make up for that difference and more today when the number of entrants (190) in the race will be twice that of last week.

On top of that, Agoura might not be at full strength.

Nekota had a mild case of bronchitis earlier this week and No. 3 runner Cathy Prater has been hampered by muscle cramps in her right foot for two weeks.

Nonetheless, Coach Bill Duley’s biggest concern is how well the Chargers’ fifth runner--Alison Kaz--will match up against Peninsula’s fifth.

Kaz finished 51st in the section championships, 30 seconds and 13 places behind Peninsula’s fifth runner, Rina Kato. If that gap is the same today, the difference could be as much as 25 to 30 places.

“How well our fifth runner does in comparison to Peninsula’s is important,” Duley said. “It will be crucial to our chances.”

Thousand Oaks, led by sophomore Kim Mortensen, appears capable of a top-five finish.

The Lancers were a distant second (33-57) behind Agoura in the league final earlier this month, but they have improved rapidly since, finishing third in the section finals with a 101-point total.

In other races, juniors John Greene of Agoura and Javier Ramirez of Nordhoff have a chance to place among the top five individuals and lead their teams to top-five finishes in the boys’ Division II and III events.

Nordhoff (Division III) and Chaminade (IV) will be shooting for top-10 finishes in their respective girls’ races.

Camarillo junior Eleazar Hernandez (boys’ Division II) and Oxnard senior Gabriela Rodriguez (girls’ Division II) are also capable of top-10 finishes.

The meet will start at 9 a.m. with the boys’ Division I race.