Kirkendall Plans Race She Won’t Run

Rosanna Kirkendall of Lancaster High will run in the girls’ 1,500 meters and distance medley relay in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut today.

But that could be the easy part of her weekend as she’ll be one of the directors of a 10K, 5K and 1K run at Lancaster City Park on Sunday morning.

Kirkendall and classmate Richard Chapliau decided to organize a road race to fulfill their requirement for a senior project. But she had no idea how much patience and persistence that would require.

“I’m one of those people who wants to get things done right away,” said Kirkendall, who has signed with Cal State Northridge. “When I get an assignment in class, I want to go home and work on it that day. I don’t want to put it off for a day or two. . . . This project has taught me that you have to be patient at times.”

Attaining a parade permit from the city of Lancaster was one of the things that tried Kirkendall’s patience.

She, Chapliau and Robert Laich, their mentor on the project, tried to get permission for the races to start and finish near The Hangar, the baseball stadium where the Lancaster JetHawks play. But city officials rejected two proposals because they felt blocking off the streets around the stadium would caused too much disruption in local traffic and commerce.

The city approved a proposal early in March to stage the races at Lancaster City Park and Kirkendall, Chapliau and Laich have been busy since doing all the things necessary to put on the races, whose proceeds will go to the Valley Oasis Shelter for the physically battered.

“I don’t think I’ve been the easiest person to be around in the last week or so,” Kirkendall said with a laugh. “But it’s very satisfying to set a goal and reach it.”

Juniors Chris Morgan of Taft, Anita Siraki of Hoover and Porchea Carroll of Rio Mesa will be some of the leading athletes from the region in the meet today, which starts at 8 a.m.

Morgan, who has the state’s fastest time in the boys’ 110 high hurdles this season, will compete in that event and the long jump.

Siraki, national leader in the girls’ 3,200, will run the 800 and 1,500.

Carroll, defending champion in the girls’ 100 and long jump, will compete in those events as well as the 200 and the 400 relay.