Dueling Agendas

One of the up-and-coming distance runners at University High is no longer a member of the school’s cross-country team--this much is undisputed.

But whether Jennifer Marquand was forced from the team or simply walked away is the topic of some debate.

Marquand, a sophomore who had worked her way up to be the Trojans’ No. 3 runner, says she was dropped from the team because of her desire to play club soccer. Dan Wroblicky, University’s cross-country coach, says leaving was Marquand’s decision after he told her she needed to make a full-time commitment to his team.

“They asked if I would give up soccer,” Marquand said. “I said, ‘No.’ ”

A growing number of Orange County athletes--particularly cross-country runners--are facing such conflicts as they attempt to balance school sports with club play. High school coaches are struggling as well, trying to maintain a competitive program while instilling pride, unity and team goals.

Other examples from across the county:

* At Laguna Beach, Erin Bevacqua, the No. 2 runner this season, quit cross-country two weeks ago because of the demands of cross-country and soccer.

* At Northwood, a dozen runners, including two returning varsity competitors, were lost to club soccer this year.

* At Newport Harbor and Santa Margarita, track and field and cross-country coaches have taken to holding out top runners who place their commitment to club soccer above running.

But what sets Marquand’s situation apart is that her sister, Allyson, became embroiled in a similar controversy at University three years ago, and was ultimately forced from the cross-country team. A three-time Times Orange County runner of the year, Allyson Marquand is now a redshirt sophomore on the women’s soccer team at Stanford.

Wroblicky, a coach for the last 20 years, said he has had this problem only twice in his career--both involving the Marquand sisters. However, he sought to downplay comparisons between the two.

“In Allyson’s case, she was dismissed,” Wroblicky said. “This one, in my mind, is Jennifer choosing not to do cross-country because of a heavy commitment to soccer. She would have to be in two places at one time.”

While both sides differ considerably in their accounts of recent events, the dispute focuses on the amount of time Marquand’s soccer schedule would take away from the cross-country team.

Marquand, who plays for the Newport Beach Slammers under-16 premier team, said she told Wroblicky at the beginning of the season that she would miss the Woodbridge Invitational on Sept. 16 and last Saturday’s Central Park Invitational in Huntington Beach. In addition, she would have to leave early during the Sept. 23 Dana Hills Invitational.

“I had some league games that conflicted with the meet schedule,” Marquand said. “League play is very serious, and I’m primarily a soccer player.”

Wroblicky said Marquand requested that she be allowed to skip all of the remaining Saturday meets, including this Saturday’s Orange County Championships and the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational the following weekend. He said that while he has made compromises with the Marquands and other athletes in the past, Jennifer Marquand was asking for too much.

“The bottom line is she informed me she wouldn’t be available for anything on Saturday,” Wroblicky said. “Well, that’s not very flexible.”

Reached at Stanford, Allyson Marquand said she was frustrated to hear about her sister’s situation, which she said is identical to her own.

“To call home and find out my sister is going through the same thing is unbelievable,” Allyson Marquand said.

After a brief respite during the winter, when high school soccer is played, club soccer picks up again in the spring and can affect track and field participation. The rival sport continues to be a source of frustration for high school coaches through the fall, too.

Some coaches allow runners to juggle both sports--with mixed results.

Fred Bosely, who took over the Irvine program after Randy Rossi left for Northwood last season, said he has tried to accommodate one of his top runners, Kelly Ferguson, but said she missed Friday’s five-team Sea View League meet at Irvine Park.

“Her club soccer coaches told her they didn’t want her to run that day,” Bosely said. “It’s really getting to be a problem.”

Schools with smaller teams are especially hard-hit by the conflict.

Fountain Valley, for example, moved itself out of the Division I race Saturday at the Central Park Invitational, which the Barons hosted, and into the less-competitive Division II race because two key members of the team had a conflicting club soccer game.

Other coaches say they have little choice but to demand that runners make a commitment, and stick to it.

Northwood’s Rossi calls himself a “hard-liner” on the subject, demanding that his runners attend all meets.

“Some of the girls can accept that, and function within those parameters, and some can’t,” said Rossi, who guided Irvine to a state title in 1998. “It’s tough because a lot of kids who would be very successful in cross-country are going to club soccer. . . .

“It’s a hornet’s nest.”

Newport Harbor Coach Eric Tweit said he had to remove his top sprinter from the track team last spring because of a similar conflict.

And after losing some key members of his Santa Margarita track and field team to club soccer games during the Southern Section finals last spring, Coach Gil Garcia said he has put a strict policy in place:

“They can play soccer as long as cross-country comes first.”