Mt. SAC: West Hills boys 2nd in sweeps Chandler, Baird are fastest locals; Fox, Petersen run quick

West Hills boys team came into the Mt. SAC Invitational unranked in the state, but knowing that they were much better than most experts knew. Then they went out and proved it, running a strong second in the Division I team sweepstakes race. Long Beach Poly won the race in impressive fashion, totaling a 78:48 team time, which is a per- formance that ranks among the best ever in this race with the rich history. West Hills' top five runners totaled 79:58, which averages out to less than 16 minutes for each runner on the storied course of three miles of dusty hills. Less than 30 teams in the history of the meet have dipped below 80 minutes in team time. The Wolfpack came out of the meet with a well-deserved number two rank in the state. Junior Evan Fox led the effort, with a 15:23 in the race, good for second in the field. Other Wolfpack scorers were soph Ben Aragon (15:55), and seniors Paul Saccone (16:04), Matt Rendina (16:11) and Tim Rodman (16:24). It was a level jump for a team that was already excellent. Poway coach Dan Schaitel said, "It was the best I've seen a San Diego team run there." "It was a breakthrough," West Hills girls coach Bill Cleves observed. "We got out right from the start," West Hills boys coach Pat Connolly said. "After the first mile, our guys were all in the top twenty. I thought, 'Great. I just hope they can hang on a little bit.'" There were other signifcant efforts by San Diego Section runners. Serra's Marcus Chandler won the individual sweeps race in 15:09, which was the second fastest time of the meet. It was the latest in a series of fine efforts by the Serra senior, who has established himself as one of the very best runners in the state and nation. He is unbeaten in any meet, and he has faced plenty of good competition. Helix senior Courtney Baird was fourth in the individual girls sweeps, running 18:16. She led the first half of the race, but then lost ground to a strong top three. Francis Parker's Angela Petersen was unchallenged in winning the Division V individual sweeps race on Friday, running 18:38. The Fallbrook and San Marcos boys teams ran good races (Poway split up their team) in D-I competition. La Jolla's boys were fifth in the D-III sweeps, and Calvin's boys were ninth in the D-V sweeps race. The Helix and La Jolla girls also raced well.

The Results: At Mt. San Antonio College, in Walnut, Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24. The course is considered one of the classic high school courses in the state. It is exactly 3.0 miles for girls and boys; and has three major hills, after a flat and fast first mile. The course is mostly dirt. Weather conditions vary during the competition, with temperatures warming at mid-day. Dust is also a factor, with large fields of runners.