Big Bear’s Hall Breaks Course Record

Ryan Hall of Big Bear High set a course record Saturday in winning his second consecutive Division IV boys’ title in the Southern Section cross-country championships at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Hall, a senior who won the 3,200 meters in the state track and field championships in June, clocked 14 minutes 28 seconds over the 2.95-mile course to break the previous course mark of 14:32 set by Jeff Nelson of Burbank in 1978.

Hall came through the first mile in 4:37, clocked 9:48 at the two-mile mark and ran the final 880 yards--which is mostly downhill or flat--in 2:03 to defeat second-place Travis Beardslee of Newport Beach Corona del Mar by 49 seconds.

“When I came through two miles, I was feeling a lot better than I did last week,” Hall said. “It’s a great honor to better the course record. It’s just an honor to be at the same level as Jeff Nelson.”

Nelson, who set his course record in the 1978 Mt. SAC Invitational, is regarded as one of the nation’s best high school distance runners ever and still holds the national record of 8:36.3 in the two-mile run.

Senior Anita Siraki of Glendale Hoover, the Palos Verdes Peninsula girls’ team and the Long Beach Poly boys’ squad also had noteworthy performances.

Siraki, who set the girls’ course record of 16:38 in the Mt. SAC Invitational on Oct. 21, won her second consecutive Division I title with a 16:53 effort that was the second-fastest ever at Mt. SAC.

Peninsula defeated Quartz Hill, 51-125, for its first Division I girls’ title since 1994.

Long Beach Poly, the No. 2-ranked boys’ team in the nation by Harrier magazine, defeated Rialto, 63-105, for its fourth Division I title in five years.

Senior Ozzie Pina, who transferred from Lakewood to Poly last summer, won his second consecutive individual title in 15:04.