Timinsky Plays Timid Before Bolting to Victory

A radical change in strategy helped Jenna Timinsky of Encinitas San Dieguito Academy avenge her only loss of the season in the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational cross-country meet Friday.

Timinsky, a senior, won the girls’ Division III sweepstakes race in 17 minutes 16 seconds over the 2.91-mile course to defeat runner-up Julie Allen of Newport Beach Corona del Mar by 23 seconds.

The previously undefeated Allen pulled away from Timinsky in the final mile of the Division III race of the Stanford Invitational on Sept. 29, but couldn’t keep pace Friday.

“I ran the best race I’ve ever run because I ran a smart race,” Timinsky said. “Instead of bombing it out there in the first mile, like I usually do, I sat back. Today, I was the stalker instead of the rabbit.”

Timinsky’s time moved her into a three-way tie for ninth on the all-time course list.

Senior Billy Nelson of Woodland Hills Taft moved to eighth on the boys’ all-time course list with a wire-to-wire victory in the Division IV sweepstakes.

Nelson, undefeated, took the lead in the first 200 meters of the race and was never challenged. His 14:48 clocking was a 14-second improvement over his winning time last year and gave him a 43-second margin of victory over runner-up Giovanni Perezchica of team champion McFarland.

Barstow won the boys’ Division III sweepstakes with a 46-109 victory over runner-up Ojai Nordhoff.