Mt. SAC Invitational Draws a Classy Field

By JOHN ORTEGA, MIKE TERRY and PAIGE A. LEECH

Oct. 23, 1997 12 AM PT

More than 13,000 competitors from as many as 400 schools will compete Friday and Saturday in the 50th annual Mt. San Antonio College Invitational, the largest high school cross-country event in the nation.

Thirty-one races will be staged Friday afternoon, highlighted by the Division IV boys’ sweepstakes. The race includes McFarland and Ojai Nordhoff, ranked first and second in the state, respectively, in their division.

The boys’ and girls’ sweepstakes are among 49 races that will be staged Saturday.

The boys’ sweepstakes starts at 9:30 a.m. and features top-ranked Grass Valley Nevada Union, Carmichael Jesuit, Long Beach Poly and Belmont.

The girls’ team sweepstakes at 10:30 a.m. includes two-time defending Division II state champion Yucaipa along with Concord Clayton Valley, Chino Hills Ayala, Irvine, Quartz Hill and Anaheim Esperanza.

Jon Stevens of Fremont Mission San Jose, Steve Smith of Chino Hills Ayala, Chad Durham of Long Beach Poly and Ronnie Buchanan of Santa Maria Righetti are some of the top boys.

Kimi Welsh of Yucaipa, Trina Cox of Santa Rosa and Lauren Fleshman of Canyon Country Canyon are some of the top girls.

The Southern Section council rejected a proposal earlier this week that, among other things, would have allowed parochial schools Santa Ana Mater Dei and Santa Margarita to change leagues and compete for at-large playoff berths, rather than league championships, in 11 varsity sports, including football, basketball and baseball.

Under the proposal, Mater Dei would move from the South Coast League to the Sunset League and Santa Margarita would move from the Sea View League to the South Coast.

Pat Murphy, Mater Dei’s principal, said he had received calls from schools in Riverside and the San Fernando Valley complaining that, under the plan, Mater Dei and Santa Margarita would take away at-large playoff bids they compete for.

Another realignment plan is expected to be presented to the council in January.

The council also defeated proposals that would have allowed for postseason football bowl games and soccer invitationals.