Flores Takes Road Show to Florida

When the starter’s pistol fires to begin the girls’ race of the national cross-country championships in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Saturday, senior Valerie Flores of San Pedro High will become the first runner from a City Section school to compete in the meet that began in 1979.

Ian Alsen of Granada Hills qualified for the national championships in 1987 when he won the West region title, but he didn’t run in the meet because the City championships were held the same day.

The City championships were moved forward three weeks the next year, but it has taken until now for a runner from the section to advance to the national meet.

“One of my coaches told me about being the first runner from the City to make it to nationals,” Flores said. “But I didn’t have any idea about the history until then.”

Flores, who has signed with UCLA, finished fifth at the state meet Nov. 27 at Woodward Park in Fresno despite running with a cold that prevented her from making a serious run at the title.

She finished fifth last weekend at the West region championships at Mt. San Antonio College with a time of 18 minutes 21 seconds over the 5,000-meter course and hopes to finish among the top 15 finishers Saturday in the meet that includes the top eight finishers from the West, Midwest, Northeast and South regionals.

“I’m thinking top 15,” said Flores, winner of the last two City titles. “I’m still in shock that I’m going there.”

Flores is one of five runners from Southern California who will compete.

The others are junior Anita Siraki of Glendale Hoover, the state Division I girls’ champion; senior Augie Escobar of Villa Park, the state Division II boys’ champion; senior Daniel Mejia of Anaheim Katella, runner-up in the state Division I boys’ final; and senior Travis Laird of San Marcos near San Diego, the state Division I boys’ champion.

Siraki placed seventh in the girls’ race in the West region championships. Escobar, Mejia and Laird were fourth, fifth and sixth in the boys’ race.

Junior Alan Webb of South Lakes, Va., senior Dathan Ritzenhein of Rockford, Mich., and senior Josh Rohatinsky of Provo, Utah, are three of the favorites in the boys’ race.

Sophomore Felicia Guliford of Gallup, N.M., and senior Victoria Jackson of Lake Forest, Ill., are two of the top contenders in the girls’ race.