Freshman Hasay Races to West Regional Title

The anticipation came to an end Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College. Somewhere between “poop-out hill” and the top of the reservoir.

That’s the stretch of the 3.1-mile course where Jordan Hasay, a freshman at San Luis Obispo Mission Prep, pulled away from defending champion Marie Lawrence of Reno to win the Foot Locker West Regional in 17 minutes 14 seconds.

“I really never thought that I was going to win,” said Hasay, who lives in Arroyo Grande. “I kept thinking [Lawrence] was going to pass me.”

In the boys’ seeded race, a pack of eight runners approached the last 200 meters together, but A.J. Acosta of Oceanside El Camino beat Ben Sitler of Mountain View St. Francis by one second in winning in 15:38.

Lompoc Cabrillo senior Michael Coe finished fourth in 15:42, West Covina senior Danny Mercado was sixth in 15:43 and his twin brother, Diego, was seventh in 15:44. The top eight finishers qualified for the Foot Locker National Championships on Saturday at Balboa Park in San Diego.

Other qualifiers for the national championships include Phelan Serrano sophomore Kauren Tarver, who was fourth in 17:59, Fountain Valley senior Crystal Reed (fifth, 18:02) and Glendora junior Christy Adamyk (seventh, 18:16).

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Members of the girls’ team at Corona del Mar and the boys’ team at Simi Valley Royal each placed sixth in the team standings in the Nike Team Nationals at Portland, Ore.

Competing with the Newport Cross-Country Club, senior Annie St. Geme of Corona del Mar finished second overall in 19:27 on the 3.1-mile course, four seconds behind winner Betsy Bies of Yankton, S.D.

St. Geme earned one of two remaining qualifying berths for the West team at the Foot Locker National Championships.

Naperville, Ill., won the girls’ team title with 133 points. Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) won the boys’ team title.

Kenny Klotz of Portland won the boys’ race in 16:25. Royal was led by Jun Reichl, who finished 18th in 17:10.

The Oak Park girls’ team finished 12th in the 20-team field.