Boy’s Cross-Country / Runners to Watch

* Mike Allen, El Modena, Sr.

* Derek Bartlett, Orange Lutheran, Sr.

* Ryan Bousquet, Esperanza, Jr.

* Augie Escobar, Villa Park, Jr.

* Leo Gordillo, Tustin, Sr.

* Bruce Hancock, Costa Mesa, Sr.

* Kyle Haigh, Brea Olinda, Sr.

* Andy Hassen, Mission Viejo, Sr.

* Curt Herberts, Newport Harbor, Sr.

* Jose Herrera, Loara, Sr.

* Steve Jensen, Newport Harbor, Sr.

* Andy Knutsen, Edison, Sr.

* Alfonso Leon, Santa Ana, Sr.

* Matt Levassiur, Katella, Sr.

* Devin Lindahl, Dana Hills, Sr.

* Tony Lozano, Katella, Jr.

* Danny Mejia, Katella, Jr.

* Alberto Munoz, Estancia, Sr.

* Jorge Pena, Santa Ana, Sr.

* Juan Salgado, Santa Ana, Sr.

League Favorites

Century: El Modena; Empire: Katella; Freeway: Sonora; Garden Grove: Santiago; Golden West: Santa Ana; Olympic: Sierra Madre Maranatha; Orange: Brea Olinda; Pacific Coast: Costa Mesa; Sea View: Newport Harbor; South Coast: Dana Hills; Sunset: Esperanza.

Key Dates

Saturday, Woodbridge Invitational, Sunny Hills Invitational; Sept. 26, Dana Hills Invitational, Sonora Invitational; Oct. 10, Central Park Invitational at Fountain Valley; Oct. 17, Orange County Championships; Oct. 24, Mt. San Antonio College Invitational; Nov. 14, Southern Section preliminaries; Nov. 21, Southern Section finals; Nov. 28, state championships at Woodward Park, Fresno.

1997 Final Poll

1. Mission Viejo; 2. Katella; 3. Santa Ana; 4. Santa Margarita; 5. Newport Harbor; 6, Irvine; 7. Sonora; 8. Esperanza; 9. Corona del Mar; 10. Dana Hills.

Notes

Katella senior Matt Levassiur is the fastest in the nation for his age group in the half marathon. At America’s Finest Half Marathon in San Diego, Levassiur finished first in his age group in 1997 and 1998 . . . Katella’s juniors have never lost a class race. Among the victories Danny Mejia, Tony Lozano, Juan Casas, and Albert Rosel have celebrated together were the Mt. San Antonio College freshman championships in 1996 and the sophomore championships last season . . . Even so, the strongest class of runners has to be Santa Ana’s senior fivesome of Alfonso Leon, Juan Salgado, Jorge Pena, Omar Mateo, and Miguel Balanos . . . Derek Bartlett was Orange Lutheran’s athlete of the year last season.