Palomar: RB's girls, Vista boys winners Fast Broncos edge great Mt. Carmel effort; Manson, Ricketts titlists

There was nothing ordinary about the Palomar League girls final. Rancho Bernardo's girls, going into the meet top-ranked in the county, were looking in two directions at once. They were racing to keep up with great efforts by the Torrey Pines girls (quick times, recorded an hour earlier on the course), while trying to fend off a hard-charging Mt. Carmel team. Actually the RB girls may not have been aware of the Torrey times. When Bronco coaches Don Jones and Terry Dockery saw them posted, they both said, "We don't have to tell the girls." RB held off Mt. Carmel's girls, but it was not easy. In boys racing, Vista upheld their favorite status with a solid race, while Poway and Mt. Carmel fought to a standoff in the second slot. Poway won the tie-breaker. Broncos Julie Manson and Sean Ricketts were individual winners. Ricketts had 0:20 seconds on Vistan Justin Neuroth, while Manson was not far ahead of Mt. Carmel's Ashley Dere. In fact, with about 400 meters to run in the girls race, Mt. Carmel was looking very good. Dere was within range of Manson, and picking up the pace, Sundevil teammates Janet Mulvey and Kim Vasko were third and fourth. RB's Allison Hall started to move at that point and passed Vasko and then passed Mulvey. Seconds later, Kaleena Yee made a move to get ahead of RBV's Natassja Hall for sixth. Broncs Katie Boyd and Sarah Wilkins were eighth and ninth to cement the win. The league results read almost like a dual meet. Runners from Mt. Carmel and Rancho Bernardo took the first six spots, and 11 of the first 13 places. The boys race was much more democratic. Vista had three of the top ten spots, including a fine effort by Jared Emmons in third, just four seconds behind Neuroth. Poway (Pat Prunty and Josh Pope), Mt. Carmel (Mike Cooke and frosh Alan Aradanas) and San Marcos (Travis Laird and Andrew Boring) each had two runners in the top ten, and Rancho Bernardo had the race winner (Ricketts). The boys race, near midday, did not produce fast times. The morning's ideal racing conditions had turned to heat. Runners across the board ran about 0:20 seconds slower than at the Southern Cal Invite last month.

The Results: At Guajome Park, Saturday, November 14. Conditions: course in good shape, weather cool for girls rce; warm for boys race.