Mortensen Keeps Heat On as Other Runners Lose Their Cool

Smog-ridden air and temperatures in the mid-80s hampered most runners’ performances in the Southern Section cross-country preliminaries Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College, yet Kim Mortensen of Thousand Oaks High kept her cool.

The Lancer senior’s time of 17 minutes 25 seconds over the three-mile course in her Division I-A heat was the fastest time of the meet and one of only two sub-18 clockings. Irvine University freshman Allyson Marquand posted 17:40 in a Division II-AA heat.

While several runners were attended to by medical personnel after their races, Mortensen cruised to a time that was only 11 seconds slower than what she ran in finishing second to Santa Rosa’s Julia Stamps in last month’s Mt. SAC Invitational. That time, which moved Mortensen to second on the all-time course-performer list, came under cool, overcast skies, yet Mortensen said she wasn’t bothered by the conditions.

“I really like the heat,” she said. “I don’t like running when it’s cold. You feel looser when it’s hot and you’re not cold or numb during the race. You sweat a lot, but that’s OK because it cools you off.”

Led by Mortensen, Thousand Oaks placed five runners among the top 13 finishers to total 41 points and turn back Irvine (64) and Quartz Hill (75). The top three teams in each heat and any individuals among the top eight finishers, but not on a qualifying team, advanced to the Southern Section championships Nov. 18.

Canyon, the state’s top-ranked Division I team ahead of Thousand Oaks, dominated the other I-A heat.

Junior Julie Harris (18:47), freshman Lauren Fleshman (19:27) and senior Kellie Stigile (19:36) placed second, third and fifth as the Cowboys totaled 28 points, followed by Arroyo Grande (77) and Buena (81).

“The girls did a great job in implementing our race plan,” Canyon Coach Dave DeLong said. “I told them not to worry about where they were at the mile, just get into a rhythm and really take off after the switchbacks.”

Thousand Oaks and Canyon were two of 12 local teams to win heats. The Nordhoff boys’ and girls’ teams, the Louisville girls and the Hoover boys turned in particularly notable victories.

Nordhoff, led by resurging Will Bernaldo, had five of the top six runners after the first mile of its Division III-A heat before settling for five of the top seven at the finish to total 16 points and the fastest team time (81:40) of the meet.

Bernaldo, sixth in last year’s State Division III championships, struggled to a 15th-place finish in the Ventura County championships Oct. 27. But he won the Frontier League finals Nov. 2 and timed 16:06 Saturday in leading teammates Omar Vega (16:07), Victor Ochoa (16:20) and Dusty Herman (16:23) to a 1-2-3-4 sweep in their heat.

“The first race back, I felt pretty bad,” Bernaldo said. “But after last week, I’m feeling good.”

The Nordhoff girls weren’t quite as impressive as the boys, but Elaine Canchola (18:34) and Terrah Chapin (19:26) placed first and second to help the Rangers to a 30-75 victory over Dos Pueblos in their III-A heat.

Louisville, the state’s top-ranked Division IV team, took four of the top seven places to win its IV-AA heat with 28 points. Shaluinn Fullove, the defending Division IV champion, placed first in 18:57.

Hoover was without top runner David Lopez, who had a hamstring injury, but Felipe Montoro (15:57), Isabel Casillas (16:15) and Wilson Aquino (16:16) placed third, ninth and 11th to pace the Tornadoes to a 72-76 victory over Huntington Beach in a Division I-AA heat.